Photo Release

LOOKING INTO BENHAM RISE: Senator Win Gatchalian (right), chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, presides over the continuation of a Senate hearing looking into security and environmental concerns following reports of suspicious Chinese activities in the strategically important and mineral rich Benham Rise. “There is an urgent need to conduct extensive scientific research in Benham Rise to fully discover how its development will benefit the Filipino people. These plans must be put into place now so that future generations of Filipinos will be able to reap the benefits of the area’s ecological wealth and unexplored energy resources,” Gatchalian said. Senator Sonny Angara, author of a Senate bill creating a Benham Rise Development Authority (BRDA), also attended the hearing. (PRIB Photo by Alex Nuevaespaña/29 march 2017)