Carpio: Education can help Philippines win fight for West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines — Educating Filipinos about the history of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) could help the Philippines win the fight against China’s claims on the entire South China Sea, according to retired Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio.

In a lecture hosted by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the National Library of the Philippines last Friday, Carpio pointed out that the “total lack of knowledge of the Treaty of Paris and the history of the Treaty of Washington” could be the problem.

The 1898 Treaty of Paris and the 1900 Treaty of Washington were agreements where Spain formally turned over the Philippine archipelago to the United States, leading to the end of the 333-year colonial rule of Spain and ushering in the American occupation.

During his lecture, Carpio pointed out that the 1900 treaty included in the scope of the territory of the Philippine archipelago the areas outside the border lines set by the 1898 agreement, including Scarborough or Panatag Shoal and the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG).

However, some personalities, including Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, have claimed that Scarborough Shoal is not part of the Philippines because it is not included in the 1898 Treaty of Paris.

Calling it the “greatest misconception in Philippine history,” Carpio asserted he wanted to correct it by educating Filipinos about the history that led to the establishment of the West Philippine Sea.

He added that educating Filipinos “from grade school to college” could help narrow down the intergenerational gap caused by the lack of knowledge about WPS.

Discussions and the history of WPS could be printed in textbooks, as suggested by Fretti Gayondato-Ganchoon, chief of the Department of Justice’s legal staff for the maritime group, as placing them in books will make the Philippines’ claim “legal and factual.”

Both Carpio and Ganchoon pointed out that the maritime dispute between the Philippines and China has been resolved through the ruling made by the Permanent Court of Arbitration last July 12, 2016.

The territorial dispute involving Panatag Shoal and Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal is still unsettled, they added.

The creative industry could also help spread awareness of the importance of WPS and bring it to the Filipino consciousness, said photographer Paul Quiambao.

He opened an exhibit at the National Library of photos of his trip to Pag-asa Island in the KIG last May 2024. It shows the daily life of the residents of one of the country’s furthermost islands and the presence of Chinese Coast Guard vessels.

The exhibit is on until the end of July at the second floor of the National Library building along T.M. Kalaw Avenue, Manila.

West Philippine Sea fun run

Meanwhile, PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela called on the public to join the fun run called “Takbo para sa West Philippine Sea.”

The Manila leg would be held today, while the other legs of the fun run would be held in Cebu on Aug. 11 and in Cagayan de Oro City on Sept. 8.

Around 7,000 people have registered to join the fun run. The proceeds would be used to produce copies of a hardbound comic book entitled “Mga Kuwento ni Teacher Jun” that would be donated to public schools.

The comic book simplifies the understanding of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling.