Even with Chinese ships disputing Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Filipinos on Pag-asa Island received aid and supplies courtesy of the fourth “Atin Ito!” civilian mission, the first to land on the island.
Atin Ito! co-convenor and Akbayan Youth National Chairperson Khylla Meneses said the relief included 50 gallons of fuel, school supplies for the 121 students on the island, as well as hygiene kits and food packs for the 500 residents and 120 families of Pag-asa.
The mission also saw a small team plant a Filipino flag on Sandy Cay, a small coral reef nearby, slipping past Chinese ships.
According to Atin Ito! co-convenor and Akbayan Party President Rafaela David, the primary goal is to “civilianize” the WPS by conducting peaceful missions in the face of Chinese presence.
In the shadow of China
The mission commenced with a send-off ceremony aboard the MV Kapitan Felix Oca, the main vessel, while docked at Manila Bay. Akbayan Partylist, represented by Reps. Perci Cendana and Dadah Kiram Ismula, were in attendance, but only Rep. Ismula would join the mission proper. The Kapitan Felix Oca departed later that evening, April 30.
The following morning, the watercraft was shadowed by a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship with the body number 3103.
A worst-case scenario for Atin Ito! would resemble its first mission, which was aborted due to aggressive maneuvers from Chinese vessels that surrounded it.
On May 2, the Kapitan Felix Oca approached Pag-asa Island. When it was 2.3 nautical miles away, however, two more CCG vessels were spotted, numbered 5101 and 5102, which shadowed the mission vessel 10 nautical miles away.
The civilian ship received a radio challenge from the CCG, demanding the crew to state their purpose in the area, which was ignored.
Mission accomplished
Despite increased Chinese presence, the mission’s participants successfully transferred to the smaller MV Chowee to dock at Pag-asa’s ports later that evening. Upon arrival, the coalition entertained residents with a late-night concert from Filipino hiphop group Morobeats, who performed TERITORYO, a song dedicated to the WPS.
On the morning of May 3, a small team led by Rep. Ismula planted a Filipino flag on Pag-asa Cay 2, also known as Sandy Cay, reportedly slipping past Chinese vessels.
David recounted in an interview that the team’s rubber boat was chased by three Chinese boats.
“Isang Mindanaon ang nangako, kaya isang Mindanaon din ang tutupad,” Rep. Ismula told The LaSallian. “… ‘Yun nga ang message namin na gustong ipahayag: na isang taga-Mindanao at isang babae ang tatayo ng ating bandila.”
(A Mindanaon made the promise, so a Mindanaon will also fulfill it… That’s the message we want to send: a woman from Mindanao will raise our flag.)
After a few hours, the flag was retrieved to prevent it from being defaced.
Later that morning, a ceremonial handover of the mission’s supplies and aid to the local community was held at the island’s multipurpose hall.
Meneses told The LaSallian that fuel supply issues stemming from the US-Israel war against Iran severely impacted the island’s fisherfolk. She also added that sanitary products for women were given to address the island’s issue of young women not having access to period products.
Kalayaan, Palawan Mayor Beltzasar Alindogan mentioned in an interview with The LaSallian that the delivered medicine was the most significant contribution. “Malaking tulong ‘yan sa‘min,” he said.
(It is a big help to us.)
“May mga na-receive na rin kami [ na medicine nitong] nakaraan. Pero talagang maganda… ‘di bale sumobra ang supply, wag ‘lang magkulang,” he added.
(We’ve received medicine before, but it is really good… we don’t mind if our supply’s abundant, as long as it’s enough.)
Atin Ito’s activities in Pag-asa concluded with Rep. Ismula riding a jet ski while waving the Philippine flag through the coastal waters of the island. As it happened, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army ship was spotted nearby; a helicopter was also seen surveying the island.
After completing the mission, volunteers and media partners departed from Pag-asa Island on the evening of May 3. According to co-convenor David, as supplies were being brought back to the Kapitan Felix Oca on the MV Chowee, a Chinese navy ship crossed behind the smaller ship, going as close as one kilometer away.
As the Kapitan Felix Oca left the island, it was followed by two CCG vessels, including CCG 3103, which both left the next day, May 4. Atin Ito’s vessel was escorted back by a Philippine Coast Guard vessel. In a press debriefing after the mission, David declared the mission a success because it achieved all of its objectives.
China responds
During a post-mission briefing, David challenged the Chinese Embassy, which had labeled the mission a failure. “Klaro sa atin [na]tayo ay mission accomplished. Ang China: mission failed! Sila po ata ang hindi nagwagi na takutin tayo kahit ilang beses nila tayong shinadow,” she declared.
(It is clear to us that we accomplished our mission, while China failed theirs! They did not successfully scare us despite the number of times they’ve shadowed.)
Chinese Communist Party-owned tabloid Global Times also accused the Atin Ito! team who planted the flag of scattering trash on Sandy Cay. CCG personnel were seen planting a Chinese flag there.
“Para itong tanim-basura,” David stated in a press conference aboard the Kapitan Felix Oca, where she brought up China’s past environmental damage in the WPS. “Sino ba ang may track record nagsa-cyanide fishing [noong] nakaraan? Tapos sumisira [pa] ng [mga] coral reef natin? Magnanakaw pa ng taklobo…”
(It looks like the trash was planted. Who has a track record of doing cyanide fishing? And also harming our coral reefs? Stealing giant crabs?)
David also urged Filipinos to watch drone footage of the flag planting, as well as bodycam footage of Ismula, which showed no footage of the team littering trash on Sandy Cay.
To Rep. Ismula, the attempts made to downplay the success of Atin Ito!’s fourth mission showed that China was “threatened.” “Threatened sila, nag-gain [ang misyon] ng maraming support [and] attraction, hindi lang dito sa Pilipinas kundi sa buong mundo.”
(They are threatened. The mission gained a lot of support and attraction, not just here in the Philippines but also worldwide.)