Aired (November 19, 2023): Hindi lamang sa kultura mayaman ang bansang Pilipinas pati na rin sa isla at lamang-dagat. Kaya naman ang iba’t ibang mga bansa, nakatutok at naka-abang sa ating karagatan— ang West Philippine Sea.
Sa pinag-aagawang teritoryo, ano na nga ba ang ginawang hakbang ng nagdaan at kasalukuyang pamahalaan para isulong ang ating karapatan at protektahan ang mga teritoryong atin sanang napakikinabangan? Panoorin ang video.
Sa pinag-aagawang teritoryo, ano na nga ba ang ginawang hakbang ng nagdaan at kasalukuyang pamahalaan para isulong ang ating karapatan at protektahan ang mga teritoryong atin sanang napakikinabangan? Panoorin ang video.
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00 This is Chinese Cusco.
00:02 What about the maritime?
00:04 You are inside the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of the Philippines.
00:08 March 15, 1956.
00:16 After 38 days and hundreds of kilometers of sailing in the vast ocean,
00:25 a group of Filipino sailors arrived at a remote island in the middle of the South China Sea.
00:33 There were no tribes living there, but only birds.
00:42 And the fishermen were rich in this area.
00:50 The Filipinos took the territory and declared a new country,
00:57 the Freedom Land.
01:00 But not long after, the country was completely destroyed.
01:08 What happened?
01:10 Almost seven decades have passed.
01:18 The tension between the islands and the ocean has grown even more.
01:24 The West Philippine Sea and the Spratly Islands.
01:30 This is Philippine Coast Guard Vessat conducting low-poilt routine maritime patrol
01:36 within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.
01:47 The Philippines does not need the natural resources of the area
01:51 to avoid a crisis.
01:55 But this is a tough task for many people.
02:00 And we are against it.
02:02 China is one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world.
02:09 This is Chinese Coast Guard 20616.
02:16 I tried to go to the islands.
02:20 And I witnessed their courage.
02:26 What is our fight?
02:33 We have hidden flags, old maps,
02:40 and a treaty that seems to be forgotten by history.
02:45 Are you familiar with this?
02:58 This is the Philippine Coast Guard.
03:01 What is the first thing you notice?
03:06 We are surrounded by water and because of that, we are separated from other countries of the ocean.
03:11 It's like we are looking at them from afar.
03:15 But the situation in this place is different.
03:20 More than 500 kilometers or 270 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa,
03:31 the town of Calayaan will be found.
03:35 It is a municipality that is made up of seven small islands.
03:39 Pag-asa, Likas, Parola, Lawak, Kota, Patag, and Panata.
03:50 It is in the middle of controversial and being robbed by Spratly Islands.
03:56 How is life there?
04:00 Let's find out.
04:04 We are here in Batarasa, Palawan.
04:06 This is where our journey to Pag-asa Island will begin,
04:11 which is made up of the Calayaan Municipality,
04:14 the most remote town in the Philippine Coast Guard.
04:19 Our journey is quite far.
04:23 It will take us a day to get here.
04:26 It might take longer depending on the weather.
04:29 These two boats, BRP Sindangan and BRP Cabra,
04:33 are the two most modern boats of the Philippine Coast Guard
04:36 that patrol the area regularly.
04:39 But that is not our vehicle.
04:41 Queen Seagull is the local government's land share owner.
04:47 License to sail, Sir Hubert Yabal, Sir Borzo Arzago.
04:52 Sometimes, this journey takes place every two months.
04:55 This is the way.
04:56 It is not very comfortable.
05:08 It is tight, hot, and there are no seats or beds.
05:15 But this is my home for the next few days.
05:21 I will be staying here.
05:22 We are going back.
05:26 Noriflor Verde Flor is the land share owner.
05:32 He has been sailing for decades in the West Philippine Sea.
05:37 For me, as a land share owner, I don't have anything.
05:41 I am not always asking God for anything but a peaceful journey.
05:46 Because, of course, this is the sea.
05:50 We don't know the situation.
05:52 It might be calm today, later in the afternoon or tomorrow.
05:55 It is a different time.
