The Philippine government has received P87 million, or $1.97 million, from the United States for the damage caused by the grounding of the minesweeper USS Guardian in Palawan’s Tubbataha Reef two years ago. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday the government received the compensation last Jan. 20 for the damage to Tubbataha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The DFA said the money will help rehabilitate and protect the reef and enhance monitoring of the area to prevent a repeat of the incident. The US government will also assist the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in upgrading its station at the reef.

Lee-Brago, P., Romero, A., Villanueva, R., & Mendez, C. (2015, February 19). US pays P87 M for Tubbataha damage. The Philippine Star, p. 4.