Ched Rick Gatchalian

Fisherfolk on small bancas join volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition and members of the media as they prepare to depart from Matalbis Port in Masinloc, Zambales, for the second civilian resupply mission to the West Philippine Sea on May 15, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File


Article (news)

Group pushing West Philippines Sea inclusion in school curriculum: 'Edukasyon, hindi lang emosyon'

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1740194051068Screenshot 2025-02-22 111317.png" style="width:958px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Fisherfolk on small bancas join volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition and members of the media as they prepare to depart from Matalbis Port in Masinloc, Zambales, for the second civilian resupply mission to the West Philippine Sea on May 15, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Fisherfolk on small bancas join volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition and members of the media as they prepare to depart from Matalbis Port in Masinloc, Zambales, for the second civilian resupply mission to the West Philippine Sea on May 15, 2024. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span>QUEZON CITY — China&#x27;s aggression in the West Philippine Sea should not only fuel emotions but also encourage Filipinos to understand the country&#x27;s maritime rights, the Atin Ito coalition said Saturday, as it pushes for the inclusion of the disputed territorial waters in the school curriculum.</div><p>Ed dela Torre, Atin Ito Co-convenor, emphasized in a Teleradyo Serbisyo interview how important education is in protecting the country&#x27;s sovereignty.</p><p>&quot;Napakahalaga ng karagatan, hindi lang &#x27;yung tinatawag nating territorial waters na 12 kilometro mula sa pampang, kundi &#x27;yung 200 kilometers na tayo ay may exclusive rights. Dati parang hindi pinapansin, pero dahil nga sa pambu-bully na ginagawa ng China sa atin, biglang tumindi naging emotional,&quot; he explained.</p><p>He said China&#x27;s aggressive actions such as building artificial islands and waterbombing fisherfolks have enraged Filipinos&#x27; emotions. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/4/china-vessel-blasts-water-cannon-at-ph-ship-1025">China vessel blasts water cannon at Philippine ship in latest aggression</a></div><p>Dela Torre stated that this, however, is not enough. </p><p>&quot;Hindi puwede &#x27;yung emosyon lang e, ang tanong nauunawaan ba natin ito?&quot; he asked.</p><p>&quot;Nakita natin ang kahalagahan ng edukasyon. Dapat may emosyon, pero mas mahalaga may kalinawan, may malalim na pag-unawa [dahil] karapatan natin ito. Kaya panawagan natin sa gobyerno ay isama na natin sa edukasyon mula pa sa kabataan,&quot; he continued.</p><p>China has been teaching South China Sea Studies in Hainan province since 1996.</p><p>Akbayan Party-list, who proposes the curriculum inclusion along with Atin Ito, stated earlier that the act could help dispel &quot;false narratives&quot; and disinformation among Filipinos and especially the youth.</p><p>They said the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration should be included in the proposed initiative.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/20/groups-want-school-lessons-to-teach-youth-the-west-philippine-sea-is-real-1635">Groups want school lessons to teach youth the West Philippine Sea is real</a></div><p>Akbayan president Rafaela David, who is also co-convenor of Atin Ito, requested President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to issue an executive order for &quot;a clear framework and process on the institutionalized and mandatory teaching of the history, geography and legality of the West Philippine Sea at all levels of education.&quot;</p><p>Dela Torre said that while diplomatic protests continue, the curriculum inclusion of West Philippine Sea is important to have an &quot;internal clarity&quot; among Filipinos that the country has sovereign rights over the disputed islands.</p><p>He also explained that the West Philippine Sea topic can be &quot;creatively&quot; integrated into subjects like Araling Panlipunan and other disciplines that aim to instill nationalism.</p><p>&quot;Ang curriculum naman isang broad stroke. Pero &#x27;yung detalye niyan &#x27;yung subject, depende na sa creativity at design ng curriculum department,&quot; he said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/20/pcg-outlines-china-s-4-reasons-for-continued-aggressiveness-at-sea-1041">PCG outlines &#x27;plausible&#x27; reasons for China aggression at sea</a></div><div><strong>BIGGEST DEPLOYMENT OF CHINA IN WPS SO FAR THIS YEAR</strong></div><p>The incident where six Chinese militia vessels and 50 others were recently monitored in the Rozul Reef and Pagasa Islands were the biggest deployment yet of China in 2025, according to Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea concerns.</p><p>He explained in another interview on Teleradyo Serbisyo that China can easily deploy ships in Pagasa Islands since it has a naval base in Subi Reef.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s very near dito sa Subi Reef kung saan mayroon silang naval base, so they can deploy easily Chinese maritime militia or even China Coast Guard from afar. There are a lot of reasons, ang lagi nilang sinasabi is because they have jurisdiction and sovereignty over these waters,&quot; he said.</p><p>As for Rozul Reef, he stressed that the number of Chinese militia staying there is &quot;not alarming&quot; yet.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/20/5-filipino-fishermen-rescued-after-boat-ramming-in-west-ph-sea-1314">5 Filipino fishermen rescued after boat ramming in West PH Sea</a></div><p>Tarriela said this is still part of China&#x27;s tactics to &quot;normalize&quot; the situation as they maintain their presence in the West Philippines Sea and deem it part of the status quo.</p><p>He also stated that the Philippine Coast Guard has limited forces near Palawan, particularly those carrying out patrols.</p><p>He said Chinese militia vessels in the disputed waters displayed no aggression so far other than imposing their presence.</p><p>&quot;They don&#x27;t do bullying to ordinary fisherman or even to government vessels whether Coast Guard or [Bureau of Fire Protection],&quot; Tariella noted.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/21/philippines-france-hold-joint-maritime-exercise-in-west-ph-sea-2326">Philippines, France hold joint maritime exercise in West PH Sea</a></div>

<p>China's aggression in the West Philippine Sea should not only fuel emotions but also encourage Filipinos to understand the country's maritime rights, the Atin Ito coalition said Saturday, as it pushes for the inclusion of the contested waters in the school curriculum.</p>

China's aggression in the West Philippine Sea should not only fuel emotions but also encourage Filipinos to understand the country's maritime rights, the Atin Ito coalition said Saturday, as it pushes for the inclusion of the contested waters in the school curriculum.