On Pag-asa Island, a child waving the Philippine flag swayed to “Teritoryo” (Territory) by the hip-hop group Morobeats, drawing tears from residents, volunteers of the Atin Ito Coalition, and journalists covering their latest mission in the West Philippine Sea.
“It gave us goosebumps. We got emotional and had to look away for a moment because we felt tears starting to fall,” said Malik Bunyi, one of the singers of Morobeats, as the group took part in the activist coalition’s fourth mission since 2023 to uphold the country’s sovereignty over its own waters.
READ: WPS: Atin Ito plants PH flag on Pag-asa Cay 2 amid Chinese presence
Atin Ito reached Pag-asa Island, internationally known as Thitu Island, on May 3. The 37.2-hectare island about 480 kilometers northwest of Puerto Princesa, provincial capital of Palawan, is the largest feature of the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in the northeastern part of the contested Spratly Islands.
‘Unite with us’
Two days later, the Chinese Embassy Manila said “Zhongye Dao Zhongye Dao (Thitu Island) and Tiexian Jiao (Sandy Cay) are integral parts of China’s Nansha Qundao (Spratlys) and indisputable Chinese territory.”
The Philippine government had established these features as part of the country’s territory with the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 1596 by Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in 1978.
The decree established the town of Kalayaan in Pag-asa as part of Palawan and KIG as part of that municipality.
“You are welcome to visit,” Kalayaan Mayor Beltzasar “Billy” Alindogan told members of Atin Ito and journalists covering the mission. “Our town, Kalayaan, has programs that are being carried out. We cannot accomplish everything all at once, but if people unite with us, they will better understand the feelings and situation of our community.”
“We have our own garden. Our harvests are distributed among the residents. Sometimes, when meat supplies are limited, we rely on what is available within the community,” he added.
Evelyn Villegas, 30, said she and her family had been living in Pag-asa for five years after relocating from Puerto Princesa because of her husband’s work in school buildings, airstrips and other construction projects.
She said she initially sold snacks before becoming involved in a women’s cooperative on the island. Villegas now helps manage the cooperative’s store and sells bread to residents.
Asked about the presence of Chinese vessels, she said “sometimes it’s a bit worrying because we don’t really know what their plans are or what they might want to do. We worry that they might do something.”
“But still, we pray that nothing bad happens. They may have a presence there, but hopefully they won’t do anything harmful.”
The public market, or “palengke,” is often the center of daily life in many Filipino towns. But Hilda Reyes of Atin Ito said “They told me there is no public market here. There are only small stores. These stores get their supplies from Puerto Princesa.”
“[But] I can only say that this place is truly beautiful. I’m also amazed because it is right in the middle of the sea. I never imagined there could be an island like this that already has almost everything,” she said.
Open to tourism
Akbayan Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula, who led the Atin Ito jet ski flag ride activity on May 3, said “To our fellow citizens, I want to say that the West Philippine Sea should not be given away, we should not surrender it.”
“We will continue the fight, especially since [our] sovereignty has been [upheld] by an arbitral ruling, and Unclos (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) truly ruled in our favor,” Ismula said, referring to the 2016 arbitral ruling which upheld the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone against China’s claims.
She expressed hope that more Filipinos will have the opportunity to visit KIG, as she noted that the municipal government of Kalayaan has opened the island group to tourism.
Ismula said visits to KIG can be coordinated through the local government, which now has a dedicated tourism office.
“Don’t be afraid, because China’s behavior is only to intimidate Filipinos. But they have no right to drive us away from our own territory,” she said. “[These are] our waters. This is our sovereignty. This is our territory.” INQ
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