Thitu Island
Encyclopedia
Thitu Island having an area of 37.2 hectares is the second largest Spratly Island
and the largest of all Philippine
-occupied Spratly Islands
. It lies about 300 miles (483 km) west of Puerto Princesa City
. It is claimed by the People's Republic of China
, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam
.
era to regain control of the island in 1946. A Buddha temple built by Chinese during the Qing Dynasty
still stands in the middle of the island.
soldiers stationed in all Philippine-occupied features are assigned in the island. It has a 1.4 kilometres (1,531 yd) unconcretized airstrip (named as Rancudo Airfield) which serves both military and commercial air transportation needs. It was the only airstrip in the whole Spratly chain that can accommodate large aircraft, such as Philippine Air Force
's (PAF) C-130
cargo planes, until the ROC constructed an airstrip on Itu Aba in 2007. PAF regularly sends fighter jets from Palawan to make reconnaissance missions in Philippine-controlled regions in the Spratly chain. The presence of a long airstrip in the island makes such reconnaissance missions easier.
In August 2009, the Philippine Navy
renamed Naval Station Pag-Asa in the Kalayaan Islands
in the province of Palawan
as Naval Station Emilio Liwanag
as one of several bases, facilities, and stations renamed thru-out the country. This commemorates its naval history by honoring several naval officers who served with distinction, who fought for the protection of the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity, democracy, and the maritime interests of the country.
. Only this island among all Philippine-occupied Spratly islands is currently inhabited by civilian
Filipinos. The civilian population, about 300 which includes children, was introduced in 2001. However, less than 200 civilian Filipinos are present in the island at a time.
The island is the only Philippine-occupied island to have a significant number of structures. These include a municipal hall, multi-purpose hall, health center, school
, water-filtration plant, marina
, communication tower, and military barracks
. The residents raise pigs, goats and chickens and plant crops in an alloted space to supplement their supplies of goods provided by a naval vessel which visits once a month. By day, the residents get electricity from a power generator owned by the municipality. By night, they shift to stored solar power which comes from 1.5V solar panels installed in the island.
The municipality has a long-standing policy of protecting the island's environment. Aerial photos (by Google Maps
) of the island reveal that more than 70% of the island is still covered with trees. This is in contrast with islands occupied by Vietnam
where many trees were already cut down.
since 1999, is to create a long causeway
that leads all the way to a deep water region. The island is completely surrounded by its expansive shallow coral base. This caused the Philippine Navy's BRP Lanao del Norte (LT-504), to run aground during a failed attempt to dock near the island in 2004. The damaged ship currently remains at the site of the wreck. Additionally, the Philippine Navy has proposed a naval base be built on the island, specifically for the purposes of training the Philippine Navy's elite Special Warfare Group (SWAG) and Navy Seals.
In contrast, the municipality proposes that the island be developed for tourism
. The island has a white sand coastline, is filled with trees, and is a sanctuary of several species of sea birds. Its wide coral base
can serve as a good diving spot.
Spratly Island
Spratly Island may refer to:* Spratly Islands, a chain of islands, reefs and shoals in South China Sea that is disputed by the Philippines, People's Republic of China, Republic of China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei....
and the largest of all Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
-occupied Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land...
. It lies about 300 miles (483 km) west of Puerto Princesa City
Puerto Princesa City
The City of Puerto Princesa is a city located on the western provincial island of Palawan, one of 80 provinces which make up the Philippines...
. It is claimed by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
History
The Chinese name of the island was taken from the one of the battleships "Chung-yeh" sent by the Chinese government during the Republic of ChinaRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
era to regain control of the island in 1946. A Buddha temple built by Chinese during the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
still stands in the middle of the island.
Military
The island was occupied by the Philippines since 1968. Being one of the largest, just after ROC-occupied Itu Aba Island which is 46 hectares, it is tightly protected by the Philippine forces. 40 out of 60 FilipinoFilipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
soldiers stationed in all Philippine-occupied features are assigned in the island. It has a 1.4 kilometres (1,531 yd) unconcretized airstrip (named as Rancudo Airfield) which serves both military and commercial air transportation needs. It was the only airstrip in the whole Spratly chain that can accommodate large aircraft, such as Philippine Air Force
Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force is the air force of the Republic of the Philippines, and one of the three main services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas....
's (PAF) C-130
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
cargo planes, until the ROC constructed an airstrip on Itu Aba in 2007. PAF regularly sends fighter jets from Palawan to make reconnaissance missions in Philippine-controlled regions in the Spratly chain. The presence of a long airstrip in the island makes such reconnaissance missions easier.
In August 2009, the Philippine Navy
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, literally, "Sea Force of the Philippines"....
renamed Naval Station Pag-Asa in the Kalayaan Islands
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land...
in the province of Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
as Naval Station Emilio Liwanag
Emilio S. Liwanag
Captain Emilio S. Liwanag was an officer in the Philippine Navy during the Second World War and the Korean War....
as one of several bases, facilities, and stations renamed thru-out the country. This commemorates its naval history by honoring several naval officers who served with distinction, who fought for the protection of the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity, democracy, and the maritime interests of the country.
Civilian
The island serves as a town proper to the Municipality of KalayaanKalayaan, Palawan
Kalayaan is a 6th class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 114 people in 12 households....
. Only this island among all Philippine-occupied Spratly islands is currently inhabited by civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
Filipinos. The civilian population, about 300 which includes children, was introduced in 2001. However, less than 200 civilian Filipinos are present in the island at a time.
The island is the only Philippine-occupied island to have a significant number of structures. These include a municipal hall, multi-purpose hall, health center, school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, water-filtration plant, marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
, communication tower, and military barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
. The residents raise pigs, goats and chickens and plant crops in an alloted space to supplement their supplies of goods provided by a naval vessel which visits once a month. By day, the residents get electricity from a power generator owned by the municipality. By night, they shift to stored solar power which comes from 1.5V solar panels installed in the island.
The municipality has a long-standing policy of protecting the island's environment. Aerial photos (by Google Maps
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
) of the island reveal that more than 70% of the island is still covered with trees. This is in contrast with islands occupied by Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
where many trees were already cut down.
Plans
There are numerous plans for the island. One of the plans, proposed by the Philippine NavyPhilippine Navy
The Philippine Navy is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, literally, "Sea Force of the Philippines"....
since 1999, is to create a long causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
that leads all the way to a deep water region. The island is completely surrounded by its expansive shallow coral base. This caused the Philippine Navy's BRP Lanao del Norte (LT-504), to run aground during a failed attempt to dock near the island in 2004. The damaged ship currently remains at the site of the wreck. Additionally, the Philippine Navy has proposed a naval base be built on the island, specifically for the purposes of training the Philippine Navy's elite Special Warfare Group (SWAG) and Navy Seals.
In contrast, the municipality proposes that the island be developed for tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. The island has a white sand coastline, is filled with trees, and is a sanctuary of several species of sea birds. Its wide coral base
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
can serve as a good diving spot.
See also
- Spratly Islands disputeSpratly Islands disputeThe Spratly Islands dispute is a territorial dispute over the ownership of the Spratly Islands, a group of islands located in the South China Sea. States staking claims to various islands are: the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China , Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei...
- Policies, activities and history of the Philippines in Spratly IslandsPolicies, activities and history of the Philippines in Spratly Islands-Overview:The Philippines, along with Vietnam, People's Republic of China, Republic of China , Malaysia and Brunei, is a claimant country in the disputed Spratly Islands group. Currently the Philippines is occupying nine features :As a comparison, Vietnam occupies six islands, seventeen reefs and...