OPINION: SoberANYARE?: Ang Patuloy na Alitan sa West Philippine Sea
Photo credit: Sulat Nadera at Anna Dalet
Hindi na bagong isyu ang kaguluhan sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at Tsina hinggil sa West Philippine Sea (WPS). Maraming taon na ang nakalipas ngunit nabubuhay pa rin ang banta sa kabuhayan at kaligtasan ng ating mga lokal na mangingisda. Kaya kasabay ng mga bagong insidente ng karahasan nitong nakaraang buwan, bakit hindi kinikilala at pinapakinggan ang hinaing ng mga Pilipino? At bakit hindi magawa-gawang ipaglaban ng gobyerno ang ating soberanya?
Kamakailan lang nitong Pebrero 6, ibinalita ang pagtutok ng isang China Coast Guard (CCG) na barko ng military-grade laser sa Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel sa Ayungin Shoal. Kasabay nito ay pinalayas ng iba pang Tsinong barko ang mga mangingisdang Pilipino sa bahagi ng karagatan kung saan sila kadalasang nangingisda. Kinumpirma ang pangyayari sa isang seminar na pinangunahan ng People’s Development Institute kung saan ibinahagi ng grupo ng mangingisda ang kanilang mga saloobin sa naganap na pagpapaalis. Bago ang nasabing insidente, ilang pag-uusap pa ang naganap upang talakayin ang isyu ng hidwaan sa WPS sa pamamagitan ng bilateral talks nang maiwasan ang paggamit ng pwersa’t pagbabanta. Gayunpaman, pagkatapos lamang ng isang buwan, muling nasaksihan ang pangha-harass ng mga naglalakihang barko ng Tsina sa mga mangingisdang Pilipino. Ilang insidente na rin ng pangha-harass ang ginawa noon gaya ng paggamit ng water cannon noong 2014, pagkumpiska sa mga huling isda noong 2018, at pagtaboy sa isang team ng ABS-CBN news noong 2021. Sa napakatagal na panahong nabubuhay ang isyu, bakit imbes na maayos ay tila lumalala lamang ang kalagayan nito?
Sa madaling salita, ito ay dahil sa kawalan ng aksyon at tugon ng pamahalaan sa isyu. Kung susuriin ang nagdaang administrasyong Duterte, minsan na nating narinig ang mga argumentong “wala tayong laban” at “ayaw natin makipag-away sa Tsina dahil sa dulo, tayo rin ang talo” pero hindi ito sapat na mga rason sapagkat makatuwiran ang paglaban sa kanilang pang-aapi. Ayon kay dating Associate Justice Antonio Carpio sa isang ANC interview, ang paggamit ng laser at iba pang armas ng Tsina ay lumalabag sa dati pang nakatakdang batas ng UN Charter na nagbabawal sa paggamit ng pwersa upang mamahala sa maritime issues. Iyon pa lamang ay sapat na rason upang ipaglaban ang karapatan ng bansa sa WPS pero sa matagal na panahong namamahala ang administrasyong Duterte ay mas pinili nilang manahimik at maging pasibo.
Kung babalikan, dalawang taon matapos maupo sa pwesto ay pinirmahan ni dating pangulo Benigno Aquino III ang Administrative Order No. 29 kung saan nakasaad dito na ang kanlurang bahagi at ang nakapaloob sa EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) ng Pilipinas ay papangalanang West Philippine Sea kasama na dito ang karagatan na nakapalibot sa Kalayaan Group of Island at Bajo de Masinloc o Scarborough Shoal. Ginamit ang pagpapalit ng pangalan ng WPS upang mas lalong maigiit ang ating soberanya at masanay ang mga tao na gamitin ang terminong ito. Subalit, ayon sa isang Filipino Political Scientist na si Rommel Banlaoi, mananatiling mahina at hindi kikilalanin ng ibang bansa ang terminong West Philippine Sea hangga’t walang napapasa na Maritime Law ang Pilipinas. Kaya matapos pirmahan ang Administrative Order ay ilang insidente pa rin ng pang-aapi ang lumipas hanggang sa sumunod na taon ay nagsampa na ng arbitral case ang Pilipinas laban sa Tsina.
