I have a lot of pending posts for this blog and I intend to post them. All before Christmas but I’m spending Christmas in New York City, blanketed at times in snow, quite a different situation from my life in Palawan. I wonder how it’ll feel writing about the tropics from cold Manhattan.

I’ve continued blogging at our dive shop’s website and its Facebook Page. Visit me there.

Fishing is like hunting but it really isn’t. Hunting is more active. Hunting to me is to use a spear to snare the fish and then to carefully harvest the catch to eat later. That dry description masks a world of challenge.

That’s what makes it a sport.

The French Connection

Nicolas, Adrien, Thomas, Alex after a late lunch at Balinsasayaw Restaurant along Manalo Avenue. We started lunch after 2 and diving is a strenuous sport that makes you hungry. We spent P450 each and we almost wiped out all the food!

Last week my interest in the sport received a helpful bump when I met Adrien, one of three Frenchmen on holiday here in Palawan. Adrien has been spearfishing for the past three years in the Mediterranean. And he claimed that his record best is 20 meters (65 feet) but when he accomplished it, he just had enough reserve to tap the bottom before heading back up. I can believe it. Last week we went diving in three locations at the mouth of, and outside, Puerto Princesa Bay. Nicolas and Adrien were going to get certified. Thomas was already certified and so am I.

Adrien and Nico are getting SSI dive-certified (SSI is a major rival of PADI) with Moana Divers located here in Puerto Princesa. Getting certified in the Philippines is less expensive than getting certified in developed countries. It cost each of them less than 350 Euros here versus between 500 to 600 Euros in France.

Hunting Grounds

I can only describe my hunting grounds because my underwater camera is inoperable until I retrieve its battery charger which I forgot in the States. Good thing Benjo’s almost back!

Alex and Nicolas. “Nico” is an aeronautical engineer from Paris. He has experienced American life previously (when he was sent to a GE aircraft plant in Cincinnati, Ohio).

Our first dive spot was called Maris. It’s a kilometer below the tip of the dick. (What dick? Well, it’s the “bite mole” and more will follow in the next post.) Beneath the waves the bottom was a flat plain of sand interspersed with plant-covered boulders. There were also a few clumps of small coral formations but it was the boulders that dominated the underwater landscape. It was seven meters deep (23 feet deep). We kept on going down and then up. I am very pleased to note that I could do it although I wonder how many more years I can descend to that depth. (And I can stay there for only a measly five seconds.) There were no table-sized fish that we saw for the next 45 minutes. None and that’s alarming! The seas are being depleted of fish. We’re harvesting fish faster than our environment can replace them.

At 0830, Alex, Brian Roh, Nico, and Thomas are getting ready to dive.

The second dive spot was called Something-River. That’s not its real name of course. I just don’t remember the first word. I think it’s named after the small river that discharges into the sea near this point. It was here that they had the best dive. While I spearfished, the Frenchmen and their Divemaster checked out the underwater topography. They reported seeing many medium to large cliff dwellers and coral reef fish: a school of about 20 barracuda, a stingray, a 2-meter long shark, and even a turtle. But they were all too deep. For now I can only descend to a practical depth of five meters (16 feet) since I need a few seconds to at least shoot. Tsk, tsk…

Nautical Chart of the southern coast below the mouth of Puerto Princesa Bay. “Something-River” is encircled on the right. The bottom of this area is ideal for spearfishing. It is a flat plain like “Maris,” the dive spot I mentioned in this post. It is a flat plain but deeper. Adrien and I agreed that it was seven meters deep but now, looking at the nautical chart, it must have been deeper.

The third dive spot was called Crossing. It was here that Divemaster Danny proposed that I follow them. I would follow their bubbles, on the surface, as they traced the outline some 20+ meters below of a well-populated deep reef. Perhaps their human presence down there might frighten a large-enough food fish to the shallows that are 7 to 10 meters deep. There would be no such luck. No such luck at any of these dive spots (which we explored over three dives in two days).

It’s made for small-to-medium sized fish.

Bruno testing the gun. I don’t know how to explain his attire except to say that men, especially those working under the heat of the sun, like to work topless.

