𝐁𝐀𝐉𝐎 𝐃𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐈N𝐋𝐎𝐂. The crew of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) distributes food packs to 40 Filipino fishermen in the waters near Bajo de Masinloc (BDM) on December 19, 2024. According to Lieutenant Commander Efren Duran, the commanding officer of BRP Teresa Magbanua, the PCG is committed to ensuring the safety, security, and welfare of Filipinos engaged in fishing operations off BDM. (Photo by BRP Teresa Magbanua)
LEGAZPI CITY (PIA) — It doesn’t matter which side of the Philippine archipelago a Filipino lives on when it comes to standing up against China’s illegal occupation of parts of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Commo. Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea, emphasized this as he expressed concern over the apparent indifference of some Filipinos on the eastern side of the archipelago toward the struggles of communities facing China’s unlawful aggression on the western side.
“Even though the American singer on America’s Got Talent has only 25 percent Filipino ancestry, we still consider him Filipino. Yet, when it comes to the West Philippine Sea and we say we need to stand for it because it is part of the Philippines and we are Filipinos, some respond that it’s too far from Bicol,” Tarriela said during a press conference in Sorsogon City March 24.
Tarriela was responding to a reporter’s question regarding the significance of the WPS for the country’s economy, security, and sovereignty.
“There are various ways to respond to that question. Some might argue that it’s significant to the economy, as nearly 60 percent of the total fish catch from our fishing sector comes from the WPS. Others may point out that the Recto Bank, located in the WPS, has the potential to provide our country with a century’s worth of natural gas,” Tarriela said in a mix of English and Filipino.
However, there is a deeper reason why Filipinos must fight for the country’s legal claim in the WPS, he said.
“It’s an oversimplification to say there are fish, gas, and oil present,” he said. “But the most important point is that the WPS is part of our territory.”
He stressed: “As Filipinos, whether we come from Palawan or Bicol, it is our responsibility to fight for the West Philippine Sea for the sake of future generations.”
According to Administrative Order 29, which was issued in 2012 by President Benigno Aquino III, WPS refers to the maritime areas located on the western side of the Philippines.
This includes the Luzon Sea and the surrounding waters of the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc, with some areas occupied by China.
China’s actions align with its unfounded assertion of sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, including most of the WPS.
In 2016, an international arbitration panel rejected China’s broad claims, but Beijing continues to disregard this ruling, which was grounded in the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Tarriela noted that many Filipinos still find the issue abstract, believing that if they are from Bicol, they are too far away from the WPS to feel connected to it.
He remarked that he finds it ironic that when Carlos Yulo won gold medals in Olympic gymnastics, many people stayed up late to express their joy on Facebook.
Some even felt goose bumps and had their hair stand on end when the national anthem played, he said.
He continued: “When we won the Miss Universe title, when eight-division boxing champion Manny Pacquiao achieved victories, and when Carlos Yulo succeeded, we received great news and felt immense pride as Filipinos,” he said.
However, when it comes to WPS, Bicolanos feel disconnected “just because it is far from their region,” he said.
“So I always explain that this attitude does not reflect our country or Filipino identity,” he said. (PIA5/Masbate)