Ilang taon din ang itinagal ng mga hearings at trials upang maipresenta ang mga argumento ng dalawang bansa, ngunit kailanman ay hindi dumalo sa mga ito ang Tsina. Iginigiit nilang sakop ng South China Sea ang West Philippine Sea dahil sa itinutulak nilang “nine-dash-line” na ayon sa Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ay walang legal na basehan. Nilalabag din nito ang kasunduan sa ilalim ng United Nations Convention of the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) na ang 200 nautical miles na karagatan mula sa dalampasigan ng isang bansa ang bumubuo sa EEZ nito. Noong 2016, pinarangalan ng International Arbitral Tribunal ang Pilipinas sa arbitration case laban sa Tsina kung saan nangingibabaw ang desisyon ng kaso pabor sa ating bansa.
Kitang-kita na maraming ipinatupad na kasunduan upang suportahan ang karapatan ng Pilipinas sa WPS, pero bakit nahihirapan pa rin ang mga mangingisdang Pilipino na ipagpatuloy ang kanilang kabuhayan? Isang dahilan na madalas gamitin ay ang posibilidad na magsimula ng giyera kung lalaban pabalik ang Pilipinas, ngunit mas makakabuti ba na hayaan na lamang ang Tsina na patuloy na gambalahin ang mga Pilipino kahit na tayo ang nasa tama? Mas makakaiwas ba ang Pilipinas sa giyera kung simula’t sapul ay dahas na ang ipinapakita sa atin ng kabilang panig? Binigyang-diin ni Carpio na kung susundin ng kasalukuyan at susunod pang mga administrasyon ang pamamaraan ng nagdaang administrasyon, mas lalo lang mahihikayat ang Tsina na ipagpatuloy ang pangha-harass dahil nakikita nilang hindi naman aaksyon ang gobyerno upang depensahan ang kanilang mga kababayan.
Isa lamang ang alitan sa West Philippine Sea sa mga malalaking isyu na dapat ay binibigyang pansin at prayoridad ng administrasyon, ngunit ipinipikit nila ang kanilang mga mata sa hinaing ng mga mangingisdang Pilipino. Kung ang mismong mga eksperto ng international law na ang naglalahad na maaari nating ipaglaban ang ating karapatan at soberanya, mas lalo na dapat ang sarili nating gobyerno. Kinakailangan nilang ipaalala sa Tsina na ang mga kasunduang naitatag ay may saysay at nasaksihan ito ng buong mundo. Makatarungan lang na tumindig sila laban sa pang-aapi na natatanggap ng mga Pilipino dahil kung patuloy na hahayaan ng gobyerno ang panggigipit at karahasan na ginagawa ng Tsina, lalong malalagay sa peligro ang mga karapatan at kabuhayan ng bawat mamamayan. //nina Jessiemae Cadiz, Kiel Beldia, at Kairyn Cruz
Mga Sanggunian:
Administrative Order No. 29, s. 2012 | GOVPH. (2012, September 5). Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/09/05/administrative-order-no-29-s-2012/
Bolledo, J. (2021, August 13). At least 3 Chinese vessels spotted in West Ph sea in August – US expert. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/nation/chinese-vessels-spotted-west-philippine-sea-august-2021/
DS Law. (n.d.). Philippines vs. China: What you need to know about the territory dispute. https://www.duranschulze.com/philippines-vs-china-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-territory-dispute/#:~:text=The%20conflict%20between%20China%20and,have%20claimed%20as%20their%20own
Fernandez, D. (2023, February 14). Ph protests Chinese Coast Guard's harassment using laser. Inquirer.net. https://globalnation.inquirer.net/210958/ph-protests-chinese-coast-guards-harassment-using-laser
Jackson, A., & France-Presse, A. (2022, October 5). In photos: Filipinos fishing on the frontline of the west philippine sea. GMA News Online. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/847077/filipinos-fishing-on-the-frontline-of-the-west-philippine-sea/story/
Lee-Brago, P. (2022, September 5). 'Philippines should proceed with West Philippine Sea exploration without China'. Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/09/05/2207482/philippines-should-proceed-west-philippine-sea-exploration-without-china
Mangosing, F., & Santos, T. G. (2023, February 20). DFA chief: China harassment a 'daily situation' for ph. Inquirer.net. https://globalnation.inquirer.net/211222/dfa-chief-china-harassment-a-daily-situation-for-ph
Rappler. (2019, June 12). Timeline: Skirmishes, standoffs, harassment in West Philippine Sea. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/232906-timeline-skirmishes-standoffs-harassment-west-philippine-sea/
Sanchez, R. (2016, July 12). Timeline: The Philippines-China maritime dispute. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/world/139392-timeline-west-philippine-sea-dispute/
Santos, M. (2016, July 13). Key points of arbitral tribunal’s verdict on PH-China dispute | Global News. INQUIRER.net. https://globalnation.inquirer.net/140947/key-points-arbitral-tribunal-decision-verdict-award-philippines-china-maritime-dispute-unclos-arbitration-spratly-islands-scarborough
Tomacruz, S. (2021, July 15). Duterte and the West Philippine Sea: A strategy of failed compromises. RAPPLER. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/duterte-west-philippine-sea-strategy-failed-comprises/
Tomacruz, S. (2023, March 1). After Duterte, Marcos plays catch up in fight for West Philippine Sea. RAPPLER. From https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/ferdinand-marcos-jr-plays-catch-up-fight-west-philippine-sea-after-duterte-administration/
Rappler. (2012, September 12). ‘West PH Sea’ now official: so what? https://www.rappler.com/nation/12277-west-ph-sea-now-official-so-what
FEATURE: Women and Writing: Novel and Author Recommendations
The Lord of the Rings, The Percy Jackson Series, and The Fault in Our Stars: novels that everyone—avid reader or not—knows. If you noticed, all of these books are written by men. But what about the women, who have also made impressive contributions to today’s literature?
