The US Navy, not spared from repercussions, had to pay in full to the Philippine government after two years the damage to the corals caused by its ship. It paid around P87 million (equivalent to $1.87 million) in 2014 based on the computation of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), slightly higher than the earlier assessed penalty. Through the Bro. Alfred Shields Ocean Research Center (ShORe) of the De La Salle University (DLSU), the team, led by Dr. Wilfredo Licuanan, mapped out the damage of USS Guardian to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization-declared World Heritage Site. It was the worst damage on record on the protected reef. However, Licuanan told the BusinessMirror that after five years, “you will no longer notice the damage caused by the USS Guardian [in Tubbataha].”

Tumampos, S. (2018, October 1). Shore Story: Assessing corals and educating the public. BusinessMirror, p. A9.