Of Sandstone and Social Media Arvin Antonio V. Ortiz March 06, 1989, Leon Garcia St.

, Agdao, Davao City arvin 11!"#yahoo.co$.%h

&e'ore the age o' (ace)oo* and +o,-,)e, conver.ation. a$ong ad,/t. 0ere .h,t o'' 'ro$ ,.. 1hen the gro0n2,%. ta/*ed o' o,r 'ate, 0e 0ere neither a//o0ed to interr,%t nor .,gge.t. -he %revai/ing notion 0a. that 0e 0ere too yo,ng to ,nder.tand 0hat 0a. ha%%ening aro,nd ,.. 3nnocence 0a. to the yo,ng 0hat 0i.do$ 0a. to the o/d. &,t ti$e. have changed. -he 3nternet a//o0. ,. to o)tain in'or$ation ea.i/y. Socia/ $edia .ite.4(ace)oo*, +o,-,)e, and -0itter4a//o0 ,. to interact even a$ong ad,/t.. Socia/ $edia a/.o %rovide ,. an aven,e 0here 0e can e5change vie0. and voice o,r o%inion.. 3ndeed, .o e$%o0ering are the .ocia/ $edia .ite. that they ena)/e ,. not 6,.t to )e %rivy, ),t a/.o to )e an active %artici%ant in .o critica/ an i..,e a. the 1e.t 7hi/i%%ine Sea di.%,te.. -he 1e.t 7hi/i%%ine Sea 0a. 'or$er/y *no0n a. So,th China Sea. According to the 8.S. 9nergy 3n'or$ation Ad$ini.tration :93A;, <-he So,th China Sea enco$%a..e. a %ortion o' the 7aci'ic Ocean .tretching ro,gh/y 'ro$ Singa%ore and the Strait o' Ma/acca in the .o,th0e.t, to the Strait o' -ai0an in the north0e.t.= -he entire region i. .o va.t that it <inc/,de. $ore than !00 .$a// i./and., roc*., and ree'., 0ith the $a6ority /ocated in the 7arace/ and S%rat/y 3./and chain..= O' the.e n,$ero,. i./and., the /arge.t inc/,de the S%rat/y 3./and., 7arace/ 3./and., 7rata. 3./and., Macc/e.'ie/d &an*, and Scar)oro,gh Shoa/. -he 7hi/i%%ine. c/ai$. t0o o' the a)ove2$entioned i./and.> S%rat/y 3./and. and Scar)oro,gh Shoa/. 3n her 198" artic/e The Philippine Claim to the Spratly Islands Group, ?aydee +orac .aid, <-he S%rat/y 3./and. gro,% con.i.t. o' a /arge n,$)er o' )an*., ree'., cay. and i./and.@Aine o' the i./and. or cay. a%%ear to )e $ore i$%ortant than other. )eca,.e o' their .ize., and are the one. occ,%ied )y vario,. c/ai$ant.> the S%rat/y 3./and, the A$)oyna Cay, the 3t, A)a 3./and, the Aa$yit 3./and, the Laotia 3./and, the Lan*ia$ Cay, the -hit, 3./and, the Aorth Danger So,thea.t Cay and the Aorthea.t Cay.=

