MASINLOC, Zambales (PIA) — The Philippine Army 69th Infantry Battalion (69th IB), in partnership with the municipal government of Masinloc, conducted a Unified Commitment Ceremony to strengthen coastal community participation in West Philippine Sea awareness efforts.
The Unified Commitment Ceremony for “Mulat sa Karagatan: Strengthening Coastal Communities for West Philippine Sea Awareness” aimed to formally consolidate and institutionalize the collective support of the municipality of Masinloc and its coastal barangays following months-long information and awareness drives.
69th IB Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Mark Anthony Ruelos said strengthening awareness among coastal communities is necessary to counter misinformation related to the West Philippine Sea.
“Kung hindi po natin i-strengthen yong awareness ng bawat isa especially yung ating mga coastal communities maniniwala po tayo sa maling propaganda and eventually yung ating soberanya ng ating bansa ay mawawala (If we do not strengthen awareness among everyone, especially our coastal communities, we may believe false propaganda, and eventually our sovereignty on our side could be lost),” he said.
Ruelos also emphasized that maritime security requires shared responsibility among uniformed services, local governments and communities.
“With this activity and our concerted effort, sabi nga nila, ‘security is concerted effort by everyone.’ Hindi lang po ang inyong mga uniformed services ang gumagawa niyan kundi tulong-tulong po tayo, pagtutulungan natin yan lalo na po sa ating mga coastal communities (With this activity and our concerted effort, as they say, security is a shared responsibility of everyone. It is not carried out by uniformed services alone, but through our collective effort, especially among our coastal communities),” the official furthered.
For her part, Mayor Hazel Lim said maritime security directly affects peace, order and the quality of life in coastal towns, particularly for fisherfolk.
“Kung walang peace, walang order sa isang bayan, so ang number one apektado po dito ay yung quality of life at livelihood especially ng ating mga mangingisda (If there is no peace, there is no order in a town, so the quality of life and livelihood, especially of our fisherfolk, are the first to be affected),” the local chief executive pressed.
Lim cited the local government’s information campaigns, coordination with national agencies and policy initiatives as part of Masinloc’s efforts to address maritime concerns and promote informed community participation.
A key highlight of the activity was the reading and signing of a Pledge of Commitment, symbolizing the shared responsibility of government agencies, the local government and coastal communities to sustain information sharing, vigilance and cooperation on West Philippine Sea issues.
Representatives from the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police Maritime Group, Masinloc Police Station, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government, barangay officials, fisherfolk and other partner agencies took part in the activity. (CLJD/RGP, PIA Region 3-Zambales)