05:57 But in recent years,
06:00 the sea condition is not the only thing that Noriflor is afraid of
06:04 whenever they travel.
06:06 The Chinese Coast Guard is also there,
06:09 patrolling the sea.
06:11 Do you cross the land?
06:13 We have experience before, Sir, of worshiping China.
06:16 We go to Pag-asa.
06:19 We are blocked.
06:20 We have a convoy between us and the convoy of the land.
06:23 It is very dangerous.
06:25 Especially, our vehicle is made of wood.
06:28 Even if we are the one who can cross them,
06:31 we will be the ones who will be damaged, not them.
06:33 Why do you continue doing this?
06:35 Maybe because I love freedom,
06:40 even though the situation is difficult.
06:44 But this is our job, this is the nature of our job.
06:49 Even in this way,
06:51 we can do our duty to our country.
06:58 If it is dangerous to travel in the morning,
07:07 it is better to do it in the evening.
07:08 Especially,
07:18 when it is already dark.
07:20 It is already 7.30am.
07:29 We have been traveling for 12 hours.
07:34 And here in the radar, or rather in the GPS of the ship,
07:40 we know that on our right side,
07:42 we are passing through the Sabina Shoal,
07:44 where we know that there is a presence of Chinese militia vessels.
07:50 You can see their lights in the distance,
07:53 but this ship does not have the equipment to be sure who they are.
07:58 But of course, it does make you feel a little bit insecure,
08:02 because we are in the middle of the ocean,
08:04 and our ship is made of wood.
08:07 If an incident happens here,
08:09 we will have no enemies.
08:11 It is the second day of our trip to Pag-asa Island.
08:28 Even though we did not get much rest,
08:30 we are still lucky,
08:32 because the weather is nice.
08:35 So, what we have been through earlier,
08:43 there are Vietnamese fishermen here
08:46 inside the so-called Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines.
08:51 Technically, it is not a tourist attraction.
08:56 Technically, they should not be coming near the EEZ base,
09:00 the International Law.
09:02 But we cannot force them to come here,
09:06 we do not have that kind of power.
09:08 Many of my companions on the boat
09:14 are employees of the local government of the Philippines.
09:17 They are in the midst of freedom.
09:18 The journey is tiring,
09:28 and the wait is tiring.
09:32 [Music]
09:47 But our second day in the ocean is coming to an end.
09:57 Finally, we have seen an island not far from here.
10:02 After 32 hours of travel,
10:08 we are now riding this slow but fast Queen Seagull boat.
10:14 This is Pag-asa Island.
10:18 [Music]
10:43 Pag-asa island is a beautiful place.
10:46 [Music]
10:52 At first glance,
10:54 you would think that this is an exclusive and expensive vacation.
10:59 But an observation will immediately break the illusion.
11:08 So, this is the westernmost point of Pag-asa Island.
11:15 And from where I am standing now,
11:17 I can see the vessel of the Chinese Coast Guard.
11:20 And for a visitor here in Pag-asa Island,
11:23 the feeling is a bit different.
11:25 I said it, it is a bit unsettling,
11:27 that our neighbors are that close.
11:31 But for the Pag-asa people, this is their daily reality.
11:35 [Music]
11:39 But why are the islands, rocks,
11:44 sand dunes, and swamps forming in Spratlys?
11:48 This place is located in the middle of the South China Sea,
11:52 one of the most important international waterways in the world.
11:55 $5.3 trillion of ship-borne goods pass through here every year.
12:01 It is important not only for the Asian economy,
12:04 but also for the countries and regions like America and Europe.
12:08 Naturally, whoever has control over this place
12:13 has great power.
12:14 [Music]
12:24 For us Filipinos, Spratlys is more important
12:27 because of the rich fishery here.
12:30 12% of global fish catch comes from the South China Sea,
12:35 even though it is only 2.5% of the ocean surface of the world.
12:40 This is because of the many fish farms and nurseries in this place.
12:47 [Music]
12:50 But the South China Sea is not only rich in water.
12:54 It is believed to have a large reserve of oil and natural gas
12:59 that is under the sea.
13:01 It is being exploited by many countries to run their economy.