This is a JBL Magnum, model Custom. It is 80 centimeters long (31 inches long). It is powered by two thick rubber slings. Its spear is 62 centimeters long (24 inches). The spear has a cord attached to tip of the gun barrel. In the water, in an extended position, I can hit anything within 3.7 meters (12 feet) of my eyes and the cord will hold on to the spear.

Test-firing the spear into a mound of loose soil.

Care & Maintenance

After every use, everything is rinsed with fresh water. Sea water is corrosive and should not be allowed to dry on anything manmade, even rubber.

These are regular diving fins. The ones worn by spearfishermen are black, longer and narrower.

My Akona gear bag. It’s a mesh bag that can be carried like a duffel or a backpack. It’s great!

Diving Gloves. (Not!) I found them at a True Value hardware store in Manila. They work as well as real diving gloves and, best of all, the pair only cost $1.00!

Drying the speargun on my garish-looking bathroom sink. The yellow cord that tethers the spear to the gun is two meters long. The disassembled tang of the diving knife is visible on the left.

Get a Glimpse!

YouTube is the first place to go. Check this out.

Benny, this is my response to your question friend. Hope you enjoyed it!

Robinsons Supermarket is the supermarket retailer of the Gokongwei group. The man behind it is John Gokongwei. He is the third wealthiest man in the Philippines.

Robinsons Place is opening in Puerto Princesa tomorrow. This is a big deal. It marks a milestone in the continuing urbanization of Puerto Princesa.

I spent my first 28 years growing up in Quezon City, Greenhills, and Valle Verde. These became a part of MetroManila. I spent my next 25 years living in suburban Chicago. MetroManila’s population when I left in 1985 was 7 million. Chicago’s was 10 million when I left in 2010. It’s obvious that I’m familiar with large cities.

Urbanization needs to be managed but that’s for another post. Today, we’ll just rejoice in this bit of news!

Gokongwei’s property (encircled) is in barangay San Manuel. Puerto Princesa’s city fathers want the city to do much of its growing in barangay San Manuel and its neighboring barangays.

Facing south. This is traffic coming from the city The traffic worry-spot is located by the billboards. Notice the motorcycles parked along the shoulder? Imagine them in motion.

Facing north. This traffic is headed north. You go this way if you’re headed to El Nido, Honda Bay, the Underground River. The other spot that can create bottlenecks is directly behind the “Buy 1 Take 1″ banner.

All these photos were taken within the past seven days.

Work on the front retail spaces in progress.

I know one coffeeshop operator that was able to lease for 400 per square meter (at least for the first six months). Also, 5% of rent is based on store revenue.

Taken from its neighbor across the street, the headquarters of the local electrical company, a cooperative called PALECO, for Palawan Electrical Cooperative.

There will be four cinemas. These look like the marquees.

Man working at the top of the tallest sign tower.

Potential Traffic Hotspots

Traffic coming from the south (the city). Those tricycles will be the cause of most of the traffic.

Facing north.

Previous Posts

I reported about the mall back in June 2011 and, before that, in February 2011. Robinsons Mall was the topic of this blog’s very first post.

Paleco

A clever move on Gokongwei’s people’s part was to situate their property as close to the power source as possible. Right across the street is the former National Power’s main generating station. It is old, requires considerable downtime for maintenance, but at least it’s across the street.

I don’t his name but he’s Paleco’s friendly face.

Quaint, primitive, and beautiful. Earlier this year, the now-famous town served as a set location where about a quarter of the forthcoming movie “The Bourne Legacy” was filmed.

The heart of the town of El Nido is surrounded by spectacular karst limestone cliffs.

The cliff behind the Municipal Hall. Note the two large caves (dark areas) on the wall’s face.

The area around El Nido is marked by large karst limestone formations. Here’s one at the southern end of town

A boy’s rite of passage

“Supot!“

Among young boys (up to about age 12), this was the defining taunt. You’re either one of us (the majority, who, in this case, are circumcised – tuli or tule – pronounced as two syllables: tu-le) or not (the minority, who, in this case, are uncircumcised – supot)!

Circumcision is practiced widely in the Philippines.

