MANILA, Philippines – Government officials and other visitors who went to the Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Tuesday received an unexpected greeting in their mobile phones after it switched to roaming mode.
Text messages sent by one of the country’s cellular and data service providers showed a “Welcome to China” and a “Welcome to Vietnam” greeting — messages that travelers are supposed to receive once they set foot on a foreign land.
Among those who received the message were members of the media and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who went to the island for the inauguration of a beaching ramp that would aid in the delivery of materials used to make repairs on the island.
Other top military officials were also present during the event, including Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., Navy flag officer-in-command Vice Adm. Giovanni Bacordo, Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes, Army chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, and newly installed AFP Western Command chief Lt. Gen. Erickson Gloria.
Pag-asa is within the Kalayaan Island Group, a cluster of small islands that are claimed by the Philippines. It forms part of the Spratly Islands, which has been disputed by countries in the West Philippines Sea — including the Philippines, Vietnam, and China.
The island is part of the municipality of Kalayaan, which is under the jurisdiction of the Palawan provincial government.
Pag-asa is currently under repair, with the Philippine Navy’s ship finally being able to dock at the newly constructed port last May 13.
The Philippines is locked in a dispute with other countries, mainly China, over control of the West Philippine Sea, called by Beijing as the South China Sea.
However, the two governments’ s have become more cordial with each other in the last few years, with President Rodrigo Duterte opting to pursue an independent foreign policy instead of engaging the Asian superpower.
/atm