Chinese ships in their line of vision have become part of the daily life of Filipinos who call this speck of land smack in the middle of the South China Sea home. The island’s name means “hope” in the native tongue, and it shelters some 100 Filipinos on the front line of a potentially dangerous international maritime dispute. The Philippine government has just concluded two important rehabilitation projects on Pag-asa: a beaching ramp (overseen by the Department of National Defense) that was inaugurated on June 9, and a sheltered port (supervised by the Department of Transportation) that is to be turned over to the local government today, Independence Day.

Mangosing, F. (2020, June 12). Holding ground, building hope on Pag-asa Island: (First of two parts). Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. A1, A6.