06/09/2025
๐ช๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฎ โ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฝ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑโ โ ๐ฃ๐๐
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela clarified that the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is no longer disputed, asserting the 2016 arbitral ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
This came after most students in attendance believed that the WPS is disputed, which Tarriela contradicted during the West Philippine Sea Symposium, held Thursday, September 4, at Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges (CSPC) Auditorium.
โFor us Filipinos, hindi na disputed ang West Philippine Sea. Ito ay atin at mananatiling atin, sabi ng ating Pangulo,โ Tarriela said.
However, despite the arbitral ruling invalidating Chinaโs claim in the territory, Filipinos still experience harassment from Chinese vessels, which Tarriela said the Philippines is dealing with โprofessionalism and a calibrated response to not trigger an armed conflict.โ
โIt's not for us to decide. We are just on the receiving end of the escalatory response, aggressive actions, and unlawful activities of the People's Republic of China,โ he added.
Recently, two Chinese vessels, the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN), collided after aggressively pursuing PCG vessels on August 11 at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the WPS.
The reported aggressive presence of Chinese vessels on the WPS raised fears among Filipinos, particularly the fisherfolk who depend on the waters for their livelihood.
Meanwhile, Tarriela said at the symposium that the youth should be well-informed about the WPS issue because this is an โintergenerationalโ problem.
โOur issue with the West Philippine Sea will be inherited by the next generation of Filipinos. Kayong mga kabataan ngayon ang magmamana at haharap sa problema ng Pilipinas pagdating sa usapin ng West Philippine Sea,โ he added.
He also expressed that it is everyone's prayer, even President Bongbong Marcos, that the Chinese vessels leave WPS one day and no Filipino fishermen will ever be harassed again.
โBut these are things that [are] beyond our control. It is not for us to decide. We do not have the capability to tell Xi Jinping right now to bring all its vessels back [to] China but despite all of these, what we are doing right now is holding the line for the next generation of Filipinos,โ Tarriela said.
He also assured that the PCG is doing its best to protect WPS.
โWe cannot promise you that it will be successful, that in the next coming days ay wala tayong problema sa China. But I can promise you right now that those patriotic men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard can still promise you that in the next days to come, and if it's already your turn to lead this country, ay mayroon pa rin tayong West Philippine Sea,โ Tarriela remarked.
Furthermore, Tarriela revealed that they are now reviewing the curriculum for grades 4, 6, and 10 for the possible inclusion of WPS as part of the curriculum.
Aside from the PCG, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) asked the youth in the symposium to be more critical in identifying factual information, advocating for proper information dissemination.
โKayo pong mga estudyante ang susunod na lider at tagapagtanggol ng ating bayan. 'Wag nating hayaang ang kasinungalingan ang manaig. Tandaan po nating lahat, ipaglaban natin ang katotohanan,โ Usec. Katherine Chloe De Castro, PIA Director-General, said, reminding students how to counter misinformation.
The symposium was organized by the PIA and PCG, visiting academic institutions to spread information about WPS.
via Ma. Katrina P. Oliveros/TheSPARK
photos by Mario Emmanuel Obrero/TheSPARK
layout by Paul David Luna/TheSPARK
