In Pag-asa, soldiers honored for defending PH sovereignty

FREEDOM RITE IN KALAYAAN | The flag-raising ceremony during the 125th Philippine Independence Day celebration on Monday is more meaningful for residents and
soldiers stationed on remote Pag-asa Island, the seat of government of Kalayaan, Palawan, which has become a symbol of the country’s fight against Chinese intrusion. (Photo by GERALDFORD TICKE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

KALAYAAN, Palawan, Philippines — Facing the West Philippine Sea where incidents of Chinese harassment of Filipino fishermen have been frequently reported, Pag-asa Island where this coastal town is located joined the country’s Independence Day rites on Monday.

The Philippine flag was raised at 7:30 a.m. near a maritime station, as Kalayaan Mayor Roberto del Mundo and Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, Western Command chief, called Pag-asa the Philippines’ “stronghold” on its western seaboard.

Pag-asa, also called Thitu Island, is located some 480 kilometers west of Puerto Princesa City, the provincial capital of Palawan. It is the largest of the nine features occupied by the Philippines in the Spratly Islands.

In a short program following the flag-raising ceremony, Del Mundo and Carlos paid tribute to the country’s soldiers who, they said, continued to defend the country’s sovereignty.

“I honor our heroic soldiers who helped our country achieve freedom in the past and those who still do so in our present time,” Del Mundo said as he addressed a crowd of residents and uniformed personnel from the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and local police.

He said the celebration of Independence Day coincided with the 45th founding anniversary of the municipality, which has a population of 193 based on the 2020 government census.

No easy task

Carlos commended the soldiers assigned to the country’s occupied features in the West Philippine Sea.

“We pay tribute to our heroes in the past and our heroes of today, especially those who continue to raise our flag in the farthest islands in the west and in areas facing a dangerous geopolitical situation. They are the reason we celebrate this occasion,” he said.

The senior Navy officer said the biggest honor should be bestowed on soldiers “who fought battles against colonizers and rebels, and on those who continue to offer their lives to maintain peace and order in our territories.”

“It’s no easy task to patrol… the most remote islands in the country. Crossing the vast sea is perilous,” Carlos said, adding that “this is not just an obligation. More importantly, we want to maintain peace and order and protect the freedom we attained.”

In recent months, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported spotting Chinese militia vessels near Pag-asa Island, which has been occupied by the Philippines since 1971.

Livelihood support

Also on Monday, a vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) sailed for Pag-asa to bring close to P5 million worth of equipment and capacity-building programs to local fisherfolk.

A send-off ceremony for the civilian offshore patrol vessel BRP Francisco Dagohoy (MMOV 5002), which is manned by the PCG, was held at Oyster Bay Naval Base in Puerto Princesa.

BFAR National Director Demosthenes Escoto, who led the two-day trip, said: “This voyage, which aims to provide livelihood support to the residents and fisherfolk of Pag-asa Island, is one of our initiatives in accordance with the order of [President Marcos] to strengthen our support [for] the fisheries sector, as well as [for] far-flung communities.”

Aside from distributing various fishing gears and postharvest equipment, BFAR will hold training on proper fish handling, good manufacturing practices, and sanitation standards.

Escoto said he hoped that through the initiative, Pag-asa fisherfolk would be further equipped with tools and skills to increase their catch in the resource-rich waters.

He thanked BFAR’s partner agencies, including the PCG, for their support.

—WITH A REPORT FROM FRANCES MANGOSING

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