Recent incidents of cable disruptions in the vicinity of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have exposed the vulnerabilities of the world’s underwater lifelines which are critical infrastructures that are increasingly threatened by both natural and man-made forces.
At the Stratbase Institute forum, dubbed “Enhancing Underwater Domain Resilience through Strengthened Philippine–Italy Cooperation,” experts and defense officials from both countries underscored that protecting subsea infrastructure is an urgent shared priority in maintaining regional stability and a rules-based international order.
Italian ambassador to the Philippines Davide Giglio opened the dialogue by expressing Italy’s solidarity with the Filipino people affected by recent typhoons, and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to deepening engagement with the Philippines and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
“Italy approaches its engagement in the Indo-Pacific through dialogue, inclusiveness and shared responsibility,” Giglio said.
“We firmly believe that stability and progress can only be achieved through mutual understanding and practical cooperation, especially in areas of emerging strategic importance, such as the underwater domain. This is a new frontier. It is reckoned that 80 percent of the surface area in the underwater environment is still unexplored,” he added.
Stratbase Institute president Prof. Victor Andres Manhit said given the Philippines’ geographic position, the country plays a central role in securing global communications, as many of the world’s major subsea cables traverse its waters.
“The Philippine seas serve as a home to submarine cables that connect major economic players such as the United States, European Union, and Japan among others,” Manhit said. “Any disruptions or instability in the West Philippine Sea not only jeopardize the country’s connectivity but also hinder the seamless flow of information and trade, impeding economic development and cooperation in the region.”
Manhit also cited international reports of subsea cable-cutting incidents and the discovery of underwater drones with Chinese markings as urgent reminders of the need to strengthen undersea domain awareness.
“The Philippines needs to develop the capability to monitor, secure, and protect its underwater infrastructure at the soonest possible time,” he emphasized.
Philippine Navy spokesman for WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad acknowledged that securing undersea cables is a developing area of responsibility for the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Current efforts right now focus on policy discussions between the concerned government agencies,” Trinidad said. “The specific task of securing will fall on the Armed Forces and the Philippine Navy in coordination with the Coast Guard.”
From the Italian side, Navy Capt. Francesco Ruggiero discussed how Italy’s National Hub for Underwater, inaugurated in 2023, serves as a center for innovation and monitoring of underwater infrastructure.
“We are developing projects with an underwater infrastructure network and smart cables—cables for communication that also function as sensors,” Ruggiero said. “We aim to achieve full operational capability in the underwater dimension through the use of underwater multi-mission vehicles.”
The hub brings together government agencies, private companies, and universities to develop dual-use technologies for both civilian and defense applications, highlighting Italy’s integrated model for maritime and underwater resilience.
Engr. Aurora Buzzo, area manager for sales at Fincantieri, echoed this commitment, emphasizing the company’s readiness to work with the Philippines in advancing maritime and underwater capabilities.
“The Indo-Pacific and the large Mediterranean Sea are really very similar,” Buzzo shared. “Fincantieri really would like to be a strategic industrial partner for the Philippines to protect our ocean… We have national security and technological innovation to protect,”
As Italy and the Philippines strengthen cooperation in maritime security and defense, both nations affirmed that protecting the underwater domain is not only a strategic imperative, but also an opportunity for partnership, innovation, and shared prosperity.
