Kalayaan Town Gives Filipino Names To 4 Sandbars, 2 Reefs
KALAYAAN TOWN – The town of Kalayaan, Palawan recently gave four sandbars and two reefs Filipino names as it seeks to strengthen its jurisdiction.
Kalayaan municipal information officer Maurice Phillip Albayda said that the aforementioned areas that are situated within the 22-kilometer territorial sea of Pag-asa Island were given names via Municipal Ordinance No. 50-2020, which was signed by the municipality’s mayor Roberto del Mundo, according to Inquirer.
The sandbars are officially named Pag-asa Cay 1, 2, 3, and 4, from the nearest to the farthest point of the municipal seat, while the reefs were named Pag-asa Reef 1 and 2.
Albayda said that this was in line with Kalayaan’s vision to develop the areas into possible sites for agri-tourism and fishery projects.
Pag-asa Cay 1 is the largest feature which stretches for about 500 meters. It was formerly known as “Secret Island.”
Pag-asa Cay 2, on the other hand, was formerly called “Sandy Cay.”
At the same time, giving Filipino names to these sandbars and reefs will uphold the country’s sovereignty and assert the validity of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling in favor to the country.
Based on the report, PCA Case No. 2013-19 states that the Philippines dared China’s expansive “nine-dash line” claim over nearly the entire South China Sea, which also includes the West Philippine Sea, which is within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
A July 2016 ruling invalidated the historical claim of China over the waters, which include the Spratly Islands and the Philippines’ Kalayaan Island Group. China claimed that it did not recognize the decision.
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