High rates of circumcision are unsurprising in the far south of the country, on account of its Islamic culture. The near-universal circumcision of males in the Christian areas further north takes rather more explanation. It would be tempting to attribute this to the influence of American rule in the early decades of the twentieth century, but there is a problem — style. Traditional circumcisions in the Philippines are most commonly a dorsal slit rather than full removal of the prepuce, definitely not something learned from the Americans. More likely is that the routine is a hang-over from the pre-colonial era, the whole island chain having been Muslim before the arrival of the Spanish and the consequent forced conversion of the population to Roman Catholicism.

[I don't agree with that statement. It seems more likely that most of the northern 2/3 of the archipelago was pagan when the Catholic Spaniards arrived.]

The final possibility is that circumcision in the Philippines pre-dates Islam, perhaps even being a distant echo of the culture that gave rise to circumcision in Aboriginal Australia and amongst the earliest inhabitants of Hawaii.

Due to the impoverished lifestyle of many Philippino [sic: "Filipino" is the correct form of the adjective] families and the absence of a free healthcare system, many boys are at risk of botched circumcisions performed by unqualified operators. To minimise this risk, various organisations within the country together organise what is known as Operation Tule — a free circumcision service provided on a charitable basis. Such circumcisions are very public affairs, the whole village sometimes turning out to watch and photograph the proceedings. Typical age at circumcision is 7 to 12 years, but the free service is available to all.

– Circlist.com (a website)

Backdrop

Two weeks ago, one of the alumni groups of my college fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, conducted a one-day free circumcision clinic.

Alpha Phi Omega’s banner announcing its first circumcision service clinic. “Libreng Tule” literally means “free circumcision.”

Circumcision normally costs 500 pesos per child and would have been performed at the government clinic shown in the background, the “rural health clinic.” It has been the habit of politicians to plaster their name on their projects. I can tell, therefore, that the ambulance was procured under the administration of the former disgraced governor. (Joel T. Reyes is currently a fugitive. He chose not to surrender to authorities to answer charges that he is responsible for ordering the assassination of one of his critics. Read more below for this digression. The advantage, and disadvantage, of affixing one’s name to public property–even if it was that person’s project–is laid bare here!)

Reward for Palawan’s fugitive politicians in Ortega killing reaches P1.55M
May 3, 2012

The reward money for the arrest of former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes and his brother, both wanted for the killing of broadcaster and environmentalist Gerry Ortega, is now P1.55 million, the Ortega family and their supporters said Thursday.

The “Justice for Doc Gerry Ortega Movement” in a statement said it was able to raise an additional P350,000 from concerned individuals and groups.

Two businessmen, who asked not to be named, donated P250,000 to the cause, they said.

An initial P1.2 million was offered for capture of the former governor and his brother Coron Mayor Mario Reyes, the Ortega family said.

– GMA news (online article)

Preparation

An all-volunteer medical team consisting of two medical doctors, several registered nurses, and specially-trained laymen brought their instruments, medicines, and expertise to El Nido.

Sterilization: Boiling water kills microbes, right?

Cidex: a disinfectant familiar to all clinicians (Introduced over 30 years ago, Cidex®  solution is a fast and effective way to disinfect and sterilize a wide variety of medical devices and instruments.)

Soaking in Cidex

Toothbrushes ready.

Makeshift operating platforms. Make do with available materials just like they teach in the Boy Scouts.

The post-operative care kit: pain-killers, antibiotics, and advice.

Post-operative care kits: packed and ready for distribution!

Post-operative leaflet: first item: make sure your hands are clean!

Medical Supplies were at the ready.

An experienced medical team

Dr. Zabala of Bulacan was one of two MDs in the medical team.

Dr. Quan from Bataan was the other MD. Here he is working on the most difficult circumcision of the day! The patient was deathly afraid of being pricked, cut, and sewn. While the typical circumcision took between 20 and 30 minutes, his took nearly an hour!

The team included specially-trained laymen.

Stats and Images

Nearly 100 boys were circumcised by the end of the day. There were six trained and experienced persons (four registered nurses and two medical doctors) working on six boys at a time. They were backed up by specially-trained laymen. Each volunteer paid for his or her own passage to and from El Nido (this ranged between 4,000 and 6,000 pesos for volunteers coming from the main island of Luzon).

In this batch of 20, the boys are as young as 7 and as old as 15. Note the presence of brothers (lines 9 and 10, for instance, are twin brothers).

