A small island in the , South China Sea , symbolizes the battle — and gap — in the Philippines ‘ efforts to assert its right in contested waters when compared to , China, which claims much of the lakes.
Manila , is rushing to grow the 33- hectare , Thitu Island, with the government preparing to put in trillions of rupees to improve it. The island currently has just over 200 residents, mostly military and civilians.
But just some 17 miles southwest of the island,  , China , has built a fully functioning military base on , Subi Reef , that is an estimated to be 12 times the size of Thitu.
That base is just one of Beijing’s 27 outposts in the , South China Sea , equipped with ports, runways and other infrastructure aimed at asserting its sweeping claims in the key waterway. In contrast,  , Manila , occupies nine features that have few facilities or structures.  , Malaysia,  , Vietnam , and , Taiwan , also have a presence in the area, and overlapping territorial claims.
This disparity explains, in part, the Philippines ‘ recent urgency in bolstering its defense alliances, most notably the , U. S.  , Philippines President , Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has, over the past year, moved to assert his country’s rights in the waters. He’s been backed by unstinting , U. S.  , support. Marcos will meet , U. S.  , President , Joe Biden , and Japanese Prime Minister , Fumio Kishida , in a trilateral summit at the , White House , on , April 11 , aimed at strengthening ties. Both , Japan , and , the Philippines , are treaty allies of the , U. S.
The Philippine Coast Guard organized a recent visit to Thitu, which is also known as” Pag-asa,” the country’s native word for hope, and witnessed firsthand how underdeveloped the country’s largest-occupied feature in the disputed sea is.
Phone and internet signals are difficult to find on the island, which means a large portion of it is still unpaved. There’s still evidence of the destruction caused by a 2021 typhoon: school buildings with damaged roofs and windows that are unusable.
Residents of Palawan province, which is nearly 450 kilometers away from the mainland, sometimes wait days before getting basic supplies like noodles, coffee, and soap ferried in. The Coast Guard’s new monitoring station appears largely rudimentary.
The Southeast Asian country is steadfast in maintaining both its military and civilian presence on Thitu. After repairs and expansion, the aircraft can now land on its runway. Additionally, a port and landing dock have been constructed, and work is currently being done to extend the island further into the ocean. A naval port and radars are expected to be installed in the area.
Manila recently sent scientists to examine marine resources close to Thitu, another step in the fight for its rights in disputed waters. Initial investigations focused on dead corals and a few small fish species that suggested there was environmental degradation nearby, but they did n’t directly attribute Beijing’s presence to the findings.
” Our overarching strategy involves continuous enhancement of facilities, modernization efforts, and fortification of assets and capabilities”, Philippine military spokesperson Colonel , Francel Margareth Padilla , said when asked about plans for Thitu. These actions are crucial to upholding Philippine territorial waters, according to the statement.
China, which has refused to accept a 2016 arbitral decision that upheld its expansive claims, is likely to object to these Philippine attempts.  , Beijing , maintains a constant watch on the island and its coast guard and militia ships regularly patrol close to Thitu. Recently, some of the vessels engaged in a tense collision over nearby sand bars.
” At first, this was intended to coerce , the Philippines , into abandoning the upgrades”, said , Gregory Poling, who directs the , Southeast Asia , program at the , Center for Strategic and International Studies , in , Washington. ” Now, it seems meant to merely intimidate , the Philippines , but with little chance of success”.
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