(This special report was first published by Film Weekly on Dec. 20, 2023.)
Locals from Masinloc, Zambales call it “ISKALBORO,” pertaining to the disputed Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.
China is claiming ownership of the South China Sea territory by virtue of their “nine-dash line” assertion.
By 2016, the Arbitration Court of The Hague Netherland ruled that Scarborough Shoal is part of the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
But China does not subscribe to the ruling and continues to harass the Filipino fishermen who have been experiencing trauma and hardship since 2012.
(This special report was produced under VERA Files’ project on enhancing the media’s capability to raise public awareness of the situation in the South China Sea, funded by the Government of Canada through its Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. #CanadaFundPH
Raquel Valerio is a writer and producer for Pinoy Media Center and AlterMidya.)