Pre-tule. This was the first batch to be circumcised.

Mothers were there to help. Here, a mom makes like a pillar for her son who’s removing his shorts.

Saying a silent prayer.

Stoic; this one prefers not to see what’s going on.

On the other hand, this kid is (literally!) laid back.

Another batch of 20; the youngest is 8 and the oldest, 13.

Expert eyes promote relaxed patients. Note the boy’s hands.

The view from the rear.

Hey, that wasn’t so bad!

Dr. Zabala showing us how it’s done. After sterilizing the crotch and thighs, she numbs the penis with an injection of ouch!

I don’t want to see, I just want to breathe.

Another technique for injecting the ouch!

This one showed no discomfort!

More ouch! The reddish stain on the boy’s crotch is not blood but remnants of the antiseptic cleaning solution (like Betadine).

The full-face treatment

Toes curled but not in too much pain.

After the penis has been numbed, the foreskin is sliced and some sewing gets done. These two have been sliced and are somewhere being sewed.

Why circumcise?

According to this article (written in 2003), the three reasons that justify circumcision are: (1) hygiene, (2) religious belief, and/or (3) preventive medical measures (like, to avoid foreskin problems in susceptible males).

The most convincing reason (for a Filipino) is based on religious belief — that Jesus was circumcised and that the Catholic Church supports the practice. But I think the real cause is based on a fourth reason that wasn’t discussed in that 2003 article. The fourth reason is societal pressure. Filipinos are conservative about adopting new ideas and a practice entrenched in multiple preceding generations is difficult to shake. I would describe it as societal inertia — a habit or practice that will continue because everyone does it, never mind why.

I remember snatches of conversation I had with my seventh grade classmates. I was 12 years old. I wasn’t sure what a circumcised dick was or why a dick should be circumcised. I just knew it was a “bad” thing not to be circumcised. I did not want to be “supot — uncircumcised.”

While researching for this blog post, I came across interesting information propounded by anti-circumcision advocates. The webpage is entitled “Anatomy of the Penis & Mechanics of Intercourse.” Among other things, it explains why an uncircumcised penis performs better than its counterpart (the way nature intended, apparently).

Taking a breather. From 9am to 1pm, nearly 50 boys had been circumcised.

Waiting for instruments to finish being sterilized between patients…

Using the toothbrush to reach into the crevices.

Traditionally, when a young Filipino boy reaches his adolescent years, he is forced to undergo circumcision. There are two versions of having a circumcision. One is through doctors and the other one, through a manunule. However, both have one purpose — to cut.

Prior to the procedure, all young boys are asked “Kapon ka na ba?” Kapon means that the boy has tried retracting his penis before. If the boy says “No,” then the doctor or manunule advises that he does so before going through the procedure. This makes the procedure easier since it would involve stretching the foreskin before cutting it. This would be extremely painful for a boy who has never retracted his penis.

When the boy is ready, using sterilized surgical knives, a medical practitioner (usually a doctor) creates a slit on the upper side of the foreskin surrounding the head of the penis. This is followed by the removal of the “sleeve of the foreskin.” After the procedure, medicines are given to the patient for the wound to heal.

However, in rural areas, there are “specialists” who do the “traditional pukpok under the tree, near the river” to perform the same procedure. Before the pukpok, the manunule or pukpok asks the one to be circumcised to chew guava tops. The manunule then uses a sharpened labaja or barber’s knife to cut the foreskin. The manunule then places the boy’s chewed guava tops on the genital as a way of medication. The “new man,” as they are usually called, then jumps into the river for cleansing. Jumping into the river would then constrict the blood vessels and stop the bleeding of the wound. Though it is unsanitary, the procedure is accepted and has been practiced for decades in rural areas.

– Cirp.org (a website about circumcision)

Pre-tule: more victims (patients, that is)

Operation Libreng Tule in full stride: six boys at a time!

Sewing and stitching

Chatting with the patient and explaining the procedure helps the patient relax.

Disinfect, numb, snip, peel back, sew, bandage. Nurse Brenda is still snipping here.

What stage is this in?

Moms always help make the pain more bearable!

Successful outcomes

One by one, the boys came out. A few felt faint but after some water to rehydrate, they walked away.

