BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The National Security Council (NSC) has embarked on a nationwide awareness and advocacy campaign calling for a whole-of nation-approach asserting that the West Philippine Sea belongs to the Filipino people, the past generation, this generation and generations to come.
This is among the priority messages that the NSC conveyed during its pilot National Security Roadshow at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center Wednesday (October 23), dubbed as, “Pambansang Seguridad Tungo sa Pag-unlad: A Townhall Meeting.”
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, in his keynote message during the NSC-led roadshow at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center on October 23, outlined the importance of all Filipinos working together to instill pride as one nation fighting for the rights, welfare and national security and the country’s sovereignty.
“Facing head on the evolving threats, be it within our borders, our regional and international environment and even in the domains of outer and cyberspace, we must continually adapt and be proactive. Our collective response must be rooted in collaboration, not just all the government agencies, but also the private sector, civil society, and most importantly our local communities where efforts of the government are expected to follow,” Año said.
Commodore Jay Treistan Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard Special Staff for the West PH Sea, presented NSC Transparency Initiative that aims to inform the Filipino people and the international community about the aggression and harassment being done by the Chinese Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea. He said China’s territorial claim is pointless and baseless as their 9 – dash line principle has never been recognized by any county and never supported by any international law, whereas the Philippines’ territorial claim is clearly affirmed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas or UNCLOS.
“The transparency initiative allows us to convince the next generations of Filipinos to continue the fight. We believe that with the right information, we can be able to awaken the sense of patriotism ng ating mga kababayang Pilipino. Regardless where you come from, ang laban natin sa West Philippine Sea is a unifying issue, ang laban sa West PH Sea ay laban nating lahat bilang isang Pilipino,” Tarriela stressed.
He commended President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in pushing for the integrity and territorial rights of the Filipino people over the West Philippine Sea.
“The objective is not about to anger the Filipino emotion about the aggression of China but for us to understand na ang laban natin sa West Philippine Sea ay itinataya ng ating mga kasundaluhan, ng Coast Guard, ang buhay nila para tindigan ang posisyon natin sa West Philippine Sea, and for us to understand na ang laban na ito ay hindi lamang ginagawa ng Armed Forces dahil ito ay pag-uutos ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, kundi ginagawa namin lahat ito para sa lahat ng Pilipino na naniniwala na ang West Philippine Sea ay para sa ating lahat,” he added.
Meanwhile, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong backed the call for unity among the Filipino people in asserting our territorial rights over the West Philippine Sea.
“One thing that probably impacts our enthusiasm, our passion to fight for our sovereignty is actually very internal – we doubt ourselves and we cannot aside our differences and that is actually dividing us. Sana baguhin na natin itong mindset na ito, dahil ang ipinaglalaban natin dito is not only securing our resources, it is not only securing our borders but it is ensuring that it is intact for our future generations,” he said.
“It is actually the main message here today, we are doing this for our future generations and I would like to emphasize that just like in our fight against corruption, itong laban natin na ito, hindi dapat tayo manahimik because silence is not neutrality, it is tolerance and complicity,” he added.
The roadshow dubbed as Pambansang Seguridad Tungo sa Pag-unlad: A Townhall Meeting, was participated by members of the Cordillera Regional Peace and Order Council, local chief executives and multi – sectoral representatives from Baguio City, the Benguet towns of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay and from other parts of Cordillera.
Aside from the topic on West Philippine Sea, also presented were the highlights of the National Security Policy 2023 – 2028 and the National Security Strategy 2024, as well as gains of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and peace programs and services under the Marcos administration. **JDP/CCD-PIA CAR