13:07 [Music]
13:09 But how did the residents get here?
13:13 [Music]
13:19 Let's go back to Freedom Land,
13:21 the micronation established by the Filipino explorers in 1956.
13:26 Thomas Cloma, a lawyer and businessman,
13:29 who was born in Panglaobo Hall,
13:31 is the first in a historic expedition.
13:36 Despite the group's efforts,
13:38 Freedom Land was not recognized by other countries,
13:41 including the Philippines,
13:43 which also emigrated to the islands.
13:45 Cloma experienced a hard time in the following years.
13:51 Until 1974,
13:54 he sold the territory to the Philippines for a penny.
13:59 [Music]
14:03 To further strengthen the territorial claim of the Philippines to the islands,
14:07 the Marcos Administration established the Municipality of Freedom in 1978.
14:13 The community of Pag-asa Island,
14:17 the main island in the Freedom Group,
14:19 with a civilian population,
14:21 is slowly growing.
14:23 Now, more than 200 people live on the island.
14:28 [Music]
14:33 Sir, you can see that,
14:35 that destroyed area.
14:37 Mang Larry was sold to their small community.
14:42 He came to Pag-asa Island in 2009 as a construction worker
14:47 and has not left since then.
14:50 This is one of the oldest inhabited areas in Pag-asa Island.
14:57 We have a few that are older than us.
14:58 They are not as old as me,
15:00 I am 14 years old.
15:02 [Helicopter]
15:06 In the past few years,
15:08 many things have changed on the island.
15:11 When you first came here,
15:13 there was no electricity.
15:15 When I first came here, there was electricity, sir.
15:18 But only portable gen-set.
15:24 Now, you are okay now?
15:26 Yes, sir.
15:27 That is the big change in Pag-asa Island,
15:31 the town of Calayan Island.
15:33 We now have electricity, 24/7.
15:36 Wow!
15:38 You are good. You even know other places.
15:40 [Laughs]
15:42 This island is small,
15:44 37 hectares in total.
15:47 It is only half the size of Luneta Park in Manila.
15:51 But because of its importance,
15:54 it has its own long-term area on the whole island.
15:58 Actually, sir,
16:00 our runway back then was a grassy area.
16:03 When it rains,
16:05 there is no airplane landing because the runway is slippery.
16:09 How often do airplanes land here now?
16:11 In a month,
16:13 it is three to four times because the runway is good.
16:18 Private lanes are okay.
16:22 Okay, I will bring my private plane here.
16:24 [Laughs]
16:26 But despite the many changes,
16:29 around the island,
16:31 the past still has its power.
16:34 What are these?
16:37 Sir, these are called bunkers.
16:39 Can we go inside?
16:42 There is a door on the other side, sir.
16:44 [Chatter]
16:45 There, you can go inside, sir.
16:53 Oh, partition.
16:55 What is that?
17:03 It's a cement pile.
17:06 You are safe here.
17:08 Yes, it's a metro, sir.
17:10 It's thick.
17:13 [Chatter]
17:14 According to Mang Larry,
17:21 despite the arrival of fishermen,
17:24 the ocean is still full of hope.
17:28 But there is one thing that is pernicious in their search for life now.
17:33 Actually, sir,
17:35 we can no longer get close to where our boats are going.
17:41 The Chinese ships are there.
17:43 Again, some Chinese vessels have blocked
17:49 our fishermen near the island.
17:53 Mang Larry's experiences sometimes appear in the news.
17:58 Those Chinese ships, I was the first one to go in.
18:02 They blocked me from going in.
18:04 I was the one who went viral on social media
18:07 that the Chinese ship almost sank.
18:10 The Chinese ship was going very fast.
18:11 It was getting closer and closer to me.
18:14 I stopped.
18:16 I thought that the ship would pass by.
18:18 But it stopped at my first stop.
18:21 That means that they really don't want to let me go in.
18:26 [Chatter]
18:28 The fear and intimidation of the Chinese ships
18:36 has been reported several times.
18:39 Not only here in Pagasa Island,
18:40 but also in different parts of the West Philippine Sea.
18:44 There was a chance that they would almost sink.
