Aside from patrolling the area in and around Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it would be on hand to help Filipino fishermen who have started returning to shoal after the lifting of the Chinese blockade. PCG commandant Rear Admiral William Melad yesterday said six ships would be involved in the regular patrols-three of which would be monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) vessels. "We will be changing patrol ships every two or three days," Melad said. He said the patrols would be within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the western side of Luzon, where Panatag – also called Bajo de Masinloc – is situated.

Macairan, E. (2016, November 5). PCG to help Pinoy fishermen going to Panatag. The Philippine Star, p. 8.