Kalayaan (Palawan)

Kalayaan is a Philippine municipality in the province of Palawan. Kalayaan was founded on 11 June 1978, is both the westernmost and relative to the population of the smallest municipality in the Philippines. The entire area of the municipality is claimed by the People's Republic of China as part of the town Sansha its Hainan Province.

The municipality consists of only one Baranggay named Pag- asa on the eponymous island of Pag - asa, one of the most contentious between six states Spratly Islands. It has 222 inhabitants ( census May 1, 2010 ), most of whom are fishermen. The civilian population was settled by the Philippine government to support the Philippine claim to the western part of the Spratly Islands. Once a month, brings a supply ship of the Philippine Navy supplies. On the island there is a water filter system, power generators, a weather station and a radio tower of the Philippine SMART Telecommunications.

Geography

The municipality of Kalayaan is located in the western part of the province of Palawan. It consists of seven islands and a reef and has a total area of 0.79 km ².

Pag- asa

The largest island is the island of Pag- asa (or Thitu ) 11 ° 3 ' N, 114 ° 17' O11.053333333333114.28333333333 with an area of 37.2 ha, of which covers a 1,260 m long airstrip, both for military aircraft as well as civil aircraft is used, 5,6 ha

Likas

The next largest island is the island Likas ( West York or ) 11 ° 6 ' N, 115 ° 2' O11.091666666667115.025. This island is located 47 miles northeast of Pag- asa and has an area of 18.6 ha island is a sanctuary for sea turtles, the store on the island throughout the year their eggs. The rock foundation is visible to the east and south of the island during low tide

The high salinity of the groundwater on the island retards the growth of introduced plants such as coconut, Ipil - ipil or other species. Only the endemic species thrive and survive in the hot and humid climate, especially during the dry season.

Parola

Smaller than the Likas Island is the island Parola ( Northeast Cay or ) 11 ° 27 'N, 114 ° 21' O11.458333333333114.35 28 miles northwest of the island of Pag- asa. Parola has an area of approximately 12.7 hectares and is closer to the area occupied by Vietnam Pugad island than on Pag- asa.

The rock foundation of the island is visible in the west of the island.

The ground water has a high salt content, so the vegetation is limited to beach vegetation.

The coral around the island were largely destroyed by rampant dynamite and cyanide fishing in the past.

Kota

The island of Kota (or Loaita ) 10 ° 40 'N, 114 ° 26' O10.666666666667114.425 has an area of 6.45 ha and is located 22 miles southwest of Pag- asa. She touches the Loaitabank and riff.

The rock foundations of calcarenite are visible in the West during the low tide. The geological structure in the east consists of sand.

The presence of migratory seabirds increased the phosphorus content of the sand. Occasionally, sea turtles lay their eggs on the island.

Panata

The island Panata (or Lankiam Cay ) 10 ° 43 'N, 114 ° 32' O10.716666666667114.53333333333 located 8 miles northeast of the island of Kota. It has an area of 4400 m² (0.44 hectares). A few years ago the island had an area of more than 5 ha sandy land area, however, was washed away by high waves during a typhoon, which remains the foundation of rock Calcerinit that is visible at low tide.

Lawak

The island Lawak ( Nanshan or ) 10 ° 44 'N, 115 ° 48' O10.733333333333115.80833333333 has an area of 7.93 ha and is located 98 miles east of Pag- asa. The island is a bird sanctuary. In its environment bigger phosphate deposits are found. Superphosphate is reduced in a small scale. Near the breakwater two miles off the coast have been preserved intact hard coral reefs, which are colonized by beautiful tropical fish.

Patag

About 6 miles southwest of Lawak Island Patag is (or Flat) 10 ° 50 'N, 115 ° 50' O10.825115.83333333333, a sandbank the time of year and the prevailing winds changes depending their shape. It has an area of 5740 m² ( 0,574 ha). Just as Panata Patag is devoid of vegetation. Groundwater resources could not be detected. She is currently being used as a military observation post.

Rizal Reef

The Rizal Reef ( Commodore Reef or ) 8 ° 21 ' N, 115 ° 14' O8.3583333333333115.22833333333 is nearest to Balabac. The reef is naturally below the waterline and is manned by a military contingent that there is a base.

Topography

The islets from which the township is generally are flat. The highest point is only two meters above sea level.

History

1947 landed Tomas Cloma, a Filipino adventurer and fishing magnate on several uninhabited and unoccupied group of islands and islets in the vast expanses of the South China Sea 380 miles west of the southern tip of Palawan and established a settlement.

On May 11, 1956 Tomas Cloma took along with 40 men and his brother Filemon the islands officially in possession, calling them " Freedomland " ( Kalaya -an).

Four days later, on May 15, 1956 Cloma issued a statement: "Note to the entire world " and sent them to each of the claimed islands order a decided manifestation of his unshakable claim on this area to demonstrate.

On May 31, 1956 Tomas Cloma declared the establishment of the Free Territory of Freedomland ten days later Cloma sent a second representation to the Foreign Minister of the Philippines, informed them that the claimed territory was named " Freedomland ".

On July 6, 1956 Cloma issued a statement to the whole world, which included its territorial claims and the formation of an independent government based on Flat Iceland ( Patag ) for the Free Territory of Freedomland.

In the statement made by governments of the neighboring states violent and unfriendly reactions, which reacted particularly from Taiwan to the stationing of soldiers on the nearby island of Itu Aba and Clomas men and ships intercepted within the immediate vicinity of the island. Unable to overcome the difficulties and the pressure Cloma ceded its territorial claims for a peso to the Philippines.

Spratly Archipelago or the Spratlys is the international designation for the entire archipelago to the Kalayaan island chain belongs. This area as a whole is claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The Philippines claim essentially only the western part of the Spratly Islands, which is closest to Palawan. Malaysia occupies five reefs. Brunei claims only a reef in the southern Spratly Islands, which is below the waterline. In contrast to the other countries of Brunei has no military presence in the Spratly Islands.

About the various territorial claims and counter-claims, there is a conflict between the participating countries, which was ultimately triggered by Clomas territorial claims.

1971 declared the Philippines 53 islands of the Kalayaan Island Group terra nullius to and occupied the Titu, Flat and Nanshan Islands. The following year, Kalayaan the province of Palawan was assumed.

In March 1976, the Western Command of the Philippine Army based in Palawan was established by the Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in response to the growing conflict of interest.

To reaffirm the territorial claims of 1971, Marcos annexed by enactment of Presidential Decree No. 1596 on June 11, 1978 officially the Kalayaan Islands and formed an independent municipality with the name Kalayaan under the political jurisdiction of the province of Palawan, but under the protection of Ministry of National Defence.

The way the township was established, bridged the normal law ( Local Government Code of 1991) prescribed procedure and legally formulated conditions for the formation of a township. The formation of the municipality should strengthen the development of the area and the Philippine territorial claims.

The very first mayoral election in the post- Marcos era was conducted on 30 January 1980 and Aloner M. Heraldo elected the first mayor.

The first free election was conducted on 11 May 1992 and Gil D. Policarpio elected mayor. Policarpio was nine years until 2001, in office, Rosendo L. Mantes was elected mayor on July 2, 2001.

Swell

The Spratly Iceland Dispute: Decision Units and Domestic politics, Chapter 3: An overview, Author: Christopher Chung, PhD Thesis ( English, PDF, 2.9 MB ) on the Internet Archive

Cities: Puerto Princesa City

Location in the Philippines
Palawan
Disputed territory

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