South China Sea, West York Island (AP) – Awestruck upon arriving at a remote, scenic island embroiled in the conflict of the South China Sea, Philippine Army officials knelt to touch the shore. A small Filipino flag fluttered in the breeze.
“It's breathtaking,” remarked Colonel Francel Margares Padira, spokesperson for the Philippines, about West York Island, one of nine territories occupied by the Filipino army for years. “This strengthens our commitment to defend this land.”
The 18.6 hectares (46 acres) drop island, referred to by Filipinos as Lycas, is a hotspot for tropical ecotourism, boasting pristine white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and a significant sea turtle sanctuary. Padira expressed hopes that it will eventually welcome Filipino tourists and visitors from around the globe.
However, that long-held aspiration of Filipino officials is entangled in a Territorial conflict, involving military leaders and China.
Beijing effectively asserts authority over the entire South China Sea, a crucial global trade route rich in gas and oil beneath its waters. China’s military presence, including the largest navy in the world, has increased, strengthening its claim in strategic waterways that it alleges ownership of since ancient times.
The Philippines, along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan, contests China’s extensive claims. Tensions in the region have escalated into cat-and-mouse confrontations in recent years.
Longstanding disputes have arisen between Beijing and Washington.
Both former President Joe Biden and his successor, Donald Trump, condemned China’s escalating aggressions in disputed waters, including the coast guard’s deployment of powerful water cannons, military-grade lasers, and dangerous naval operations against the Philippine Coast Guard and Navy, Washington’s oldest treaty allies in Asia.
Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., inaugurated in mid-2022, the Philippines has intensified its initiative to highlight China’s increasingly assertive behavior by documenting it through videos and photographs. The aim is to generate international pressure on Beijing to retract its claims to avoid damage to its reputation.
Philippine forces recently invited a select group of journalists, including two from the Associated Press, to accompany them on a few days of naval patrols in disputed South China Sea territory and to witness the presence of Navy and Marines deployed to safeguard it.
During a patrol that concluded over the weekend, the naval vessel BRP Andres Bonifacio, carrying reporters, urged several Chinese coast guard vessels via two-way radio to vacate the waters claimed by the Philippines. The Chinese vessels responded by asserting their sovereignty over nearby waters but did not engage in provocative actions.
On West York Island, two Philippine Marines clad in camouflage stood by the Philippine flag, armed with M4 assault rifles. One scanned the waters for the presence of Chinese or Vietnamese ships in the distance.
This island, one of the most contested territories in the Philippines province near Palawan, serves as a challenging and perilous post, where the military personnel see nothing but the sea. According to the military on the island, troops can occasionally contact their families during their two-month deployments, but internet connections are unstable, particularly during the typhoon season starting in June.
They cultivate eggplants, okra, and chili peppers, raise goats and chickens, along with additional provisions delivered by naval vessels from Palawan. A makeshift basketball court has also been set up.
“It’s difficult being away from family,” Padira remarked. “At the end of the day, I return to an empty room.”
Colonel Joel Bonavente, one of the military officials present during the visit, informed the Associated Press that personnel stationed at the remote front post receive additional compensation due to “hazard and isolation.”
On Thitu, the largest island claimed by the Philippines west of West York, civilians cohabitate with military forces in small fishing villages.
A journalist from the AP who visited Thitu several years ago described an island with modest wooden and concrete structures, alongside a gravel runway worn down by relentless waves. Some buildings were relocated from Palawan in exchange for monthly governmental provisions of food, rice, and cash for the residents to develop their communities.
Significant infrastructure enhancements have taken place on the 37.2 hectares (92 acres) island over the years, including concrete runways, large aircraft hangars, and storm shelters interspersed with fishing villages, concrete roads, military facilities, and a three-story Coast Guard observation center.
A high school building is nearing completion near a seawater desalination facility.
“I prefer living on the island because my blood pressure remains stable without the fatty foods available in the city, like burgers,” shared Nenita Bania, a 59-year-old resident who has lived with her husband for 12 years.
“Feeling lonely? Not at all. If you are with your family, it’s not an issue,” she told the Associated Press while aboard an Air Force C-130 aircraft.
Yet, living under the looming presence of China in disputed waters poses challenges, said 47-year-old Larry Hugo, who leads a group of at least 114 fishermen.
Over ten years ago, China transformed seven contested reefs in the South China Sea into fortified islands, where Chinese Coast Guard and Navy vessels refuel and resupply from the mainland.
One of these artificial islands, Subi, boasts a military-grade runway and lies just 26 km (16 miles) from Thitu.
“We used to have no Chinese ships around here, but now they’re encroaching upon our territory, which is a significant issue,” Hugo stated. “They guard the reefs where we fish, blocking our access, preventing us from venturing far into the sea.”
“It’s extremely perilous,” he remarked. “We have a small boat, and if something goes wrong, we are far from any form of civilization, which poses a substantial risk.”
Source: apnews.com