The government has allocated half a billion pesos this year for various coastal and marine research programs, including those for the Philippine Rise (Benham Rise), Sen. Loren Legarda has said. Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on finance, said Congress has allocated funds for the Benham Rise expedition since 2016. She said P500 million was allocated for the Department of Environment and Natural ResourcesBiodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB)’s Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program (CMEMP) to fund research and biodiversity assessment nationwide.

Romero, P. (2018, February 22). Gov't earmarks P.5 B for Phl Rise this year. The Philippines Star, p. B7.