There’s The Hunger Games Series, The Harry Potter Series, and The Twilight Series. But if you dig deeper, there are a million more excellent books by women that deserve just as much recognition and appreciation. In celebration of Women’s Month this March, we compiled a list of a few praiseworthy titles written by women, and a handful of admirable female authors.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan book cover. Retrieved from: goodreads.com/book/show/57789637-daughter-of-the-moon-goddess
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Inspired by a Chinese legend, Sue Lynn Tan tells the story of Xingyin, the daughter of the moon goddess, and her journey to save her mother, Chang'e, from the powerful forces that imprisoned her.
With her identity and parentage hidden, Xingyin ends up in the Celestial Kingdom, home of the formidable immortals that exiled her mother to the moon. Despite the danger, she soon grasps the opportunity to learn magic alongside the emperor’s son and sets out on an adventure filled with ruthless enemies and legendary creatures. But when forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must face the treacherous Celestial Emperor by making a deal that risks taking away everything she loves or causing chaos upon the whole realm.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a delightful mix of fantasy and romance with a whirlwind of a plot that still allows you to immerse yourself in the story and its characters. Sue Lynn Tan’s dreamy writing only adds to the novel’s appeal. Chinese culture and mythology entwined with the intriguing plot and elements ensure that it will be enjoyed by fans—and non-fans—of the fantasy genre.
More here: goodreads.com/book/show/57789637-daughter-of-the-moon-goddess
Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch book cover. Retrieved from: goodreads.com/book/show/25756328-love-gelato
Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Italy, with its dazzling sunshine and picturesque landscape, seems like the perfect place to fall in love. But Lina isn’t interested in any of that. The only reason she’s in Italy is because of her mother’s dying wish: that she get to know her father, who was absent her whole life. However, when Lina gets her hands on her mother’s old journal from before she was born, she suddenly finds herself exploring Tuscany and a new world of art, romance, and hidden bakeries. Alongside her charming companion, Ren, Lina follows her mother’s footsteps and discovers a long-buried secret that changes everything she’s known about her family and even herself.
Love & Gelato is heartwarming and filled to the brim with emotion. Aside from teenage romance, Jenna Evans Welch also beautifully weaves history and mystery into the story. It may seem cliché and predictable at times, but the book has an undeniable charm that makes it entertaining for all ages and all occasions.
More here: goodreads.com/book/show/25756328-love-gelato
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris book cover. Retrieved from: goodreads.com/book/show/29437949-behind-closed-doors
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Jack and Grace are a picture-perfect couple. They are the object of everyone’s envy; Jack's a successful attorney while Grace is the best wife one could ever ask for. But are they too good to be true? If you look beyond the charm they display and the comfort their dinner parties exude, what would you find? The couple’s relationship may seem ideal and unparalleled, but they’re hiding a lot more behind closed doors.
B.A. Paris’ novel is a page-turner, roller-coaster ride of mystery. It dives into subtle sinisterness, drawing you into the facade of the couple’s beyond-perfect marriage and getting under your skin with the tragedy of it all. In Behind Closed Doors, Grace’s navigation of her horrific situation ensures that readers wouldn’t be able to put this intriguing and tense novel down.
More here: goodreads.com/book/show/29437949-behind-closed-doors
Honorable Mentions: Four Fabulous Female Authors
As a bonus, we also have a few honorable mentions of female authors that made significant contributions to the writing world.
