With the rising tensions between the Philippines and China’s territorial waters, the SAMAHAN Political Affairs and Engagements Department (SPAED) aimed to inform ongoing developments on the West Philippines Sea (WPS) dispute and encourage students to defend the nation’s interests via a 4-part advocacy campaign. 

The campaign, which is the second part of the SAMAHAN Civic-Con series, organized the  TeriStorya Gallery Walk Exhibit and the Bantay Dagat Film Forum, focused on discussing China’s claim and aggression over Pag-asa Island and promoting student engagement in countering fake news as a form of nationalism.

SPAED Director Iesha Bastian explained that the campaign was launched to address the dispute on the West Philippine Sea, a region rich in natural resources and strategically crucial for global affairs.

“This campaign emphasizes the power of communal effort and the promise of rising options, inspiring a sense of collective duty and proactively evoking from every citizen. […] We aim to educate and engage our community. We […] ensure that students create a deeper understanding of conflicts and protection,” Bastian said. 

SPAED Deputy Director and Campaign Executive Director Luis Miguel Torres explained that the campaign aims to engage students by presenting perspectives of fishermen and coastguards, shifting the focus from legal disputes to the human impact of the WPS conflict.

“We want to shift the focus, aside from the arbitrary ruling of 2016 and UNCLOS, on the basic human level. Let’s look at them and sympathize and stand for them,” Torres said.

Torres called on students to awaken nationalistic sentiments and advocate for the nation’s sovereign rights and the protection of fishermen, stressing that even small acts like sharing and engagement can help those directly affected by the West Philippine Sea conflict.

Furthermore, SAMAHAN Department of Campaigns and Advocacies (DCA) External Affairs Head Ken Ryle Hinojales emphasized the role of students in disseminating the truth and proper use of social media platforms to convey truth in the community. 

“Student participation is important in a campaign like this because it brings awareness not only to our fellow students but also to ordinary Filipinos who are unaware of the issue. We have this platform, and we should use it wisely,” Hinojales stated. 

During the Bantay Dagat Film Forum, Former Political Science and History Department Chair Mary Donna Grace Cuenca pointed out that China’s claim to the West Philippine Sea is unfounded and does not follow the United Nations International law. 

“They are duty-bound to observe the provisions of the UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]. Under the UNCLOS, China is not an archipelagic state. Therefore, it cannot invoke the same rights as archipelagic states at the UNCLOS.” 

Human rights activist and one of the panelists in the forum, Atty. Arvin Dexter Lopoz described the hardships in Filipino fishermen’s day-to-day life and how the Chinese government uses aggression in an attempt to deliberately block their only source of income. 

“We can only imagine the daily ordeals of the fishermen coming from Zambales, coming from La Union, and then, they are being targeted by Chinese militia, maritime militia…. a lot of Filipino fishermen already died, and they have no choice because it’s a major source of their livelihood,” Lopoz said. 

Following these two events, a discussion on ensuring security over the West Philippine Sea will be held on September 20, followed by an indignation rally on October 9, urging the government to take decisive action to protect Philippine sovereignty.

The TeriStorya Gallery Walk was held on August 28, 2024,  at Arrupe Hall, while the Bantay Dagat Film Forum took place on August 30, 2024, at the Bapa Benny Tudtud Auditorium.