Thitu Island

Thitu Island
Disputed island
Pag-asa Island
Thitu Island is located in Spratly Islands
Thitu Island
Thitu Island
Other namesPag-asa Island (Philippine English)
Pulo ng Pag-asa (Filipino/Tagalog)
Ilalo (Pangasinense)
Thitu Island "(English)"
Zhongye Island "(Chinese)"
Đảo Thị Tứ "(Vietnamese)"
Geography
LocationSouth China Sea
Coordinates11°03′08″N 114°17′00″E / 11.05222°N 114.28333°E / 11.05222; 114.28333 (Pag-asa Island)
ArchipelagoSpratly Islands
Area0.37 km2 (0.14 sq mi)
Administration
RegionSouthwestern Tagalog Region
ProvincePalawan
MunicipalityKalayaan
Claimed by
 Philippines
 China
 Taiwan[1]
 Vietnam
Demographics
Population193[2][3]
Additional information
Map

Thitu Island, also known as Pag-asa Island (Filipino: Pulo ng Pag-asa, lit. 'Island of Hope'); Đảo Thị Tứ (Vietnamese: Đảo Thị Tứ); Zhongye Dao (Chinese: 中业岛/中業島; pinyin: Zhōngyè Dǎo), having an area of 37.2 hectares (92 acres), it is the second largest of the naturally occurring[4] island in Spratly Islands. It lies about 500 kilometers (310 mi) west of Puerto Princesa. Its neighbors are the North Danger Reef to the north, Subi Reef to the west, and the Loaita and Tizard Banks to the south. As the poblacion (administrative center) of the Kalayaan municipality of Palawan province in the Philippines, it also administers nearly a dozen other islets, cays and reefs in the Spratly Islands.[5] The island is 270 nautical miles west from Palawan, Philippines.

In 1971 following a storm on the island the island was seized by the Philippines from the Republic of China (Taiwan). it is administered by the Philippines a part of Kalayaan municipality of Palawan Province.

In May 2020, the island's new sheltered port, and harbor were built, as well as a beaching ramp at the tip of the airstrip.[5] In early 2023, the concreting of the runway was completed.[6] Civilian infrastructures in the island include the airstrip, a lighthouse, a 5-bed lying-in clinic, a communication tower powered by Smart, and a small integrated elementary and high school.[7]

The island is the largest of the Philippine-administered islands in Spratly Islands. While most of the occupants of the structures in the Spratly Islands have military personnel or temporary tourists, the island is the only one with a permanent civilian settlement.[8][9][10] China (PRC), Taiwan (ROC) and Vietnam also claim the island.

  1. ^ "Peace in the South China Sea, National Territory Secure Forever: Position Paper on ROC South Clina Sea Policy" (PDF). ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  2. ^ Census of Population (2020). Table B - Population and Annual Growth Rates by Province, City, and Municipality - By Region. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Philippine Population Density (Based on the 2020 Census of Population)". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  4. ^ Note that in 2014 the PRC embarked on a number of reclamation projects in the Spratly Islands. It appears that the largest of these, at Fiery Cross Reef, is of at least 60 hectares, and according to some unverifiable sources, possibly as large as 150 hectares. Kristine Kwok and Minnie Chan (8 June 2014). "China plans artificial island in disputed Spratlys chain in South China Sea". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  5. ^ a b "LOOK: New harbor on Pag-asa Island". Rappler. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  6. ^ "More developments seen in Pag-asa Island". Palawan News. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  7. ^ Esmaquel II, Paterno (19 July 2014). "PH town 'no match' vs China's Sansha City". Rappler. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  8. ^ Mogato, Greg Torode, Manuel (29 May 2015). "Civilians emerge as pawns in South China Sea legal chess game". Mogato. Retrieved 28 May 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Quintos, Mary Fides (June 2017). "A Demonstration of Resolve in Pag-asa Island | Foreign Service Institute". Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies. 4 (18). Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  10. ^ Fonbuena, Carmella (18 May 2015). "The residents of Pag-asa: Life on a disputed island". Rappler. Retrieved 28 May 2021.