The Bronte Sisters
Writers, teachers, and more—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte are three sisters who were raised in an English town during the 1800s. The Brontes spent their youth penning poems, diaries, and books. They first wrote and published their works under the aliases Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. At the time, female writers were frowned upon which led to their incognito identities. They hid behind gender-neutral pseudonyms in hopes of increasing their chances of getting published. Following a long and tedious road to publication, their works later gained popularity. Some of their most famous creations are Jane Eyre (1847), Wuthering Heights (1848), and Agnes Grey (1847).
F.H. Batacan
Maria Felisa H. Batacan is a Manila-based author fond of writing in the crime and mystery fiction genres. She graduated from the University of the Philippines with degrees in communication and art history. Her debut piece Smaller and Smaller Circles, the first Filipino crime novel, explores the Philippines’ justice system, the influence of religion and the church, and how society sometimes turns a blind eye to sexual abuse victims. This novel won multiple awards, including the National Book Award in 2002 and the Madrigal-Gonzalez Award in 2003.
Bebang Siy
Beverly Siy, commonly known as Bebang Siy, is famous for her novels It’s a Mens World and It’s Raining Mens. Both are collections of essays that narrate Siy’s experience as a woman and tackle issues of girlhood. She also touches upon her identity as a Chinese-Filipino woman and how she struggled with it growing up. In It’s Raining Mens, the sequel to It’s a Mens World, she focuses on her journey with love and her experience as a young mother. Her straightforward and candid discussions of taboo topics surrounding women garnered praise from readers of all genders and ages. Additionally, she has a Master’s degree in Philippine Literature and a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing in Filipino, and won the Filipino Readers’ Choice Award for It’s a Mens World in 2012.
Lualhati Bautista
Lualhati Bautista is the brain behind Dekada ‘70, a popular novel that tells the story of a family living in the Philippines under the Marcos dictatorship. Some of her lesser-known—but no less remarkable—novels include Bata, Bata… Pa’no Ka Ginawa?, Bulaklak sa City Jail, 'GAPÔ, and more. Her works have recurring themes of war and politics. She is known for her realism and portrayal of women’s issues in the Philippines, as well as her female protagonists who possess unwavering strength and bravery amidst difficult situations.
Broadening Horizons
Female authors of all backgrounds and genres have proven that they are just as capable of writing outstanding novels as male authors. In some cases, like Bebang Siy, they also provide valuable insight on women’s experiences and perspectives. Women have been doing this for years, it’s just that they haven’t been given the limelight they deserve. So, in the spirit of Women’s Month, let’s make it a practice of giving the spotlight to women who have created and will continue to create phenomenal literary works. It’s always good to broaden your horizons when it comes to reading, and there’s a whole world of women-written novels to discover. //by Charlize Yamo and Zaeda Wadi
“Women are born with pain built-in,” Kristin Scott Thomas said once in the show Fleabag, pertaining to how, from a very young age, women are exposed to pain and hardships that will remain constant until they grow old. These struggles aren’t all biological like period pain and menopause, which are just nature running its course. While menstruation can indeed be an excruciating form of torture, it holds no candle to other sources of pain and struggle that women face every day. Outside factors like how society expects so much yet looks down on a girl’s capabilities, the never-ending objectification of women, and so much more contribute heavily to these struggles they face. But let’s take a look at a chapter in their lives that makes or breaks them; the challenges they encounter and are forced to overcome in their school years.
According to a survey conducted by Plan International, women encounter two main issues when it came to studying: internet connectivity and household chores. While internet problems are more universal, female students are usually expected to do more household work than boys. This is due to the perceived notion of gender roles. As a result, they become an integral part of running the household and are also expected to prioritize it above everything else. This is an incentive for parents to keep their daughters at home, especially those who put a degrading value on female education. Consequently, girls are also at a higher risk of dropping out of school to take the place of their family’s caregivers when they become unavailable due to illness, Covid-19-related work, or death.
This issue only worsened during the height of online classes, when schooling became much more inaccessible to students from the lower class. This is thanks to a new kind of school requirement: gadgets. Although students do not need high-end ones to attend classes and do their assigned tasks and projects, it is hard to find an up-to-par gadget that is worth P10,000 or below. For a lower-class family, it is much more reasonable for the student to stop schooling when that kind of money could be allocated to their basic needs instead. Female students especially are considered to be more valued around the household than in school —one of the main reasons why the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded last 2017 that 68.9% of out-of-school youth are females aged 6-24. But it does not end there, as gender expectations, educational expenses, and the risk of dropping out are just a fraction of what young female students concern themselves with when in school.
