West Phl Sea documentary gaining ground

The documentary promoting awareness instilling patriotism among Filipinos worldwide in the country’s struggle to maintain its hold over some of the islands in the South China Sea is gaining ground on various social media platforms.

Dubbed as “Karapatan sa Karagatan” the maritime and sovereignty awareness video launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) at the government-run television station PTV-4 on Friday has been picked up by local and foreign media.

The maritime and territorial awareness documentary also become an instant hit in various social media platforms, including Facebook, and is expected to attract further attention on the mounting maritime conflict in the region triggered China’s aggressive claim over the whole South China Sea.

The launching of documentary, the first of three parts, gained more meaning as it was aired on national television as the country celebrated its 117th Independence Day.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Joselito Kakilala said that it is about time the entire nation must realize the importance of the country’s sovereignty issue in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

“This is a good initiative to raise awareness about our territorial claim. Our countrymen must realize the importance of the WPS territories. We must be united in supporting the government’s position in resolving the dispute peacefully,” Kakilala said.

On the security side, the AFP is currently in the forefront of the maritime row as its troops have been on forward deployment on one of the nine established positions in the Kalayaan Island Group in the Spratlys archipelago.

AFP Public Affairs Office chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said the sovereignty awareness campaign will help instill patriotism in the hearts and minds of Filipinos, especially among those who are not really aware of the country’s maritime domain in the West Philippine Sea.

He said the campaign, being spearheaded by the DFA, is aimed at rallying support of the entire nation in resolving the maritime row in a diplomatic and peaceful manner.

The Philippines, now on the receiving end of China’s bullying in the region, has opted to legally deal with the issue by bringing the maritime conflict for international arbitration before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

China, however, has refused to participate in the proceedings and instead pressed on its occupation in the disputed region, saying it has indisputable rights to almost the entire South China Sea.

Beijing has launched massive reclamation and infrastructure developments over seven areas in the region it has occupied.

Peter Paul Galvez, spokesman of the Department of National Defense (DND), said the defense security sector viewed the documentary as an important thing for every Filipino to know more about issues that the country is facing.

“We believe the important thing for us today is for every Filipino to know more about our beloved country and the issues that we face,” Galvez told GMA News.

Environmental impact

On the other hand, a national scientist said the Philippines and Vietnam would be the first to bear the environmental impact of China’s reclamation in South China Sea.

Former environment secretary Angel Alcala said China’s construction projects could result in biodiversity loss and affect fish supply in the long term.

He noted that Philippines and Vietnam – two of China’s rival claimants in the West Philippine Sea – are the countries nearest the China construction projects.

“The impact will be reduced biodiversity,” Alcala said during the US embassy seminar for regional media here.

“I’m wondering why Chinese scientists do not point this out,” he added

Alcala explained the reclamation would disrupt the distribution of larvae or developed fish eggs.

“The atolls are very important in the West Philippine Sea because they are actually concentrations and in the center of the atolls are the lagoons and the lagoons have the fishes and the larvae of the fish,” Alcala said.

He explained the larvae are transported to different countries through currents.

“If you completely enclose the lagoon with roads or airplanes, you reduce the probability of larvae from escaping from inside the lagoons,” the former environment chief said.

Alcala said the disruption would put a dent on fish supply since the larvae cannot develop into adult fish.

“The Philippines and Vietnam (will first feel the impact) including Palawan and (other parts of) Luzon,” Alcala said.

China claims virtually the entire West Philippine Sea while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

To assert its expansive claim, China is embarking on a massive reclamation program in disputed areas, including those within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Chinese construction projects are rapidly progressing in Panganiban (Mischief), Zamora (Subi), Kagitingan (Fiery Cross), Kennan (Chigua), Mabini (Johnson South), Burgos (Gaven) and Calderon (Cuarteron) Reefs.

Alcala said China’s activities would eventually disrupt the livelihood of coastal communities. He said the world should “force” China to stop the construction efforts.

The Philippines, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), has said China’s projects are causing “irreversible and widespread damage to the biodiversity and ecological balance of the West Philippine Sea.”

The DFA said the reclamation has destroyed 300 acres of coral reef systems and has led to annual economic losses worth $100 million.

Members of the international community, including the industrialized countries that constitute the G7, have opposed the reclamation and have called for rules-based order in the West Philippine Sea.

China, however, has been unfazed by the criticisms and insists that the construction projects are being conducted in its territory. –