SPRATLYS: THE NEXT SUMMER GETAWAY
MANILA, APRIL 5, 2008 (STAR) By James Mananghaya - The military has taken the initiative to include the remote Pag-asa island in the disputed Spratly group of islands in the South China Sea among the country’s top tourist destinations this summer.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the military is planning to bring local tourists to the island, located some 285 nautical miles off Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, and promote the island as a summer getaway.
Esperon said a Navy ship would regularly bring visitors to Pag-asa, which is part of the Kalayaan Group of Islands (KIG) known for its white sand beaches and crystal clear waters.
He said the lack of amenities such as hotels would give tourists a chance to commune with nature, especially those seeking an outdoor adventure.
Pag-asa Island, home to more than 245 residents and about 30 soldiers guarding the country’s claim on the Spratlys, boasts of a long stretch of white sand beach, where tourists could just bask in the sun or take a dip in its clear waters.
Several officials and journalists recently visited Pag-asa Island.
“It’s not everyday that you get the chance to swim in the Spratlys. Even millionaires in Manila have not yet experienced what we did,” remarked one of the visiting journalists.
Some members of the AFP Ladies’ Club became the first civilian tourists to visit the island.
Kalayaan town Mayor Rosendo Mantes said Pag-asa also boasts of good diving sites in the western portion of the island, which remains unexplored by diving enthusiasts.
Mantes said they are hoping transportation facilities in the island would be developed to attract more tourists.
Pag-asa, the largest among the eight islands occupied by the country in the contested Spratlys, is only accessible by military vessels and aircraft.
It is the second largest, at 32.7 hectares, among the disputed Spratly Islands, all or parts of which are also claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
The island serves as the town proper of the Municipality of Kalayaan, one of the remotest towns of Palawan and of the country.
Pag-asa is also the name of the only barangay of Kalayaan, making it the only town or city in the Philippines to be composed of only one barangay.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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