Though they were dwarfed by the reclamation activities of China in the disputed West
Philippines Sea ,
hope still remains high for the Palaweno community dwelling in Pag-asa (Thitu) Island .
In fact, Kalayaan town Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr. dreams
that the island, the largest occupied by the Philippines
But amid its huge potential for development, Bito-onon, who
has been leading for six years in the island town located 480 kilometers off
southwestern Palawan , said concerns such as
limited facilities, power, potable water and staple food still loom in Pag-asa.
In spite of these setbacks, Bito-onon said: “What makes us
stay here is because of our strong sense of patriotism and nationalism.”
On Thursday (July 23), newly-installed Naval Forces
Northwest Commander George Amba along with some civic society organizations
(CSO) and representatives of the Palawan
government trooped to the island via Philippine Air Force C-130 to hold a
“bayanihan” activity.
Realizing the scarcity of basic human needs in the remote
island, Amba said: “Hopefully, it’s not the first time or the second time but
more time for us to come here and help uplift the situation of people of
Pag-asa.”
Donations such as bacteria-free water catchment basins,
medicines and school supplies, among others, were turned over to the community
comprising 20 families or roughly 100 individuals.
The bacteria-free water catchment basins, meanwhile, will
provide potable water from rainwater. In June 2015, diarrhea hit around 20
individuals, mostly children, when they sourced water from a dug well.
Bito-onon thanked CSOs who made the donations possible, and
most especially to the Armed Forces of the Philippines
“The fact that we exist here is that we are confident they
(AFP) can protect us,” he said.
In the face of China
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=785804
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