Most of them will remember this day. (All the fathers who came to pick up their kids do remember their own day.)

Helped along by an older brother and trailed by his father, a newly-circumcised boy limps off.

Applying the finishing touches.

Post-tule: the older kids weren’t picked up and so took their own post-operative care packs with them.

Post-tule: careful not to let garment touch the fresh wound

Post-tule: Relieved it’s over!

Post-tule: he’s done!

Post-tule: biting his lower lip, he’s just glad it’s over!

Post-tule: the most difficult patient of the day walks off. His circumcision took nearly an hour and the attention of four adults!

Post-tule: limping away.

Post-tule: hands in his shorts prevent the garment from touching his bandaged organ.

Post-tule: father picking up his son after the operation

Post-tule: one of my favorite photos. This dad was in better spirit than his son (understandably). Note that this is the only kid not shielding his freshly-bandaged dick from his shorts. His dad’s doing it for him!

The team

“Glad we could help!”

“It was our pleasure.”

Alpha Phi Omegans from Pampanga

What caliber is this?

Mr. Buddy Mendoza, son of one of Palawan’s heroic sons, H. Mendoza (after whom the city’s public amphitheater is named), built a museum for Palawan’s Special Battalion in World War 2.

Buddy doesn’t allow pictures so I can only describe it.

The museum is built around Buddy’s personal collection of military memorabilia. Buddy comes from one of Puerto Princesa’s original families so his collection is rich in objects that would have otherwise been difficult to come by. In some cases, his family’s history was part of Palawan’s very own history.

The collection has six theme rooms, i.e., each room is devoted to a theme. The first room  lists the name of every member of the “special” battalion. Another room is devoted to the Americans who fought in the Pacific and, more specifically, in the Philippines, in Palawan.

Did you know that two American submarines, the USS Robalo (USS-273) and USS Flier (USS-250), were lost in minefields off the waters of Balabac? The SS Robalo sank in July and the following month, it was the SS Flier’s turn.

The area around Balabac is where two U.S. submarines sank in two consecutive months in 1944.

Balabac is the southernmost municipality of Palawan and one that I haven’t visited yet.

USS Robalo In November1943. Seven months later, it would lie at the bottom of the waters around Palawan. http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0827311.jpg

USS Robalo:

It departed Fremantle [Australia] 22 June 1944 on her third war patrol. She set a course for the South China Sea to conduct her patrol in the vicinity of the Natuna Islands. After transiting Makassar and Balabac Straits, she was scheduled to arrive on station about 6 July and remain until dark on 2 August 1944. On 2 July, a contact report stated that Robalo had sighted a Fuso-class Japanese battleship with air cover and two destroyers for escort. The ship was then just east of Borneo, no other messages were ever received from the submarine and when she did not return from patrol, she was presumed lost.

On 2 August a note was dropped from the window of a cell of Puerto Princesa Prison Camp on Palawan Island in the Philippines. It was picked up by an American soldier who was on a work detail nearby. The note was in turn given to H. D. Hough, Yeoman Second Class, who was also a prisoner at the camp. On 4 August he contacted Trinidad Mendosa [sic: the correct spelling is Mendoza], wife of guerrilla leader Dr. Mendosa who furnished further information on the survivors.

From these sources it was concluded that Robalo was sunk on 26 July 1944, 2 miles off the western coast of Palawan Island from an explosion in the vicinity of her after battery, probably caused by an enemy mine. Only four men swam ashore, and made their way through the jungles to a small barrier northwest of the Puerto Princesa Camp, where Japanese Military Police captured them and jailed them for guerrilla activities. On 15 August, they were evacuated by a Japanese destroyer and never heard from again. Robalo was struck from the Navy list on 16 September 1944.

– U.S. Navy webpage

Survivors of the sinking of the USS Flier in August 1944 http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0825000.jpg

USS Flier:

At about 2200 on 12 August, as she transited Balabac Strait on the surface, she struck a naval mine. Traveling at 18 knots (33 km/h), she disintegrated and sank in less than a minute, but several of her crew managed to escape.

Treading water in the darkness, the survivors took muster by shouting out their names. Fourteen had survived, meaning that 72 officers and men had gone down with Flier.

Although they knew that they were only three miles from land, they could not orient themselves in the overcast night. Commander Crowley directed the survivors to tread water until they could determine direction.

