There is wealth out there, for the taking. But diving is daunting, starting at 15 meters deep. In 2011, the Philippines acquired Benham Rise, a "massive" area east of Luzon. "We have access to resources in an area bigger than Luzon, but we actually don't know what we have," said Dr. Carlos David, the new head of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).

Icamina, P. (2015, July 29). Benham Rise: wealth under the sea. Malaya, p. A3.