The US government is prepared to provide “appropriate compensation” to the Tubbataha Reef for the damages caused by the grounding of the USS Guardian there in mid-January. In a statement, the US Embassy in Manila said yesterday that its government considers the coral reefs in the Philippines, including the protected Tubbataha Reef, as some of the “most important biodiversity centres in the world.” “In view of damage caused by the USS Guardian accident at Tubbataha Reef, the US has expressed its regret and is prepared to provide appropriate compensation to the Republic of the Philippines,” the embassy said.

Bauzon, B. C. V. (2013, February 4). US pledges compensation for Tubbataha Reef. The Manila Times, p. A3.