Moonrise was five hours later. By the time it became light enough to see a small island, six more of the crew died and the sea had become choppy. Unable to keep the survivors together, Commander Crowley ordered Lieutenant Liddell, Ensign Jacobson, RTC Howell, FCR2 Tremaine, QM3 Russo, MoMM3 Baumgart, and MoMM3 Miller to each make their own way to the beach. At about 1600 on 13 August, eighteen hours after the explosion, seven survivors met on Mantangula Island; Miller was unaccounted for.

– Silent Sea Wolves

The Special Battalion museum (phone: 0999.656.2471) has a Facebook page. The museum is worth a visit. It’s open every day (except Wednesday) from 8 am to 5 pm.

I mentioned the no pictures rule earlier but there is one item you may take photos with however and that’s with a handsome jeep by the entrance. We went crazy with it!

Surrounding the jeep is a fence made of Marsden steel plates. Great stuff! I remember seeing those steel plates in Quezon City when I was growing up. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsden_Matting)

Role-playing in a genuine U.S. Army jeep

With Keith in his sights!

Military.com is a popular website frequented by former and present members of the U.S. military community. It’s regularly visited by veterans and servicemen and women on active-duty.

This article provoked the comments below.

The title is a poke of gentle irony directed towards Filipinos who are afraid of speaking in English. They refer to it (i.e., speaking in English) as getting a “nosebleed.”

Reactions

Cooper presenting in front of police officers at the El Nido Police Station

El Nido Police Station

Surrounded by cops!

Read about it in Facebook.

All images in this post can be enlarged by simply clicking on them.

WANTED!

The reward for the one on the right comes with one sack of rice.

The one on the right is wanted for murder whereas the one on the right merely escaped. “Wanted for Escape?”

The Philippines ranked second in terms of the killings of journalists. In the world!

What are “Militant Killings,” I wonder.

Nobody will miss them. Justice in the Philippines does include extrajudicial killings.

The Communist Party is outlawed in the Philippines.

Sun Tzu (544 to 496 BCE, or Before the Common Era which is Before Christ)

Sun-Tzu (pronounced Soon Tsoo although this is just one version) was a legendary Chinese general who lived nearly 3,000 years ago. His fame comes from a book he wrote – The Art of War – that is considered to be one of history’s definitive works on military strategy and tactics.

Historians have questioned whether or not Sun was a real historical figure. According to traditional sources, Sun was born in Qi (now Shandong Province) during the Spring and Autumn Period of China (722–481 BCE, i.e., Before the Common Era or Before Christ).

His real family name is Tian, but the last name of Sun was given by the King of Qi to his family when his grandfather, a general for Qi, won a big battle. When Sun-Tzu was young, his family was having trouble with some royal families, and he moved to Wu state and became a heroic general for the king of Wu, Helü.

His subsequent successes on the battlefield then inspired him to write the famous military classic, The Art of War.

 Historians place the writing of The Art of War in the Warring States Period (476–221 BCE), based on its description of warfare. The period was a time of constant war among the seven nations (Zhao, Qi, Qin, Chu, Han, Wei and Yan) battling to control all of China.

The king of Wu tested Sun’s skills by commanding him to train a harem of 360 concubines into soldiers. Sun divided them into two companies, appointing the two concubines most favored by the king as the company commanders. When Sun first ordered the concubines to face right, they giggled. In response, Sun said that the general, who in this case was himself, was responsible for ensuring that soldiers understood the commands given to them. Then, he reiterated the command, and again the concubines giggled. Sun then ordered the execution of the king’s two favored concubines, to the king’s protests! He explained that if the general’s soldiers understood their commands but did not obey, it was the fault of the officers. Sun also said that once a general was appointed, it was their duty to carry out their mission, even if the king protested. After both concubines were killed, new officers were chosen to replace them. Afterwards, both companies performed their maneuvers flawlessly.

– paraphrased from A Cultural China

The Standoff at Scarborough Shoal

• Sun-Tzu: The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

Scarborough Shoal's location is marked by the "A" pin. Note its proximity to the Philippines. (China isn't even visible in the map.)

As I write this, the Philippines is locked in a dispute with China that began 12 days ago.

