A new Filipino kindergarten school has opened on Pag-asa Island (Hope in Tagalog), the biggest of the seven islets which comprise the Kalayaan Group of Islands in the western section of the province of Palawan. Kalayaan is a 6th class municipality and has one barangay located in Pag-asa island. The other islets are Likas, Parola, Lawak, Kota, Patag and Panata. Also found in Kalayaan and part of Palawan province are the Ayungin and Rizal Reef.
The school was inaugurated without any publicity on June 15. Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon said that his aim was to help the 37-hectare island’s civilian community and not to antagonize rival claimant countries. The island serves as a town proper to the Municipality of Kalayaan and is currently inhabited by a civilian population of about 300 Filipinos, among which are many children.
The island has a significant number of structures, including a runway maintained by the Philippine Air Force, a police station managed by the Philippine National Police, a municipal and multi-purpose hall, health center, school, water-filtration plant, marina, communication and observation towers, a commercial mobile phone station, civilian houses and military barracks. Last year, a ferry wharf was also constructed.
The municipality has a long-standing policy of protecting the island's environment. Aerial photos of the island reveal that more than 70% of the island is still covered with trees, which is in contrast with islands occupied by other coubtries where many trees were already cut down. Besides fishing, the residents raise pigs, goats and chickens and plant crops in an allotted 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 throughout the island.
Among the numerous plans for the island are the creation of 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 a Philippine Navy's ship 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 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 for several species of sea birds. Its wide coral base could serve as an excellent diving spot.