18:46 They just wanted to go inside the Bajo de Macinloc to fish.
18:50 And the situation seems to be getting worse
18:54 in the past few months.
18:56 Did you get a video?
19:04 [Chatter]
19:13 In the past few years,
19:15 the Philippines and China repeatedly
19:18 are in the territory of conflict.
19:20 [Chatter]
19:28 But why are they here
19:31 if the mainland China is more than 1,000 kilometers away
19:34 from Spratlys?
19:36 You must stop your activity and leave this area immediately.
19:41 Please review your chart.
19:43 Their argument is based on what they call the 9-dash line.
19:51 They drew a large portion of the South China Sea
19:55 and they said that the right and sovereignty
20:00 of the Philippines is in this area
20:01 because they have long discovered
20:03 this part of the ocean.
20:05 The entire Spratly Islands
20:07 and the Bajo de Macinloc
20:09 or Scarborough Shoal
20:11 are included in China's territory
20:14 which is 230 kilometers or 124 nautical miles
20:17 from Zambales.
20:19 [Chatter]
20:21 In the past decades,
20:23 the Navy, Coast Guard, and the Chinese militia vessels
20:27 have increased in the entire South China Sea.
20:29 [Chatter]
20:30 They also conquered Bahura and Shoal
20:33 and they fought to make them into artificial islands.
20:37 Zamora or Subi Reef
20:39 is only 27 kilometers away from Pagasa Island.
20:43 Meanwhile, Panganiban or Mischief Reef
20:46 which is one of China's naval and air bases
20:49 is only 233 kilometers away from Palawan.
20:52 Many countries are in the 9-dash line of China.
20:58 The Philippines questioned it
20:59 in the Permanent Court of Arbitration
21:01 and in 2016, we achieved a great success.
21:05 The Philippines welcomes the issuance today
21:11 of the award by the Arbitral Tribunal.
21:14 The Arbitral Tribunal said
21:17 that the 9-dash line of China has no basis.
21:20 This means that the Philippines has the right
21:25 to the so-called Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ of the country
21:28 or the entire ocean that is 370 kilometers away
21:32 or 200 nautical miles from our coast.
21:35 But China did not accept the decision of the Arbitral Tribunal.
21:40 [Chatter]
21:42 [Chatter]
21:44 [Chatter]
21:46 [Chatter]
21:48 [Chatter]
21:50 [Chatter]
21:53 [Music]
21:58 They think that fishing is not just about finding a way to live
22:02 like the fishermen of Manglari.
22:04 [Music]
22:15 It is also a way to fight for our rights.
22:21 I think that all the resources under the water
22:25 are really ours here in this place.
22:27 We always join the meeting
22:30 to ensure that we are strong in this place.
22:33 [Chatter]
22:35 It is important for the community to remain in the island of Pag-asa.
22:38 But because the island is small and far from the coast,
22:42 they need the support of the government.
22:46 [Music]
22:50 Every month, 16 kilos of rice is given to the elderly
22:53 and 6 kilos for the children.
22:57 [Chatter]
22:59 [Chatter]
23:01 The electricity bill is only 5 pesos per kilowatt hour.
23:05 [Music]
23:07 The water is not 24/7 service, but it is free.
23:11 [Music]
23:13 And did you know that there is no UVA here?
23:18 [Music]
23:19 And there is another very cool public service
23:23 by the government here in Pag-asa Island.
23:25 If you will notice, here in the middle of the town,
23:28 this is the most central area,
23:30 there are a lot of people sitting around.
23:33 Their cellphones are out.
23:35 Why? Because there is free public Wi-Fi here in this place.
23:40 Let's try it.
23:42 [Music]
23:44 There, I am connected.
23:47 It's cool, right?
23:48 It's different from other places in Metro Manila.
23:51 There is no internet.
23:53 Here, it's free.
23:55 But despite the blessings,
23:57 living in Pag-asa Island is a bigger sacrifice.
24:01 [Chatter]
24:03 Although there are nurses and midwives in the health center,
24:06 they do not have a doctor.
24:08 Their facility and supply of medicines is also limited.
24:13 That is why those who have serious illness need to be brought to the hospitals in the mainland.
