Zambales draws foreign media

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Foreign journalists were set to meet yesterday local fishermen of Masinloc town, who are caught in the middle of a territorial dispute between the Philippines and China over the Scarborough Shoal.

Olongapo City Councilor Jong Cortez said 20 journalism fellows from the East-West Center (EWC) in Hawaii, who are taking part in a travel-study seminar, would look into territorial conflicts, environmental concerns and other issues in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Cortez, an EWC alumnus, has coordinated the journalists’ two-day visit here, in nearby Olongapo City and in Zambales.

The Scarborough Shoal, or Panatag Shoal to the local community, lies some 230 kilometers from Masinloc.

“The international journalists are going around Asia-Pacific (region) to gain awareness on the role of US and China, and conflicts like (territorial) disputes,” Cortez said.

He said the delegates, who are under the EWC Jefferson fellowship program, include journalists from the Washington Post, Associated Press, Kyodo News, Singapore Straight Times and other news organizations. They will also meet Masinloc Mayor Desiree Edora and Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr.

In an article posted on EWC’s website, Ann Hartman, EWC Jefferson fellowship program coordinator, said the delegates are traveling together “to study crucial South China Sea issues.”

“We’ll be looking at a broad range of strategic and security issues, as well as economic topics like oceans as a key source of food and resources, the importance of sea trade, and the need for regional cooperation to ensure freedom and safety of navigation,” Hartman said.

The Jefferson fellowship program is a three-week professional dialogue, study and travel program designed for working journalists from Asia, the Pacific and the United States.

The Scarborough Shoal serves as a mid-sea refuge for fishing boats during stormy weather. It is considered a free zone for local fishermen until the Chinese began patrolling the West Philippine Sea.

A week earlier, Ebdane had announced that the provincial government and Vancouver-based Xanatos Marine Ltd. have started operating the Provincial Coast Watch System to monitor in real time all vessels that enter the province’s territorial waters. Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon