WE HAVE the nasty habit of postponing doing things at a later date, only to forget about them altogether.
Take the case of Pagasa islands, one of the few territories we control off the disputed West Philippine Sea. This island has been neglected for years, although manned by a Philippine Army contingent to keep guard on it for national security reasons.
Several years ago, we had free control of the Spratly islands to which Pagasa islands belongs and other adjoining pieces of real estate till the Chinese (and now Vietnam) came along claimed some portions thereof and built structures on them.
It can now be discerned that China meant serious business as it has announced. With a vast runway, communications and relay facilities and more buildings, its occupation of Subi reef is now permanent and it has shown indications that China plans to expand more at the Union bank atoll and beyond.
Now the Philippines is scrambling to develop Pagasa islands into a tourist attraction and destination by pouring in some P1.6 billion to build a fishport, radio station, power plant desalination plant, ice plant and a marine research facility.
We must remember that Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam are claimants in the Spratly islands. Vietnam has already introduced structures on its claimed area, like China.
Soldiers assigned in the once-neglected Pagasa islands and the residents therein obviously welcomed the visit of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and other top military and government officials as it signaled renewed interest in developing the islands, once considered as a far-away, neglected lslands meriting no government attention at all.
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Funny, but we only act when we see others planning and doing things ahead of us. As usual, our gaya-gaya antics get the better of us.
We only hope that the renewed interest to develop Pagasa islands will generate activity and business development in this remote paradise and we keep other contiguous islands within our territorial shelf. Otherwise, other nations except China, are on the lookout for more territory to
claim and develop.
Let us forego our habit of complacency and indolence. We have been outsmarted by the Chinese in the islands we've longed claimed as ours.