The Philippine Coast Guard activated its Auxiliary District for the Kalayaan Island Group on Wednesday. The step builds up the service's presence in the West Philippine Sea. Auxiliary units pool civilian volunteers and private partners to support regular coast guard work with extra personnel and gear. The activation goes hand in hand with the establishment of a Coast Guard presence in the island group itself. Officials point to faster response as the gain, since people and assets positioned closer to the islands can react sooner when trouble flares. The KIG covers Philippine-administered features in the South China Sea, waters where Chinese and Philippine patrol ships have squared off repeatedly. Manila's push to patrol the area more actively now has a volunteer arm to draw from.