• Sun-Tzu: Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will. Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy’s unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.

Twelve days ago, on April 8th, a Philippine patrol airplane spotted eight suspicious fishing vessels in Scarborough Shoal. The Philippine Navy’s flagship, the BRP del Pilar, sped there and caught them red-handed.

Members of the Philippine army inspect a load of giant clams Tuesday on one of eight Chinese fishing boats spotted in the Scarborough Shoal, a small group of rocky formations in the South China Sea whose sovereignty is contested by the Philippines and China. Photograph by: Reuters, Vancouver Sun.

But before Philippine authorities were able to decide to arrest the foreign intruders, two Chinese ships arrived and physically blocked the BRP del Pilar from approaching the fishing boats.

• Sun-Tzu: Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

Both countries filed diplomatic protests with each other. The Chinese protested the harassment of their fishermen. The Filipinos protested their intrusion.

Four days after the incident began, the Philippine flagship withdrew from the scene.

• Sun-Tzu: The art of using troops is this: “When ten to the enemy’s one, surround him; When five times his strength, attack him; If double his strength, divide him; If equally matched you may engage him; If weaker numerically, be capable of withdrawing; And if in all respects unequal, be capable of eluding him, for a small force is but booty for one more powerful.”

April 12 – There is no retreat and “we are not abandoning the area,” the Navy chief explained Thursday afternoon, after the command’s flagship BRP Gregorio del Pilar moved out of Scarborough Shoal earlier in the day to go to Poro Point, effectively demilitarizing the new flashpoint in South China Sea. This, even as a third Chinese civilian ship was spotted in the area.

Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said the vessel–the Philippines’ only frigate–moved out of the area Thursday morning because it needed to restock on provisions and to refuel.

He also clarified that the move was not a “pullout,” adding that the ship will restock on provisions at Poro Point in San Fernando, La Union.

Click here to read a summary of events leading up to April 12th.

The Philippines pushes back.

• Sun-Tzu: Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.

April 16 — The Philippine president says his Southeast Asian nation won’t start a war with China over a disputed shoal where their ships have figured in a tense naval standoff for a week.

President Benigno Aquino III said Monday his country would assert its sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines but has pulled out a warship and replaced it with a coast guard vessel to “de-escalate the situation.”

– Online news article (Washington Post)

China knows where to fight. It won’t press its claim in an international forum. Why should it submit itself to the international rule of law and dissipate its huge military advantage?

• Sun-Tzu: On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not. On facile ground, halt not. On contentious ground, attack not. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy’s way. On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies. On serious ground, gather in plunder. In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. On desperate ground, fight.

April 19 – China said Wednesday that the Philippines is violating maritime law by claiming a shoal in the South China Sea and dismissed Manila’s request to take the dispute to an international court.

“We believe it runs counter to historical facts and violates the law,” said Liu Weimin, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry.

– Online news article (Sun Star)

Irritate, irritate, irritate. Give him no rest.

• Sun-Tzu: If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

April 20  – China sent anew three fishing vessels back to the Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) as it continues to reject the Philippines’ proposal to seek international arbitration in settling the dispute in the South China Sea.

A Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman said the Philippine Coast Guard spotted three civilian Chinese fishing boats in the area today, in violation of their agreement not to escalate the tension in the area.

They will ask the Chinese government why it sent back the fishing boats, stressing that the arrival of the three Chinese boats is aggravating the situation in the area.

– Online news article (Sun Star)

Click here to read a summary of events leading up to today, April 20, 2012.

David and Goliath

Comparison between China and the Philippines. The Pentagon estimated that the true military budget of China was closer to $160 billion (in 2010!), source: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/preview-china-unveil-military-budget-u-asia-pivot-234520496.html.

Wisdom from “The Art of War”

This is a developing story. FORTUNATELY, Sun-Tzu left us with a lot of quotable wisdom!  ;-)

• Sun-Tzu: So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.
• Sun-Tzu: We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.
• Sun-Tzu: The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.
• Sun-Tzu: He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.
• Sun-Tzu: When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce.
• Sun-Tzu: You have to believe in yourself.

Well, I think I can guess what keeps President Aquino and his Foreign Secretary, Albert Del Rosario, up at night.

What are our options, Mr. President?

