BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson has expressed his intention to visit Pagasa Island in Palawan province to see the infrastructure development and the life of the residents in the area following the visit of Sen. Risa Hontiveros. Hontiveros flew with the PCG over the weekend to see the situation there. “If there’s an available plane, I would also like to go there because, you know, when I went there, I noticed some deficiency in the infrastructure,” Lacson said during an interview on the sidelines of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Homecoming 2026 on Saturday at Fort Del Pilar, Baguio City. Lacson said he wanted to assess the area's development, especially its education system, which had only an elementary school when he visited years ago. “I augmented a budget for additional facilities [in the area] for the integration of a high school facility. I think DepEd (Department of Education) acted appropriately,” Lacson said. “Now there’s high school there.” Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesman of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for the West Philippine Sea, had invited government personalities to come with the PCG in its Maritime Domain Awareness flights over the disputed marine area, particularly the Pagasa Island, following Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s controversial suggestion to "give up" the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) since it lies beyond the country’s exclusive economic zone. Lacson also wants to see the Marines' company-size contingent in the area to listen to them. “The (Chinese) Coast Guard (CCG) ships are very visible (from the shoreline). I asked them what they do whenever they attempt to intrude. They said the CCGs attempted to penetrate 12 nautical miles off the mainland but stepped back upon radio challenge from Philippine authorities.” All senators caucus on KIG Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan earlier this week urged Manila to sit down and talk to “find ways to manage differences” amid an escalating war of words between Chinese diplomats and some Philippine officials. Lacson called Jing's move a “breath of fresh air” in hopes of managing differences with China. "This is why an all-senators caucus is set for Monday, Feb. 23, not to argue about the KIG but to lay down parameters on how to communicate with each other so that further damage can be prevented," the senator said. “Sen. Marcoleta is also invited to join if he wants to join,” Lacson said.