24:18 [Music]
24:26 Meanwhile, there are teachers from Kinder to Grade 10.
24:33 The classroom is also just for 63 students.
24:41 Good morning, student.
24:43 Ana Marie is the teacher of science and English for Grade 7, 8, 9, and 10.
24:48 These are our Kinder pupils.
24:52 This is our head teacher.
24:54 She is also the advisor of Kinder to Grade 3 pupils.
25:00 While our head teacher is teaching,
25:03 they also have an activity for them to answer.
25:08 So that they can go to other grades.
25:11 So she is going around each grade.
25:13 Yes.
25:15 Ana Marie has been teaching in Pag-asa Island for more than a year.
25:19 Our topic last week, who can still remember our previous lesson?
25:24 When she was locked out from her assignment, she did not hesitate.
25:28 My school head called her and said,
25:31 "Ma'am Ana, you are assigned to an island and the trip is too far.
25:36 Are you a girl? Are you allowed to be assigned there?"
25:38 I just said, "Yes, Ma'am. I will accept that."
25:42 What are the unique experiences you had as a teacher here
25:47 because of the small population?
25:51 The youth here are very hardworking.
25:54 They go to school at 6 am.
25:56 There are students who do not have a problem to go home and visit.
26:00 When they cut class, they catch up.
26:05 They know that they can escape from this island.
26:07 But wait, let's look at the map of Spratlys again.
26:13 Pag-asa Island is 508 kilometers away from Puerto Princesa.
26:19 It is outside the 370-kilometer Exclusive Economic Zone or AEZ of the country.
26:26 How can we say that these are our islands?
26:34 We will look for the basis of the Philippines in fighting this territory in the West Philippine Sea.
26:40 Is our right here really more important?
26:43 We need to talk to an expert.
26:46 In Manila, I met former Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.
27:01 He is one of the winners of the case filed by the Philippines against China.
27:05 And based on his studies, his belief that Spratly Islands is also ours is strong.
27:13 We have the strongest claim, but we have failed to articulate it properly.
27:19 Spratly Islands is located in the middle of the South China Sea.
27:27 It was named after Richard Spratly, a British captain who crossed the islands in 1843.
27:33 The old and official maps of the Philippines are our receipts
27:39 that will prove that Spratlys is already part of our territory.
27:45 The Murillo-Villar de Map was the first to be established in 1734.
27:50 That is the territory of the Philippines in 1734 because that's the official map.
27:56 And that includes Scarborough Shoal and Spratlys.
27:59 On this map, you can see the Panacon, now called Bajo de Masinlo, or Scarborough Shoal.
28:07 Los Bajos de Paragua is also here.
28:10 In English, the Shoals of Paragua is the old name of Palawan.
28:15 The Bajos de Paragua is now Spratlys.
28:20 Carpio said that this is the oldest map in the world showing these islands.
28:27 China is a very, very old country.
28:30 At no point in their history did they ever map out this area of the world?
28:37 No. All the maps of China since the beginning, since 2000 years ago,
28:43 the southernmost territory of China was Hainan in all their maps.
28:49 The Spanish released the official map in the following years,
28:53 which still includes Scarborough Shoal and Spratlys.
28:57 That's important because it was the basis of America when they took us from the Spaniards.
29:05 In 1898, in the Treaty of Paris, Spain sold the Philippines to America for $20 million.
29:15 But there was a problem. Scarborough Shoal and Spratlys were not included in the formal agreement.
29:21 There were treaty lines, right?
29:24 The Treaty of Paris said that Spain ceded to the U.S. everything within the lines.
29:30 Now, the U.S. signed it.
29:34 When they arrived here, there were still a lot of islands outside the treaty lines.
29:39 So, the U.S. said to Spain, "That should be included. That's the intention."
29:45 This is where the forgotten agreement, the Treaty of Washington, came into play.
29:51 The U.S. said, "Okay, we'll give you 50,000 more."
29:56 Spain said, "That's too little. So, we'll add 100,000."
30:00 "Okay, let's sign."
30:02 So, of course, the problem is that we forgot the Treaty of Washington.
30:08 In international law, official maps and formal agreements are important in the implementation of territorial rights of a country.