President "Noynoy" Aquino on Time magazine's cover

PHL files second diplomatic protest as China bullies research boat
April 16, 2012 7:20pm

The Philippines filed its second diplomatic protest against China on Monday as Chinese vessels and an aircraft started harassing the M/Y Saranggani, a Philippine-registered boat doing archeological research near the Panatag Shoal, 124 nautical miles west of Zambales province.

Any act by Chinese ships or aircraft against the M/V Saranggani will be considered by the Philippines a gross violation of its national laws and of international laws, a Foreign Affairs spokesman said.

China and the Philippines remain in a deadlock over the shoal the Chinese call Huangyan Island after diplomatic negotiations yielded no solution.

The Philippines on April 8 tried to arrest Chinese fishermen found to have poached marine life in the area–also known by its international name Scarborough Shoal–but Chinese marine vessels blocked Philippine authorities onboard the BRP Gregorio del Pilar from doing so.

(The BRP G del Pilar is is the flagship of the Philippine Navy.)

“This afternoon, we lodged a protest to China through the Chinese ambassador with respect to the harassment by Chinese ships and aircraft of the M/Y Saranggani, a Philippine registered boat doing archeological research in the area. Such actions are in violation of the sovereign right and jurisdiction of the Philippines to conduct marine research in the Philippines’ EEZ,”  referring to the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone as spelled out under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS and enshrined in the Philippine Constitution.

On board the ship being harassed are French archeologists.

— Online News Article  (GMA News)

Call in the marines!

U.S. Marines of the 31st Expeditionary Unit (Balikatan exercise in Palawan, Philippines)

Yesterday, Sunday, I was surprised at the line in front of my regular ATM machine.

“Army?,” I asked casually. No, he shook his head without volunteering to correct me. They were U.S. Marines. Out of uniform, they looked like typical American young men: 19, 20, or 21. I didn’t have my camera with me but they–these civilian-clothed young men–are effective warriors. They were off yesterday since today, Monday, they began their two-week long joint exercise with Filipino soldiers.

PHL-US military exercises begin amid latest PHL-China territorial tiff
April 15, 2012 1:48pm

More than 4,000 American troops will join their Filipino counterparts Monday for a series of military exercises that Malacañang hopes will not provoke China as tension persists at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

The Palace said on Sunday the joint RP-US Balikatan military exercises are not meant to be a show of force against China as it had been scheduled several months in advance. Some venues of the exercises are in the West Philippine Sea, a hotbed of conflicting claims among six parties, including the Philippines and China.

(The “West Philippine Sea” is name that the Philippine president has given to what is internationally known as the “South China Sea.”)

…

Balikatan

The Balikatan is the biggest combined military exercises between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Pacific Command. It aims to promote regional peace and security and improve the interoperability and contingency planning of both forces for defense in accordance with the Mutual Defense Treaty.

(A “balikat” is a shoulder, so “balikatan” figuratively means being shoulder-to-shoulder, a nice image that shows cooperation and partnership.)

Some 6,500 troops — 4,500 American and 2,000 Filipinos — are expected to participate in this annual exercise, which includes computer-simulated command post exercises, multiple field training exercises and humanitarian civic assistance projects in pre-selected areas in Palawan, the Philippine Information Agency said.

However, the Philippines remains in a standoff with China off Panatag Shoal, about 124 nautical miles off Zambales, after the Philippine military spotted Chinese fishing vessels poaching in the area. But before the Philippine Navy could make arrests, two Chinese maritime vessels blocked its path. Following talks between Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing, the eight Chinese fishing vessels left the area Friday night. The standoff has not ended after China sent back one of its ships to the area.

The venue of the actual training exercises includes the West Philippine Sea (also South China Sea) off Palawan where both forces will be pursuing amphibious exercises; and gas and oil platform defense and retake.

The West Philippine Sea encompasses the Spratly Islands, a chain of islands and islets believed to rich in oil and minerals deposits. The islands are being claimed in part or in whole by the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam.

– Online News Article (GMA News)

The next war will break out over this

I think the next shooting war–this time between the Americans and the Chinese–could erupt over this. Here’s a link to one of my posts from the past. It’s entitled but “China will not compromise over the Spratley islands.” Stay tuned!