<-he i./and., vo/canic in origin, con.i.t $ain/y o' .and.tone or .and,= +orac added. <Mo.t are covered 0ith ),.he., cocon,t and %/antain tree., and g,ano. 1hi/e .o$e o' the i./and. are ha)ita)/e, they have not )een .,)6ected to %er$anent .ett/e$ent ,nti/ recent ti$e....= Aorthea.t o' the S%rat/y 3./and. gro,% i. the Scar)oro,gh Shoa/, 0ho.e 7hi/i%%ine na$e i. <7anatag Shoa/= ),t i. ca//ed )y the Chine.e a. <?,angyan Dao.= 3t i. <a triang/e2.ha%ed chain o' ree'. and i./and. .,rro,nding a /agoon covering an area o' 1B0 .C,are *i/o$eter..= 3t i. !!0 *$. a0ay 'ro$ Da$)a/e. %rovince, and ha. )een *no0n to the /oca/. o' Da$)a/e. a. <&a6o de Ma.in/oc.= At high tide, one can )are/y .ee $any o' the ree'. a. they are )e/o0 0ater. Severa/ roc*. in Scar)oro,gh are "2$eter high, the $o.t %ro$inent o' 0hich i. ca//ed So,th Eoc*, 0hich i. 1.82$eter a)ove 0ater at high tide. Aot on/y doe. the 7hi/i%%ine. /ay c/ai$ to tho.e i./and.. So doe. China, Ma/ay.ia, -ai0an, and Vietna$. 1hat i. .o .%ecia/ a)o,t tho.e i./and. that $any co,ntrie. are .o de.%erate to o0n the$F -hi. i. no te$%e.t in a tea%ot. 7o%,/ation i. ra%id/y increa.ing and .o i. de$and. More and $ore %eo%/e o0n car. and ce//%hone.. A.ian co,ntrie. are veering to0ard. ind,.tria/ization. A// thi., o' co,r.e, $ean. that $ore %eo%/e need e/ectricity to %o0er their car. and gadget.G $ore %eo%/e need 'oodG and $ore co,ntrie. need energy to ',e/ their 'actorie.. A. the 8.S. 93A noted, <A.iaH. ro),.t econo$ic gro0th ha. )oo.ted de$and 'or energy in the region.= 3t. e.ti$ate. .ho0 that <oi/ con.,$%tion in deve/o%ing A.ian co,ntrie. i. e5%ected to ri.e )y !.I %ercent ann,a//y 'ro$ a)o,t 1J.8 $i//ion )arre/. %er day :MM))/Kd; in !00J to near/y !9.8 MM))/Kd )y !0"0.= +et re.o,rce. have )eco$e .carcer. -h,., 7ro'. David Eo.en)erg o).erved, coa.ta/ nation. 0ant to a..ert their o0ner.hi% over a .izea)/e %ortion o' the 1e.t 7hi/i%%ine Sea, .o that

they can contro/ and ,.e the re.o,rce. 'o,nd therein> oi/, nat,ra/ ga., and 'i.h and other aC,atic re.o,rce.. (or the 7hi/i%%ine., the 1e.t 7hi/i%%ine Sea i. vita/ to it. deve/o%$ent. 3' it 0ant. to .,.tain it. 6 %ercent gro0th 'or a /ong %eriod o' ti$e, .aid Ea,/ V. (a)e//a, 'or$er dean o' the 87 Schoo/ o' 9cono$ic., it need. to addre.. it. energy concern. )y /oo*ing 'or a .,.taina)/e and chea%er .o,rce o' energy. -he 1e.t 7hi/i%%ine Sea i. one .,ch via)/e .o,rce. Antonio O%o.a, Lr. re$ar*ed, ho0ever, <3tH. .$a// thin*ing to C,arre/ over a 'e0 %iece. o' roc* in the $idd/e o' a )ig .ea in the ho%e o' 'inding oi/ to ta*e o,t and ,.e ,% 'or the %re.ent need. o' a .ing/e co,ntry. 3tH. )ig thin*ing to ta*e the de)ate to an a/together di''erent, and high/y $ora/, %/ane.= -he 7hi/i%%ine., to cite Ma5i$o So/iven, <cannot and never .ho,/d a.%ire to )e a %o0er in the %o/itic. o' the 0or/d. She can and $,.t a.%ire to )e a 'orce o' good.= O,r hi.tory )ear. o,t ho0 0e have a/0ay. )een a 'orce o' good. 1e 'o,ght a tyrant 0ho r,/ed ,. 'or over "00 year., and e.ta)/i.hed the 'ir.t A.ian Ee%,)/ic in 1899. 1hi/e Vietna$ 0a. in the throe. o' 0ar, 'e0 )rave (i/i%ino $en and 0o$en, thro,gh an initiative ca//ed <O%eration &rotherhood,= )ro,ght $edica/ a..i.tance to the ca.,a/tie. o' 0ar. -oday, a $on,$ent .tand. in -ay Ainh 7rovince o' Vietna$ in honor o' tho.e (i/i%ino.. 1e 0ere the 'ir.t nation to overthro0 a corr,%t 7re.ident thro,gh a non2vio/ent revo/,tion. (ran*/y, 0e can hard/y .o/ve the 1e.t 7hi/i%%ine Sea %ro)/e$ )y increa.ing o,r $i/itary ),dget .o that 0e can ),y $ore )att/e.hi%. and %rotect o,r $arine re.o,rce.. 1hat then can 0e doF A.ide 'ro$ the di%/o$atic, /ega/, and %o/itica/ trac*. o,r govern$ent ha. ta*en, 0e can, a. O%o.a %ro%o.ed, <initiate a $ove to dec/are the entire S%rat/y 3./and. and the 1e.t 7hi/i%%ine Sea@an internationa/ $arine re.erve and nat,re %ar*...-he 7hi/i%%ine. 0i// ta*e the $ora/ high

