President Duterte has approved the planned trip of five government ships to Benham Rise, a resource-rich area east of Luzon where Chinese research vessels were spotted earlier this year. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the trip of research vessel m/v DA-BFAR (Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) and four smaller vessels has been scheduled on May 5-7. The expedition will set sail from Infanta, Quezon where 38-footer FB Pagbabago fiberglass fishing boats will be awarded to Filipino fishermen. The boats will then join the expedition bound for the continental shelf.

Romero, A. (2017, May 1). Duterte OKs BFAR trip to Benham Rise. Philippine Star, p. 2.