Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr told the Australian parliament on Thursday he would not allow any foreign power to take "one square inch" of the country's territory, and that Manila was firm in defending its sovereignty.

Australia and the Philippines began their first joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea in November, aimed at countering an increasingly assertive China, which claims the entire sea as its own.

"I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory," Marcos said in the address.

The South China Sea is a conduit for more than $3 trillion worth of ship-borne commerce each year, and is a major source of tension between the Philippines and neighbour China.

Manila accuses Beijing of committing aggressive acts inside its exclusive economic zone (EEZ); an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague said in 2016 that China's claims inside the Philippines' EEZ had no legal basis - a decision Beijing has rejected. China has chided the Philippines for encroaching on what it says is its territory.

Protecting the area is important to global stability, Marcos said on Thursday.

"The protection of the South China Sea as a vital, critical global artery is crucial to the preservation of regional peace and, I dare say, of global peace," he said. "We have an abiding interest in keeping our seas free and open, and in ensuring unimpeded passage and freedom of navigation."

Marcos is in Australia on an official visit, before he attends a special summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Melbourne next week.

Marcos says Philippines on 'frontline' of maritime disputes, 'will not yield'

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told Australia's House of Representatives in Canberra his country will not yield 'even one square inch' of its territory.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos told Australia's parliament his country was on the "frontline" of a battle for regional peace Thursday, pledging resolve as he sought support in maritime disputes with China.

With Beijing's warships loitering in waters off his country's coast, Marcos told Australian lawmakers that "the Philippines now finds itself on the frontline against actions that undermine regional peace, erode regional stability, and threaten regional success".

He vowed to remain firm in defending his country's sovereignty, despite "formidable" challenges.

"I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory," Marcos said to loud applause.

"The challenges that we face may be formidable, but equally formidable is our resolve. We will not yield."

Philippines authorities this week reported detecting Chinese navy vessels around the Scarborough Shoal -- an area seized by Beijing in 2012.

China has claimed the shoal and large swathes of the South China Sea as its own, ignoring regional objections and an international tribunal ruling that the claims have no legal basis.

The South China Sea is strategically vital for several countries -- including China -- providing a key route for the import and export of essential fuel, food and other goods.

Beijing has long deployed coast guard and other vessels around the Scarborough Shoal to prevent Philippine access.

But Marcos painted the deployment of warships as a new and "worrisome" escalation.

China has rapidly grown its naval forces in recent years, and snatched vast tracts of maritime territory, hoping to project its military and political power well beyond the country's shores.

"The protection of the South China Sea as a critical global artery is crucial to the preservation of regional peace. And I dare say of global peace," Marcos said.

Marcos' Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese hailed the Philippines as a "strategic partner" on Thursday.

Albanese said the two countries signed a deal on "enhanced maritime cooperation" and vowed to "collaborate even more closely to promote our shared vision for the region".

- Hard sell -

Marcos may be pushing at an open door when it comes to Australia's support, but he is likely to face a tougher task in garnering full-throated support from his Southeast Asian neighbours.

Early next week, Australia and the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations will hold a summit in Melbourne.

Although Beijing's aggressive stance in the South China Sea is tipped to dominate discussions, many countries around the table -- notably Laos and Cambodia -- have extremely close ties with China.

Many others are keen not to damage relations with Beijing, a major trading partner.

Filipino volunteer who saved Outback fire brigade celebrated in Australian Parliament

In this undated photo from the South Australian Country Fire Service, Port Wakefield CFS Captain Warren Miller, right, and CFS volunteer Samson Bucol pose for a photo at the fire station in Port Wakefield, Australia. Bucol, a Filipino immigrant who helped a small Outback town keep its volunteer fire brigade was celebrated in the Australian Parliament on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 during a special sitting to welcome Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is on a state visit. (First Lieutenant Kathie Callahan/South Australian Country Fire Service via AP)

A Filipino immigrant who helped a small Outback town keep its volunteer fire brigade was celebrated in the Australian Parliament on Thursday during a special sitting to welcome Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is on a state visit.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Samson Bocul as an example of the Philippine diaspora’s willingness to give back to the community.

Bocul lives in the small South Australia state town of Port Wakefield. The community of 600 people was on the brink of disbanding its Country Fire Service in 2022 as it struggled to recruit volunteer firefighters.

Bocul, who immigrated in 2014, was the only person to respond to a last-ditch recruitment drive. He helped pave the way for a flood of Filipino recruits.

With the addition of Bucol’s family, friends and the wider Filipino community the Port Wakefield brigade is now almost staffed to capacity, said local brigade captain Warren Miller.

“His dedication to duty won the respect and affection of his fellow volunteers and he soon passed the word to others,” Albanese told Marcos.

“Today, a quarter of the members of the Country Fire Service are of Filipino descent and half of the cadets. Characteristic of the spirit of the Filipino diaspora that calls Australia home,” Albanese added.

Bocul’s contribution has previously been highlighted by the South Australia Country Fire Service. South Australia is an area larger than France and Germany combined with a population of fewer than 2 million. With most of the state threatened by wildfires, the government provides firefighting equipment and training to local volunteers who protect their own far-flung communities. The local brigades also respond to floods and other emergencies that threaten life and property.

Bocul said he had considered joining since seeing volunteers respond to flooding in Port Wakefield in 2016.

“I thought, ‘How can I join them?’ but I was too shy to ask at the time,” Bucol told a Country Fire Service publication recently.

“They gave me a warm welcome and good treatment,” he told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Miller said the brigade was on the verge of closing when he launched the recruitment drive.

“It was either ... do something or the place is going to close,” Miller said.

Bucol said: “That’s made me proud of myself, that as a Filipino we are all well known, that we are not bad people and we are doing well in the community.”

Port Wakefield has a relatively large Filipino population for South Australia, with 11.6% of the town having Philippines ancestry in 2021.

That proportion is only 1.2% across the state.

The Philippines has become Australia’s fifth largest source of immigrants, with a 400,000-strong diaspora in a national population of 27 million.

Albanese said Filipino-Australians had become famous for their generosity, hospitality and love of family.

“Renowned for their hard work and aspiration and always looking to give back to the community,” Albanese said.