Tayo ang pag-asa ng Pag-asa

As I arrived on Pag-asa island, I could not help but be overcome by a strong sense of nationalism as a Filipino.

I thought to myself: “Atin ‘to!” We must do everything in our power to protect our sovereignty; politically, economically and defensively. Whether it means deepening our ties with our allies or diversifying our economic portfolio, we must preserve our independence. We must have a whole-of-government and -of-society approach if we are to have any hope of protecting our sovereign territory.

As a component of my Senior Executive Master’s in National Security Administration Program (MNSA-SE) at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), I flew from the Antonio Bautista Air Base to Pag-asa Island, with faculty from NDCP and my senior executive classmates from the different branches of government. Our purpose was to personally see the situation on the ground and receive a briefing from our troops at the frontlines.

Firsthand learning, in my experience as chief of staff at the Senate, brings with it a much deeper level of understanding. I am brought closer to the problem, its solutions and, most importantly, to people. It has granted me the opportunities to advise my principal, Senator Grace Poe, to the best of my abilities. I always keep in mind that national security matters have geopolitical implications and generational repercussions. Despite already having a doctorate in public administration, I took on the challenge of earning a second master’s degree in national security administration. As a lifelong learner and public servant, I do my best to remain updated, informed and engaged with our people.

In this regard, I express my profound admiration for the women and men of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). In my engagements with them, I become inspired by their masterful geopolitical diplomacy and painstaking efforts in daily operations to maintain the territorial and maritime integrity of the country. With unparalleled zeal yet also levelheadedness, they handle incendiary incidents without escalating it to violence or direct conflict. Indeed, their extraordinary efforts should be applauded and given every assistance.

I am proud to have had the opportunity to transform profound admiration to pragmatic aid. As the sponsor of the 2024 budget for the Department of Transportation, Senator Grace Poe succeeded in increasing PCG funding to its highest in history so far in several aspects. I personally met with former PCG Commandant Admiral Abu to work out solutions; as expected, Senate President Zubiri, Senator Poe and many other senators overwhelmingly supported the PCG. Senator Poe emphasized PCG’s invaluable role as “our first line of defense.” Instead of mere fiery words, we maximized the allocation of government funds. We funded fuel requirements, vessels’ maintenance, personnel augmentation plans and hospital construction. We added money for confidential and intelligence funds where it’s rightfully needed. It was a culmination of a series of consultations with the AFP, particularly my meetings with AFP Western Command, that turned our classroom ponderings into congressional policy. We championed PCG as an integral part of a grander national strategy and inter-agency roadmap of asserting Philippine sovereignty.

Optimizing our legislative paradigm is crucial in arriving at a peaceful resolution to the West Philippine Sea issue. The Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act, thanks to its author Senate President Zubiri, is a significant leap forward for a robust framework to our national security strategy.

It is clear that policy calibration must thus be interwoven with the ebb and flow of the international geopolitical sphere. During my trip to Pag-asa Island, I realized that the aircraft we used was an Airbus C295. The aforementioned C295 aircraft now runs supply missions for our troops under our Western Command. This aircraft was procured as part of our armed forces modernization and was made possible by our government relations with Spain. The Philippine Senate has been involved in bilaterals with key governments in Europe precisely because of the benefits it brings at home. We must further relations with traditional allies like the United States, Australia and Japan; fostering a staunch quadrilateral security community. Agreements like the Philippines-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement are critical in achieving this goal of mutual defense and economic stability. In exploring new partnerships we could create a more peaceful economic community in the region. Clearly our priority should be furthering Philippine fair trade portfolio diversification in order to not be so dependent on any particular foreign state for our economic needs.

Thus we must ensure that the economy-wide reforms of the Amended Public Service Act through RA 11659 (Amended PSA) are maximized. It’s earnestly hoped that we make the most of these amendments to make our economy more attractive to foreign investments, more generative of competitive differentiators like high technology manufacturing, more supportive of Filipino ingenuity and innovation and more forward-looking globally.

Interestingly, I encountered the interplay of economic policy with military security in my visit to Pag-asa Island. The Amended PSA had apparently created business conditions conducive for Elon Musk’s Starlink to do business in the Philippines, which in turn brought internet technology to locally underserved areas like Pag-asa Island!

As we enter another year of legislative planning, it is my hope that both our economic and defensive concerns remain high in the priority list of our national leaders. It’s painful for us not only to irreversibly lose resources in our own territory, but to also be oppressed in waters and lands that are our own. We must be diplomatic, but decisive, as Pag-asa Island and the whole West Philippine Sea become the most consequential frontier of Philippine sovereignty – and the Filipino people’s success story – in the 21st century and beyond.