National outrage followed on the heels of the grounding of a US Navy ship in the south atoll of the Tubbataha Reef National Park (TRNP), off the coast of Puerto Princesa in Palawan. The TRNP is a protected area under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (Nipas) designated by Republic Act No. 7586, also known as the Nipas Act. The TRNP is also a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage site. It is sometimes difficult to appreciate how much we as a society depend on the natural ecosystems for our daily needs.

Plantilla, A. E. (2013, March 4). Reef's real value is priceless. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A18.