PUERTO PRINCESA, Feb. 23 -- Naval commands tasked with West Philippine Sea (WPS) security are making the "necessary adjustments" following the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) shift in focus to "external defense," a Philippine Navy official said Friday.

In a media briefing, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy's spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), said the strategic shift towards external defense had placed the Philippine Navy at the forefront of this transition.

In particular, he said the Western Command (Wescom) in Puerto Princesa City and the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) in Tarlac have become central in leading the "external defense" transition.

Wescom oversees the WPS, while Nolcom manages Bajo de Masinloc,...