The Island of Philippines defying Beijing in the sea of ​​Southern China

Only 37 hectares, Philippine Island controlled Pagas – or “Nada” – barely large enough to live. There is almost nothing.

300 or so residents live in a group of small, wooden houses. Fish in clear, turquoise waters and grow which vegetables can in sandy ground.

But they are not alone in this contentious waters: only from the coast, on the west, the ships of the ships lies.

All of these are Chinese, from the Navy, the Coast Guardian or the so-called naval militia – large fishing vessels refuse to maintain the Chinese domination of this sea. As our plane approaches the island, we counted at least 20.

In the last 10 years, China has expanded its presence in the southern Chinese sea, building three large air bases, and distributed hundreds of ships, to strengthen their claims on almost all strategic seabornets to the south of great export cities on the Chinese coast.

There are few countries in Southeast Asian Asia who also claim that the islands in the same sea dared to be pushed against China; They just did it only Vietnam and Philippines. Militations of both countries are much smaller than China, but they are held for a handful of reefs and islands.

Pagasa – also known as Thitu and other names, as several other countries claim – is the largest of them.

What makes it exceptional is, is the civilian population, located in a small island in the southern Chinese Sea. From the point of view of the Philippines, the fact that Pagasa is a firm land, not partially submerged reef or sandy CAI, strengthens its legal requirements in that area.

“Pagasa is very important to us” “Jonathan Malaia, Assistant General Director of Philippines National Security Council, says BBC.

“It has a runway. It can support life – has a residential Filipino community, and fisheries living there.

“And given the size of the island, one of the few who is not needed relating from the sea, under international law, creates its own territorial sea of ​​12 nautical miles.

“So, in a way, in a way, Lynchpin for the presence of Philippines.”

Reaching Pagas is a drive of two on a three-day boat from the island of Palavan Filipine, or one-hour aircraft, but both are frequent storms.

While they appeared two years ago on the runway and extended it at 1,300m (4,600 ft), only small planes could land. They can now bring in the Big C130 trucking plane. Traveling into them, as we do, it’s a little like a bus ride in a hurry time.

Everything must be made from the mainland, which is why our plane was packed, with ceiling, with mattresses, rice bags, several motorcyclists – not to mention a lot of military personnel, most of which had most of them had to stand for the entire flight.

Much has changed in recent years. There is a new hangar, large enough for aircraft shelter during the storm. They build a control tower and throw a small port to allow for a larger boats permit to agree. We are connected around the island of some Filipino Marines who are stationed there, although it is given its size that it has difficult to do so necessary

The Philippines were in 1971. subtracted Pagas from Taiwan, when Taiwanese garrison left him during Tifun. Philippines officially arrived him in 1978. years.

Later, the government began to encourage civilians to settle down there. But they need support to survive on this remote land slide. Families receive official donations of food, water and other foods each month. They now have electricity connecting and mobile telephony, but it was only four years ago.

In addition to government affairs, fishing is the only sustainable way to live, and since the arrival of Chinese flotils, it is even difficult.

Fisherman Larry Hugo was 16 years old lived on an island and cherried the growing Chinese control of the area. He recorded the initial construction on the subway reef, about 32km (20 miles) of Pagan, which eventually became a full-size military air base. One of his videos, showing that his little wooden boat is almost buried by the ship of the Chinese Coast Guard 2021. years, made a small glorious personality.

But Chinese harassment forced him to hunt in a smaller area closer to home.

“Their ships are huge compared to ours. They threatened us, approaching their horns to chase us. They really don’t scare us. I don’t need to move on to my old fishing.” Now I have to deal with my old fishing terrains. “Now I have to deal with the island.” I don’t need to deal with the islands. “

Real Limbo is a teacher on the island for 10 years, and saw that the school grows from a small hut to school in full size that teaches more than 100 students, from the kindergarten to 18 years.

“This is an island like heaven for me,” she says. “All our basic needs are worried. It is clean and peaceful – children can play basketball or swim after school. We don’t need shopping centers or all that materialism.”

Pagasa is really quiet. In the fierce subparagraph, we found most people in the eraser in hanging or letting music on their porches. We encountered Melania Alojado, Rural Health Worker, rocking small babies to help fall asleep.

“The biggest challenge for us is when people, especially children, sick,” she says.

“If serious, then we must evacuate them on the mainland. I’m not a registered nurse, so I can’t perform complicated medical tasks. But planes are not always available, and sometimes it’s always rough time.

“When that happens, we just have to worry about them the best we can.”

But she also appreciates the trick of the island. “We are free of many stresses. We will get subsidized food and we can grow some one’s own. In a big city, all you need money.”

We saw that several new houses were built, but there really no space for Pagas to adapt much more people. With very few jobs, young people usually leave the island after they finish school. For all its dormant charm and stunning white-sandy beaches, it has a feeling of garrison community, holding a line against the superior Chinese presence that is clearly visible only on the coast.

“The Chinese in Airbase on Sube Green are always challenging us when we bring Pagas closer,” says Pilot. “We always warn us to enter Chinese territory without permission.”

Do they ever try to stop you? “No, it’s a routine. We tell them that Philippines are territories. We do it every time.”

Jonathan Malaya says that his government has made a formal diplomatic protest in the Chinese Embassy due to the presence of his ships in what the Philippines looked like territorial waters of Pagas. It is in extremely contrast with the previous application of President Rodrig Duterte, who escaped confrontation with China hoping to get more investments in the Philippines.

“I think we’ll get more respect from China if we keep the earth and show them and we can play this game too. But the problem of democracy like Philippines can be changed with new administrations. China does not have that problem.”