Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci visits troops at different island stations in the West Philippine Sea. Courtesy of Philippine Navy.

MANILA - The Philippine Navy's flag officer-in-command visited troops in the West Philippine Sea, the military branch said Tuesday, amid high tensions in the maritime area.

Navy Flag OIC Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci went to different island stations, including Headquarters Naval Forces West (NFW) and the Philippine Marine Corps' 3rd Marine Brigade at Puerto Princesa City; and naval stations located at Macarascas and Ulugan Bay.

He also flew to the Kalayaan Island Group and visited personnel stationed at Pag-asa, Parola, and Likas Islands, the Navy said in a statement.

Adaci led the ribbon cutting and blessing of the newly-constructed administrative and research building at Parola and Likas, and also handed over emergency kits and food.

"The FOIC, PN commended the efforts of our Sailors and Marines in the different island stations, as well as the Philippine Navy ships and aircrafts in the Kalayaan Island Group within the Western Command joint area of operations, in accomplishing their mission and upholding their duties as Defenders of the Western Frontier," the Navy said.

Adaci's visit comes amid tensions between the Philippines and China due to a territorial dispute in the South China Sea, some parts of which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea.

Tensions between the two countries escalated last February, when the Chinese Coast Guard pointed a military-grade laser at Philippine Coast Guard personnel in the Ayungin Shoal. The Philippines has since filed a diplomatic protest over the incident.

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On March 9, an aircraft of the Philippine Coast Guard conducted a maritime domain Awareness flight over the West Philippine Sea. With five journalists on board, the Philippine aircraft received seven radio challenges from the China Coast Guard - four times as it entered the territorial sea of the Pag-asa and three times at the Ayungin Shoal, or within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The Chinese vessels fell squarely within Pag-asa's 12 nautical mile territorial sea. A China Coast Guard vessel has lingered at Ayungin Shoal.