plans The Philippine Navy has since 1999 proposed to create a long causeway leading to a deep-water region. This has already been completed as of June 2020, paving the way for Philippine Navy ships and contractors to proceed with the landing of equipment for the improvement of the facilities of the island. The island has a white sand coastline, is filled with trees, and is a sanctuary of several species of sea birds. Its wide coral base makes for good diving. Senator Sonny Angara filed a bill on 27 August 2016, that aims to promote the island as an ecotourism zone. If such proposal will be enacted to a law, other islands controlled by the Philippines would also be declared as protected areas under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS). In 2017, approximately 1.6 billion pesos was allocated to the island's development, for projects including a desalination plant, a port, and runway repairs. Newly repaired naval and air ports will enable the delivery of construction materials and essential supplies to improve living conditions, and construction of desalination plant, renewable energy power source, cold storage facility, and fish port. A beaching ramp and sheltered port were inaugurated in 2020. Runway repairs are set to begin by mid-2021. The Philippine government plans to turn the island into a logistics hub to sustain the country's military forces in the area. See also Kalayaan, Palawan Territorial disputes in the South China Sea China containment policy Dongsha Island Airport (Pratas Island) Yongxing Island Airport (Woody Island in the Paracel Islands) List of airports in the Spratly Islands List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands Taiping Island Airport Layang-Layang Airport References External links Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative Island Tracker Islands of the Spratly Islands Kalayaan, Palawan Thitu Reefs