The local government of Masinloc has formally opened the Pag-asa sa Gitna ng Kalayaan: Traveling Exhibit and Lecture at the Masinloc Municipal Hall on 25 September.

According to Mayor Hazel Lim, “The exhibit aims to provide invaluable information to the visitors of the town of Masinloc so that they become aware and further show their love for the country, especially in the talks regarding national sovereignty and freedom.”

The said exhibit was formally opened via a ribbon cutting ceremony led by Lim, and was graced by Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio (Ret.) Supreme Court of the Philippines, Executive Director Carmina R. Arevalo of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Board Member Atty. Reena Mae Collado and Vice Mayor Arsenia Lim.

Photos taken by Paul Quiambao, a renowned photographer known for his craft in showing the history, culture, and national identity of the town of Masinloc are displayed at the exhibit. Also included in the exhibit are Cartographic treasures from the National Library, a miniature model of the BRP Sierra Madre, and the original Freedomland Flag of Admiral Cloma.

During his speech, Governor Ebdane said that the town of Masinloc was the capitol town of the area in 1901 and that the province stretches from Olongapo to Bolinao, making the area well known than Zambales itself. “Hence, it was called Bajo De Masinloc,” he cited.

“As governor of Zambales, the provincial government doesn’t have the capacity to safeguard the area, since that is the job of the national government. But the provincial government is doing short, medium and long-term projects to alleviate the livelihood problem of our fisherfolks,” he added.

The municipality of Masinloc claims Bajo de Masinloc (also known as Scarborough Shoal) as Philippine territory, asserting its sovereignty and jurisdiction over the shoal and its surrounding waters based on international law, including effective occupation and its status as a key feature of its maritime entitlements.

The Philippines exercises sovereign rights over the waters and continental shelf surrounding Bajo de Masinloc, which are integral parts of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Continental Shelf (CS) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

This sovereignty is not based on proximity but on established principles of international law and the historical assertion of jurisdiction over the features.