30:16 What is surprising is their position on the South China Sea.
30:20 Although China is teaching the Philippines to own the territories that were won by the arbitral tribunal,
30:27 they recognized the agreements.
30:31 They are bound to it, even if they misinterpreted it.
30:36 Do you think we should pursue that claim? And will we win?
30:40 Yes.
30:42 My recommendation is that we should challenge China, Vietnam, Malaysia to submit the territorial dispute to voluntary arbitration.
30:53 So, let's challenge them.
30:55 If you really believe that your title is strong, let's submit it to arbitration by the International Court of Justice.
31:01 We're ready. All of our documents are there.
31:05 Now, if they refuse, that means they are weak.
31:07 It's time to surround the territorial sea of Pag-asa.
31:14 The group headed to San Dikey One, a flat land 3.8 kilometers from Pag-asa Island.
31:31 [Police radio chatter]
31:34 [Police radio chatter]
31:37 [Police radio chatter]
31:41 But it seems that the China Coast Guard is watching our movements.
31:45 [Police radio chatter]
31:47 [Music]
31:54 [Music]
31:57 Here we are.
32:05 [Music]
32:09 Here are the plastic bags.
32:17 This is trash from Vietnam.
32:22 Bottle of drinking water.
32:23 Let's hurry up so that we can clean it up.
32:26 [Police radio chatter]
32:50 While we were in K-1, the radio challenge of the China Coast Guard did not stop.
32:55 This is Philippine Navy, Elements Pag-asa. You are within the Philippine territorial sea.
33:01 You are under the penalty of freedom.
33:03 If you can hear in the background, the radio challenge of the Chinese Coast Guard was over.
33:10 The Philippine Navy responded.
33:14 The horn of the China Coast Guard was sounded from a distance.
33:21 The simple stay here in a dry land like this is causing such reactions.
33:31 We did not stay in K-1 for long.
33:37 To ease the tension, our Navy and Coast Guard colleagues said not to continue to go to the faraway K-2.
33:45 We are used to that.
33:47 Whatever they do to intimidate us, we still need to insist that they show it to us.
33:54 Aren't you afraid, sir?
33:55 Fear is irrelevant if you know your job.
34:06 Before returning to the island, I asked for a few more minutes in the bay.
34:11 But instead of being surprised, I was surprised at what I saw.
34:19 I thought of swimming in the bay near Pag-asa Island.
34:29 I was amazed at what I saw.
34:35 Most of the corals were killed.
34:38 And the fish were also few.
34:41 There are also fish in this bay.
34:47 Let's just check it out.
34:51 There. There are a lot.
34:54 A lot.
34:56 So even if the other bays were destroyed, there are still many left.
35:02 This is just a passing by, sir.
35:04 There are still some left.
35:07 The Vietnamese are still living here.
35:09 Are there many of them here?
35:11 Yes, sir. Sometimes they come here to compressor at night.
35:14 This is the Delamita Bay.
35:17 It's so sad.
35:19 Our corals are dead here.
35:21 The health of the marine ecosystem in Kalayaan Island Group
35:29 is thanks to the efforts of some scientists who came to the area.
35:32 How many times have you visited Pag-asa?
35:36 About eight times since 1994.
35:40 That's a big change.
35:42 When we last surveyed Pag-asa in 2000, and then next, we surveyed in 2017,
35:48 the coral cover fell a lot.
35:52 And we didn't know what the cost was because there was a big gap.
35:58 Regular fieldwork is important for marine scientists,
36:01 especially here in Spratlys, one of the richest fishing spots in our country.
36:07 But it's not easy to do a survey in this place.
36:13 What is the impact to you as scientists of the ongoing geopolitical situation here in Spratlys?
36:21 Sometimes it's hard to access the areas you want to go to.
36:26 And what you can do, it's hard to collaborate with other scientists from other countries.
36:32 But I think it's worth it.
36:34 The government is spending a lot trying to protect the area.
36:38 But I think we should also invest in trying to know what it is that we are protecting.
36:44 South China Sea has another asset that is being coveted by many countries.
