BY JOY C. PILLADO, University of Antique Intern
ANTIQUE – This province hosted a symposium on West Philippine Sea (WPS) at the University of Antique on April 3, aiming to engage Antiqueño youth in asserting the country’s sovereign rights over the disputed waters.
In a press conference prior to the symposium, Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Region 6 head Cheryl Amor said the activity aimed to promote key messages on the Philippines’ stand on the WPS and seek the youth of Antique to become champions of nationalism and patriotism as Filipinos.
Among the featured key speakers were Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Assistant Secretary Karl Josef F. Legaspi, Commissioner-at-Large of the National Youth Commission (NYC), who both underscored the importance of raising awareness among the youth regarding national sovereignty and maritime security.
Meanwhile, to ensure safety for Antiqueño fisherfolk who sometimes venture as far as Palawan to fish, Tarriela emphasized that under the current administration, the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) have been strategically deploying assets to safeguard traditional fishing grounds.
“For so many months, and in the past three years, that’s what we have been doing. Despite our limited assets, we ensure that our deployment targets only those areas that we recognize as traditional fishing grounds,” Tarriela said.
Meanwhile, addressing the fear of war, Tarriela dismissed the narrative that standing firm on territorial rights would automatically lead to war.
“Since day one of President Bongbong Marcos, he has been standing firm in the West Philippine Sea. Ang sabi niya he is not going to surrender a square inch of our territory. Magta-tatlong taon na tinitindigan ni Pangulong Marcos ang usapin ng West Philippine Sea. So far, hindi pa rin naman nagkakagyera,” he explained.
He further highlighted that the efforts of the current administration focus on transparency and holding the line for future generations: “Our obligation right now is to hold the line to make sure na ang susunod na saling lahi ng Pilipino ay mayroon pang West Philippine Sea na matatawag, na ang susunod na kabataang Pilipino ay mayroon pa ring West Philippine Sea na titindigan. That is our obligation to the next generation of Filipinos.”
For his part, Legaspi emphasized the need to educate the youth on the matter.
“We don’t want to presume kasi alam ng kabataan yung nangyayari sa West Philippine Sea. We hope that the teachers also would be enlightened on the topic and hopefully, students in the courses of political science, history, law would be able to include that in their topics in class for discussion,” he said.
Legaspi also stressed that the NYC’s engagement with the PCG and PIA aims to reach college students, especially those who are the most inquisitive and idealistic./PN
