Defending the West Philippine Sea, one outpost at a time

LIKAS ISLAND, Philippines — Technical Sergeant Nino Calbog sees his months-long deployment to Likas (West York) Island in the West Philippine Sea in two ways.

First, that it’s a treat. Almost all that is natural to Likas remains untouched. Fine, white sand and stunning blue, pristine waters surround Likas. Outside of the Naval Detachment and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Post on the island, much of Likas has remained unchanged, with most of its 46 acres covered in vegetation.

Second, and more importantly, that the deployment is a duty. “Karangalan rin namin… at least itong station babantayan namin, syempre trabaho namin yung pangalagaan para sa ating sambayanan,” Calbog, a Marine under the Western Naval Command, told reporters on Thursday, June 5.

(It is also an honor to watch over this station. Of course, it’s our job to take care of it for the country.)

Likas is the third-largest naturally occurring feature in the Spratly Islands and the second-largest of the features that the Philippines occupies in the West Philippine Sea.

We joined 14 media organizations that visited Likas during BRP Andres Bonifacio’s days-long maritime patrol in different parts of the West Philippine Sea from June 3 to 7.

The maritime patrol mission with the media embed — the first in the military’s recent history — are part of its efforts at transparency. It is also a way, perhaps, to tell the world of the sacrifice men like TS Calbog make to serve the country, just in time for Independence Day on June 12.

Deployments are months-long and, admittedly, quite lonely.

On Likas, Calbog and his men play basketball to pass time between keeping watch of the vast waters that surround the feature. They have pet cats and dogs to keep them company as well, and livestock (goats and chickens) to break the monotony of fresh seafood for their meals.

“Sa tagal ko na rin sa serbisyo, kung saan-saan na rin ako na deploy [tulad] dito, sa Jolo, Sulu…. Halos pareho lang ang trabaho dito,” Calbog told media.

(I have been serving for a long time, I’ve been deployed to so many places like here in Likas and in Jolo, Sulu. The job is practically the same.)

It can be isolating, Calbog admits – but he says this with a smile. This isn’t his first try at a West Philippine Sea deployment. He was stationed at the much-smaller Kota Island in the past.

On Likas, they have internet access, at least, so they’re able to speak to their families hundreds of nautical miles away in the mainland.

Improvements in the Philippines’ nine occupied features in the West Philippine Sea were few and far between in the past, so there’s understandably a lot of catching up to do.

In bigger features like Likas, soldiers grow their own crops — if only to augment the supplies that come through rotation and resupply (RORE) missions. Drinking water remains a precious commodity. Aside from the water that’s delivered through ROREs, soldiers collect rain water to augment their drinking water supply.

In Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, the largest of the nine, the runway has finished its expansion to accommodate larger C130 planes. The hangar is near-completion too, while a port — envisioned to accommodate larger vessels — is being completed. Main roads are paved and several buildings, including one for school kids, are being constructed.

It becomes tempting to assume the normalcy means threats are no longer lurking nearby.

In some areas of the West Philippine Sea, there is a Chinese Navy ship loitering nearly — typically, close to features that Beijing occupies (Subi Reef near Pag-asa) or areas that it is extra vigilant over (Sabina Shoal, after the PCG’s BRP Teresa Magbanua’s months-long stay in the shoal’s lagoon).

The maritime patrol took us to several other outposts too — Parola, Kota, and Panata Islands. The Bonifacio also passed through Escoda (Sabina) Shoal on its way back to Palawan.

In the vicinity of each occupied feature, the Bonifacio would loiter and contact the Naval Detachment via radio.

Aboard the Bonifacio’s bridge, there was a spark of excitement on June 6 when the detachment in Kota radioed back to acknowledge PS17’s call.

Back in Likas, Calbog was asked: What does he make of the tensions between the Philippines and the superpower China in the West Philippine Sea? After all, China-occupied features are fully militarized and its navy, coast guard, and militia ships in abundance.

“Pagdating sa ganitong sitwasyon, syempre, iniisip namin na lugi kami (If you’re talking about might, of course we think about how we’ve the short end of the stick),” he admitted.

But, Calbog said, they won’t allow themselves to lose or falter in their duty.

“Syempre, pinag-sumpaan ko ito. Dito na kami lahat, depensa namin ito,” he said.

Until the very end? “Yes. Ang mamatay ‘nang dahil sa iyo, sa flag natin (To die for you, for our flag),” he said, with a smile and a glimmer in his eyes.

Calbog and soldiers, as well as coast guard personnel stationed in the 9 Philippine-controlled features of the West Philippine Sea, are on the literal frontlines of tensions in this part of the region.

From Pag-asa, Likas, Parola, Panata, Kota, Patag, Lawak, Rizal, and Ayungin, soldiers endure isolation and face the risk of possible incursions or confrontations with a bigger and more potent threat in China, which ignores United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in claiming almost all of the South China Sea.

All nine features are part of the Kalayaan Group of Islands, administered under Palawan province. All Naval outposts are under Western Naval Command and the whole West Philippine Sea is under the Western Command in Palawan.

The military’s radio check-in of each feature during these patrols are essential.

Between the regular rotation and resupply missions, it’s how the crew of any ship check on the handful of troops deployed to the island and find out if there are any urgent needs and concerns that must be addressed.

I think of it, too, as a reminder to the men deployed on the front lines of the Philippines’ defense of the West Philippine Sea: that while they are isolated and sometimes lonely, they will always have the support of the military, as well as a grateful nation. — Rappler.com