David vs. Goliath

Since the beginning, man has been occupying vast areas of land. Civilization has started as a small community of people trying to live their lives, building shelter, cultivating lands for food, raising live stocks and more, and it did not take long for the need of man to expand its territory. For centuries, these small communities served as the seeds from where great civilizations and massive empires have sprung and became the nations that we now know. From time to time, during the course of history, it has been inevitable that these nations’ expansions have pushed its boundaries and started overlapping those which belong to their neighbors. It forced them to conquer to sustain its needs.

 Today, in our modern civilization, despite the differences in culture, we try to co-exist with one another. We have set of laws and rules that which we follow to ensure harmony amongst us, and every nation, sovereign on its own. Nations have now fixed their boundaries. Most lands and even bodies of water belong to one nation or another. Laws have been promulgated to ensure that one nation’s territory do not overlap another, and that certain areas are considered to be neutral for the common good of all. Nations who are a part of these laws are bound by it. In any case of dispute, these laws serve as guide to settle issues called for.

Recently, we have been aware of the tensions in the West Philippine Sea, or South China Sea as other nations have come to know it. The issue reminds us of the time were nations go into war to claim territories. This time, several small nations against a larger more powerful one. More like a sibling of Davids against Goliath, but this time even more than one sling is not enough to take him down.

Our country, the Philippines, as one of these smaller nations, have opted for a more peaceful fight because of the lack of military capability. We have brought the issue to the UN tribunal for settlement, under the UNCLOS. The more recent events have been in our favor and we should hold on to it. It should give us hope in fighting for our rights as a nation.

The issue should be settled not just for the Philippines, but for the whole world who have been using the Sea as a route for trade and travelling. If we give in to China’s pressure, they will soon come to believe that they have all the right and will soon take over the area. Their claims have covered most of the disputed sea, pushing back territorial boundaries of many nations. In allowing this to continue, many would be surely affected. Safety of neighboring nations is what would be affected most. Building an artificial island which may house a military base does not look like good news, especially when we look at the way how China has been confronting the smaller nations in the dispute. We could clearly see the lack of good faith.

 We should also fight for its resources, because many of us have been depending on it, and China’s way of dealing with natural resources is very harmful. They have been destroying large areas of underwater ecosystem. Its destruction may lead to the future loss of these resources. We already have limited resources now, and damaging it further may lead to irreversible effects.

 We have seen how China has been trying to show the world of its adverse claim but has been avoiding the arbitration. They have even started to print maps to show that it has been part of their history as they claim, but we all know otherwise. Now, we are starting to show the world the importance of this issue. The US have started to make actions and several nations have already expressed their concern over the matter.We should be persistent and patient with our cause because it is our right and it will benefit us all in the end. I believe that this is the right way to fight this battle, that we should gain the support all the nations to put pressure against China. Mere military power cannot always be good and more often than not, we would just be paying with the lives of our people.