MANILA, Philippines - The US has assured the Department of Foreign Affairs that Washington will "provide appropriate compensation for the damage" to the Tubbataha Reef caused by the grounding of the USS Guardian.
In a joint statement, the Philippines and the US said they have held a series of meetings to discuss the grounding of the US warship on the protected site on January 17.
"In a meeting at the DFA on February 4, US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas jr. reiterated his regrets over the grounding incident and assured Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario that the United States will provide appropriate compensation for damage to the reef caused by the ship," the statement said.
Representatives from the DFA, the Department of Justice, Department of Transportation and Communications, the Philippine Coast Guards and those from the US Navy and the US Embassy have attended the meetings.
The PCG has started its independent inquiry into the grounding of the USS Gardian. Upon learning of the incident, the PCG has formed the Maritime Casualty Investigation Team (MCIT) in compliance with standard procedures and resolutions of the International Maritime Organization on serious maritime incidents to establish the circumstances and causes of the grounding on Tubbataha Reef and to formulate safety measures to prevent a repetition of the incident.
The USS Guardian will be salvaged to prevent it from causing further harm to the World Heritage site.
The US Embassy has earlier said the US Agency for International Development will grant P4.1 million to a Philippine university to support coral restoration research at Tubbataha Reef.