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WATCH: Pag-asa Island residents raise Philippine flag on Independence Day

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ABS-CBN News

<div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/chiarazambrano/videos/10161540347724815/" data-width="auto"> </div><p><br/>MANILA — A few residents of Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea held a modest commemoration of Independence Day on Friday, instead of a big celebration as initially planned by government officials. </p><p>A handful of residents, military and police officials, coast guard, and engineers gathered at the island&#x27;s newly-built sheltered port and stood in front of the Philippine flag to sing Lupang Hinirang, the country&#x27;s national anthem.</p><p>Pag-asa Island hosts Kalayaan town, a Palawan municipality that is home to a military outpost and a civilian community. </p><p>According to Kalayaan Mayor Roberto del Mundo, several Cabinet and government officials were supposed to grace the island&#x27;s Independence Day celebration but they had to cancel the event at the last minute due to bad weather caused by tropical depression Butchoy.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/12/20/rainy-season-is-here-pagasa-says-as-butchoy-dampens-independence-day">Rainy season is here, PAGASA says as &#x27;Butchoy&#x27; dampens Independence Day</a></li></ul><p>Fear of COVID-19 also prevented other residents from joining, the mayor said.</p><p>&quot;Darating sana ang iba naming kababayan pero mayroon namang COVID-19... Darating [din] sana sina [Defense] Secretary [Delfin Lorenzana] pero sumama ang panahon... Ganito talaga dito,&quot; said Del Mundo. </p><p>After the ceremony, Commodore Allan Corpuz, district commander of Philippine Coast Guard-Palawan, spoke in front of the residents and promised to maintain the islands territorial integrity.</p><p>&quot;Pinapangako ko sa inyo na hindi natin ipamimigay ang ating teritoryo, at lagi namin kayong babantayan,&quot; Corpuz told residents. </p><p>Last Tuesday, top defense officials of the Philippines inaugurated a cemented pier that would let its ships dock on Pag-Asa Island, whose waters were swarmed by over a hundred Chinese boats last year. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/09/20/philippines-opens-beaching-ramp-in-first-major-upgrade-on-west-philippine-sea-island">Philippines opens beaching ramp in first major upgrade on West Philippine Sea island</a></li></ul><p>The pier, also known as a &quot;beaching ramp,&quot; is the first major upgrade of the Philippines in the 9 features it occupies in the West Philippine Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Beijing. </p><p>The Philippines and China have seen improved ties under President Rodrigo Duterte, who set aside a United Nations-backed tribunal&#x27;s 2016 ruling that invalidated Beijing&#x27;s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.</p><p>The West Philippine Sea is the country&#x27;s exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea. </p><p>Some 140 Chinese ships that surrounded Pag-asa island last year left after Manila lodged a diplomatic protest over their presence. </p><div><strong>— Report from Chiara Zambrano, ABS-CBN News </strong></div><div><br/> </div>

<p>A few residents of Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea held a modest commemoration of Independence Day on Friday, instead of a big celebration as initially planned by government officials. </p>

A few residents of Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea held a modest commemoration of Independence Day on Friday, instead of a big celebration as initially planned by government officials.