36:52 And the Philippines is facing a serious crisis if we don't take advantage of it as soon as possible.
36:59 The Senate discussed the potential of natural gas being used in the production of electricity.
37:08 It is estimated that in one to four years,
37:13 natural gas will be used up in the Philippines, which supplies 35 to 40 percent of the electricity in Luzon.
37:21 If there is no replacement,
37:23 it means 12 to 14 hours of brownout every day in Luzon.
37:29 Our economy will really be destroyed.
37:33 This is where the West Philippine Sea, an article of the Reed Bank or Recto Bank, enters.
37:42 It is believed that it has a large supply of natural gas.
37:50 It is three times larger than Malampaya.
37:52 What is your estimation of the strategy of the current administration when it comes to the West Philippine Sea and even our claim in the Spratlys?
38:01 Well, I was pleasantly surprised.
38:04 During the campaign, Bongbong said that we have already lost.
38:12 We did not win against China.
38:16 When he assumed office, he really made a 180-degree turnaround.
38:21 So for me, he is saying the right thing.
38:24 Everything that he has said so far is correct.
38:27 But the acid test, will we be able to get the gas from the Reed Bank?
38:31 Why did they do it to Malaysia?
38:34 They did it to Indonesia.
38:36 They are not afraid because it is their country.
38:42 But how will the Philippines use its rights against a powerful and powerful country like China?
38:49 Well, that is why international law is important.
38:53 Because international law levels the playing field.
38:56 Whether you are a big country or a small country, you have rights.
38:59 You cannot fight the People's Republic of China Navy, which is now the largest navy in the world in terms of number.
39:08 Larger than the United States Navy.
39:11 But our solution there is leveraging our alliances with partners, allies, and friends.
39:16 They are also an important trading partner.
39:19 They are also an important neighbor here in Asia.
39:23 How do you strike that balance?
39:25 Because sometimes it becomes difficult even in the public perception.
39:30 Like, is China a friend or an enemy?
39:33 I think we should follow the example of other countries that also have disputes with China.
39:38 To a certain extent, they were able to strike a balance.
39:41 They were able to dichotomize between the political and the economic.
39:45 Of course, there is also an opinion that why not just embrace China altogether?
39:50 And maybe that will have a big benefit for us economically.
39:55 China is futile in this region.
40:00 I think we have tried that during the last administration.
40:03 We have that for six years.
40:05 We have tried that position.
40:07 But if you combine the cost-benefit analysis, what we gained and what we lost,
40:13 it did not redound much to the benefit of the country.
40:17 We have another mission in Pag-asa Island.
40:34 To show the country's sovereignty in the construction of Sandy Cave 2,
40:38 which is only six kilometers away from Pag-asa Island,
40:42 the Navy and Coast Guard will try to go there again.
40:46 So, the plan now is, since we cannot go directly to Sandy Cave 2,
40:53 we will set a course for Sandy Cave 1.
40:58 And when we get close to the island, we will be suddenly swept away.
41:05 The Coast Guard started a radio challenge, which is something that we expect.
41:25 From here, we will just run straight until we reach Sandy Cave 2.
41:30 Here it is. China's aircraft is just behind us.
41:36 It's almost there.
41:41 In accordance with the Philippine National Law, you are within the Philippine-Military Sea.
41:48 [Music]
42:06 We reached the lower part of the bay.
42:09 Here, China's large ship could not keep up.
42:15 Stop your illegal activity and leave this area immediately.
42:18 This is the situation on the islands of freedom.
42:40 Every island, every rock, and every sea surface needs to be fought.
42:50 In the continuation of the Philippine's determination to defend its rights and sovereignty in this region,
42:59 the role of those who are at the forefront of the fight is important.
43:07 Not only the uniformed, but also fishermen, teachers, medical workers, and other ordinary people in the hope.
43:20 Their commitment here, despite the trials, is a kind of resistance.
43:32 Do you think this is where you grow up?
43:35 We are waiting for our bodies to be able to stimulate here.
43:39 We are not forced to stay here until we die.
43:42 Here on the islands of freedom, there is no cemetery.
43:45 [Laughs]
43:47 [Music]
44:11 (bell chimes)