road, and there)y earn the re.%ect o' the 0or/d that i. increa.ing/y $ore environ$enta//y a0are. Eather than 'ight 0ith the other c/ai$ant2co,ntrie. in co$%etition to ,.e re.o,rce. 'or the %re.ent, 0e 0i// )ring the co,ntrie. together in coo%eration to re.erve re.o,rce. 'or the ',t,re.= -hat i. %reci.e/y the $e..age that 0e .ho,/d he/% %ro%agate thro,gh .ocia/ $edia. -he 7hi/i%%ine. i. the <.ocia/ net0or*ing ca%ita/ o' the 0or/d.= A/$o.t 8 $i//ion (i/i%ino. ,.e the 3nternet. 9".9 %ercent o' the (i/i%ino. .igned ,% to (ace)oo*. -he 7hi/i%%ine. i. a/.o the to% eighth ,.er o' -0itter. 1e can harne.. .,ch dyna$ic. to o,r advantage. (i/i%ino. $ay )e .cattered a// over the 7hi/i%%ine archi%e/ago and the 0or/d. &,t 0ith .ocia/ $edia, 0e can ),i/d a net0or* o' (i/i%ino. here and a)road, and initiate a $ove$ent. 3n.tead o' a..erting $ere/y o,r .overeign right. over the Scar)oro,gh and S%rat/y, thi. $ove$ent 0i// %,r.,e a /arger goa/4the %re.ervation o' re.o,rce. 'or the ',t,re generation.. 3n carrying o,t .,ch a cr,.ade, 0e $,.t )e a. vigoro,. a. 0hen 0e .,%%orted Manny 7acC,iao 0hen he .,''ered a re.o,nding de'eat again.t Lo.e Man,e/ MarC,ez. 1e $,.t )e a. .%irited a. 0hen 0e de'ended the (i/i%ino. nation 0hen o,r %ride 0a. %iC,ed )y a Morean actre.. $a*ing ',n o' the 0ay 0e .%ea* 9ng/i.h. 1e $,.t )e a. tire/e.. a. 0hen 0e ca$%aigned 'or the inc/,.ion o' 7,erto 7rince.a 8ndergro,nd Eiver a. one o' the nat,ra/ 0onder. o' the 0or/d. -he ,.e o' .ocia/ $edia a. a %/at'or$ o' %rote.t i. certain/y not 0itho,t /i$it.. (or the )att/e i. in the rea/ 0or/d, not in the cy)er 0or/d. &,t o,r. 0i// not re$ain a voice in the 0i/derne... 1e 0i// $a*e .,re that 0e are heard and that they get o,r $e..age, and get it right. And o,r $e..age i.> 1e are c/ai$ing the S%rat/y and Scar)oro,gh not .o/e/y )eca,.e 0e 0ant to

.C,ander the $any re.o,rce. they have, ),t 0e 0ant to )e a tr,.tee o' tho.e territorie. and en.,re that the re.o,rce. 0i// .ti// )e avai/a)/e to the ',t,re generation.. <3n a// that 0e do,= 7ro'. 9dith &ro0n 1ei.. .aid, <0e inherent/y re%re.ent not on/y o,r.e/ve. ),t %a.t and ',t,re generation.. 1e re%re.ent %a.t generation., even 0hi/e trying to o)/iterate the %a.t, )eca,.e 0e e$)ody 0hat they %a..ed on to ,.. 1e re%re.ent ',t,re generation. )eca,.e the deci.ion. 0e $a*e today a''ect the 0e//2)eing o' a// %er.on. 0ho co$e a'ter ,. and the integrity and ro),.tne.. o' the %/anet they 0i// inherit.= 1e $ay .tand .ti// no0, ),t never can 0e e5%ect that ',t,re generation. o' (i/i%ino. .ha// /avi.h ,. 0ith %rai.e. -hat i. o,r $i.'ort,ne. Or 0e $ay act no0, and e5%ect that generation. o' (i/i%ino. to co$e .ha// have a )etter ',t,re. -hat i. o,r con.o/ation. 9ither 0ay, the choice i. o,r. to $a*e.