A team of marine and eco-tourism experts has begun assessing the potential of transforming a Philippine-occupied island in the contested Spratly island group into a tourist hideaway.

In 1978, the Philippine government proclaimed Pag-asa, the largest of nine islands and reefs occupied by Philippine forces, as Kalayaan township, attached to Palawan province, to bolster its territorial claim in the potentially oil-rich Spratlys. China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei also claim part or all of the Spratlys, which have been regarded as a potential flash-point for conflict in Asia.

The experts are now studying whether Pag-asa could be turned into a diving spot and resort.

"If you want to leave the noisy world and be nearer to almighty God, then that is your place," said the township’s mayor, Rosendo Mantes.

Pag-asa, also known as Thitu island, lies in the South China Sea about 480 kilometers west of the western Philippine province of Palawan.

Mantes said security should not be a concern for potential tourists, citing past agreements between the Philippines and other claimant countries to avoid trouble and settle any conflict peacefully.

The last violent clash in the disputed region, involving China and Vietnam, occurred in 1988. "The crime rate there is zero; it’s very peaceful," Mantes said of Pag-asa, the only Philippine-claimed island in the Spratlys populated by civilians.

Aside from Pag-asa, the smaller islands of Lawak and Likas could be developed for tourism.

Lawak is a sanctuary for seagulls and other migratory birds, while Likas is a haven for sea turtles.