Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
The Kalayaan municipal council has a simple Christmas wish — for the media to call their town by its proper name.
The council signed a resolution formally requesting journalists to refer to their town as the Municipality of Kalayaan instead of just Pag-asa Island, which incorrectly suggests that it is a mere oceanic feature.
“This is for public recall and awareness that the West Philippine Sea is ours,” Councilor Maurice Phillip Alexis Albayda said.
Resolution No. 156-015 series of 2023, unanimously approved Wednesday and shared over the weekend, says the town is a bona fide political jurisdiction and is home to a small but thriving community of Filipino citizens, so it should be referred to as such.
Albayda, who authored the resolution, told reporters on Saturday that their preferred terminology ensures precise and consistent identification of geographical locations within the West Philippine Sea (WPS), especially those under their jurisdiction.
Kalayaan town’s jurisdiction includes Pag-asa Island, which functions as the town’s administrative center, along with Patag, Likas, Lawak, Parola, Kota, Rizal Reef, Ayungin Shoal, and various other areas covering 66,000 square miles.
The approved resolution specifically called on members of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Western Command Defense Press Corps, and other media organizations to be more specific when referencing their town.
“The representatives of the people from the municipality of Kalayaan came together in this resolution to advocate for our sovereignty and territorial integrity. We recognize the media as valuable allies in establishing enduring standards and references, especially in acknowledging the legitimacy of the Municipality of Kalayaan, Palawan,” he said
He cited Presidential Decree 1596 of 1978, issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., which officially established Kalayaan as a “distinct and separate municipality of the Province of Palawan.”
“This is an assertive push for our rights and authority in the reefs, archipelagos, seas, and other parts of our West Philippine Sea. This is for our courageous citizens and for our beloved Philippines,” Albayda said.
Kalayaan has a current population of around 227 residents living in 66 households.