Another issue girls face in school is gender-based bullying. The Program for International Student Assessment reported that 65% of Filipino students are bullied, with 70.5% of those students being female. In the hopes of reducing bullying incidents in the country, Republic Act 10627, or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, was enacted but unfortunately, incidents only sky-rocketed from 1,309 cases in 2013 to a whopping 11,637 cases in 2019-2020. The sad part about this is that the number wasn’t even final as last February 13, 2023, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education, said that 11,000 reported cases did not make sense as this number is nowhere near 40-60% of the population of students. This expected figure set by “large-scale examinations” should have translated to 10 million - 12 million students, the discrepancy confirming the underreporting of bullying cases. Nonetheless, out of the 71,928 bullying cases tallied from 2013-2020, over 4,250 cases were reported to be gender-based in nature.
Even in the absence of in-person classes, female students still aren’t safe from harm. When the country converted to online learning back in 2020, it was reported that 68% or almost 7 out of 10 female students experienced online harassment according to a survey and interview by Plan International. Additionally, 8 of 10 girls have experienced sexual harassment through social media, with 68% of them falling victing to their own peers.
These instances of bullying, and other forms of discrimination are known to cause and worsen mental health problems. In a 2018 study by Jesus Alfonso D. Datu, it’s stated that discrimination can be linked to negative emotions and inhibited academic achievement. This is worsened by the stigma surrounding mental health; young girls are often described as “OA” and too sensitive, and are frequently asked the tiring question, “meron ka ngayon ‘no?” implying that the trauma these girls face is somehow connected to them being on their period. These comments do not only come from their peers; the majority of it comes from the older generations. The mindset that “trauma makes you stronger and it builds character” is one that has been popularized over the years but in fact, being tormented and invalidated do not make girls stronger, it just leaves them traumatized.
It’s sad to think that female students have to go through all these, just to be educated —a basic human right, and that giving up can feel like the easier option than fighting to learn. In spite of this, their struggle is one that cannot be neglected. After all, their successes not only benefit them individually, but the whole of society. Girls have a lot to offer, if only given the right opportunities and resources that they need to thrive. //by Cilque Casis and Daniella Garces
Sources:
Acosta, A. M. (2020, October 2). COVID-19 and Girls' Education: What We Know So Far and What We Expect. Center for Global Development. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://www.cgdev.org/blog/covid-19-and-girls-education-what-we-know-so-far-and-what-we-expect-happen
Ballesteros, K., Almeda, A. (2021, November 20). Safety First: discrimination at Philippine schools and work places — MentalHealthPH. MentalHealthPH. https://mentalhealthph.org/11-20/
Datu, Jesus Alfonso. (2018). Everyday discrimination, negative emotions, and academic achievement in Filipino secondary school students: Cross-sectional and cross-lagged panel investigations. Journal of School Psychology. 68. 10.1016/j.jsp.2018.04.001
De Guzman, P., Tomeo, A., Jaca, G. (2020, October). Plan International GYW Report CC 2017. plan-international.org. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://plan-international.org/uploads/sites/25/2022/02/through_her_lens_15oct2020.pdf
de la Fuente, J. K. (n.d.). Bullying and School-Related Gender-Based Violence in the Philippines. https://www.teacherph.com/bullying-school-related-gender-based-violence-philippines/?fbclid=IwAR33LS1-AuXZH4EJsaasIRmAFr_WTNosAVMtPBpflSjEA47wyVy2PBHlAUs
Gendered effects of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic (By J. E Mueller D. G Nathan). (2020, June 12). thelancet.com. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(20)31377-5.pdf
Harrison, E. (2019, March 19). Fleabag: Fans loved Kristin Scott Thomas' epic speech on womanhood. Radio Times. https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/women-are-born-with-pain-built-in-kristin-scott-thomass-epic-speech-on-fleabag/
Macasero, R. (2023, February 13). Bullying in schools underreported, says chair of Senate education panel. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/nation/bullying-schools-underreported-senate-hearing-february-13-2023/
Maderazo, J. J. (2023, February 14). School bullies: Unbearable scourge to Filipino families. Inquirer Opinion. Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://opinion.inquirer.net/161057/school-bullies-unbearable-scourge-to-filipino-families
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2017, June 13). Republic of the Philippines. Philippine Statistics Authority | Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://psa.gov.ph/press-releases/id/119882
