Sovereignty set in concrete
There is more than one way to assert sovereignty beyond diplomatic protests and verbal barbs. For the government, the most effective one yet may not require words at all but something literally concrete–runways and ports that can withstand monsoon seas and foreign aggression in equal measure.
After all, a nation defends its rights against intruders and interlopers by its presence. In the West Philippine Sea, that involves not just intermittent maritime patrols or joint drills but public infrastructure, residential housing and the steady pulse of civilian life.
Indeed, while raising a flag over Pag-asa Island makes a statement, building permanent structures like roads, bridges, and schools is the more demanding commitment.
For this reason, President Marcos’ directive to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) carries particular weight. Last week, the President ordered DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to assess conditions in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and determine what infrastructure projects are urgently needed by the community there.
The DPWH chief was also tasked to visit the remote islands and evaluate pending projects, including a new port and improvements to the airfield.
Much-needed resources
To those ends, Congress had earmarked P1.65 billion in the 2025 national budget to develop the Pag-asa Island airport and P300 million for a shelter port. An additional P1.08 billion has been allocated for the second phase of the Lawak Island shelter port.
Meanwhile, Akbayan party list Rep. Percival Cendaña has proposed P462 million in the 2027 budget for road networks, sewerage and waste treatment facilities, evacuation centers, dormitories for teachers and medical personnel, housing units, and other essential services.
“Our fellow Filipinos, the residents and heroes of KIG have many needs. We cannot leave them hanging. We need to provide them with much-needed resources,” Cendaña said.
Pag-asa Island has been occupied by the Philippines since 1971. As the seat of Kalayaan town, created under Presidential Decree No. 1596 in 1978, the island is home to 400 civilians, troops and law enforcers.
Today, those Filipinos are caught in an escalating geopolitical contest and facing an ever-present threat from foreign vessels. Recently, 16 municipal officials, now known as the “Kalayaan 16,” were banned by Beijing after standing against statements from China’s embassy in Manila. The local council had declared the ambassador persona non grata within its municipal jurisdiction, citing interference in Philippine internal affairs.
Updated official maps
Their recognition as local heroes by civic groups signaled something larger than ceremony. It affirmed that sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea is not invoked solely through notes verbale or naval maneuvers, but in municipal halls, classrooms, and clinics. Ordinary Filipinos, living and serving in these contested waters, embody the permanence of Philippine claims over the KIG.
The reinforcement of presence is not confined to physical infrastructure.
The National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (Namria) has released updated official maps consistently using the term “West Philippine Sea,” in line with government policy, and accurately plotting the country’s maritime limits in accordance with domestic law and international standards. By clarifying that the exclusive economic zone extends 370.4 kilometers from archipelagic baselines, Namria has grounded the Philippines’ claims in precise geospatial data and recognized hydrographic practice.
Even as negotiations on a long-delayed Code of Conduct continue, ahead of the Philippine hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, such visible commitments on the ground only serve to strengthen Manila’s hand.
Reaction to reinforcement
Still, public exchanges between Manila and Beijing, including China’s warnings that millions of jobs could be at risk if tensions persist, undermines and reduces a serious dispute to rhetorical brinkmanship. The Department of Foreign Affairs was right to take strong exception to any suggestion that economic engagement could be withheld as leverage.
The Philippines must not negotiate any part of its sovereignty under threat. It must persist in fortifying the isles under its control, to demonstrate its resolve. By directing resources toward the KIG, the government is shifting emphasis from reaction to reinforcement.
Now comes the more formidable challenge–execution. Budgetary allocations must translate into completed ports, reliable airstrips, and durable housing, while government support for the residents of Kalayaan must be consistent and sustained.
A nation secures sovereignty not only by law or language, but by the lived reality of its citizens. On Pag-asa Island and the wider Kalayaan chain, the Philippines must do more than assert its claims. It must choose to stay, to build and to endure, come high or hell water.
