The commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) praised personnel Thursday for their resilience in the face of increasing maritime tensions, as civic leaders warned that China is using “environmental narratives” to justify its occupation of disputed reefs.

Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan, in a New Year video message, commended the PCG for defending the nation’s interests in the West Philippine Sea despite a year marked by “challenges, sacrifices and trials.”

“Together, let us face the new year with discipline, integrity, and dedication, towards a stronger and more prosperous New Philippines,” Gavan said.

The commandant’s remarks come as Filipino civic groups push back against a coordinated campaign by Chinese state-linked outlets. These reports portray Beijing as an environmental steward of Scarborough Shoal while framing Filipino fishermen as ecological threats.

Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia, chairman emeritus of several advocacy groups including the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms, said China is attempting to “dress occupation in softer words.”

“Today, [the costume] is conservation,” Goitia said. “Environmental language does not overwrite legal reality. You cannot conserve what you do not lawfully own, and you cannot accuse others of trespass in waters that are not yours.”

Goitia noted that Scarborough Shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, a fact affirmed by a 2016 international arbitral ruling that China continues to ignore.

The civic leader argued that Filipino fishermen have a historical right to the waters that predates modern territorial claims. Framing these fishermen as illegal actors, he said, “recasts tradition as transgression.”

Goitia also pointed out a contradiction in Beijing’s messaging: Chinese reports claim the reef ecosystem remains healthy, which he argued undermines the narrative that Filipino presence has caused ecological damage.

“If the reef is indeed healthy, then the accusation falls apart,” Goitia said. “If it is not, then any fair assessment must reckon with years of sustained maritime presence, blockades, and imposed restrictions [by China].”

Rafaela David, lead convenor of the Atin Ito coalition, echoed these sentiments, dismissing China’s recent activities as “image management.”

“Let’s not be fooled by China’s propaganda,” David said. “What China did was not humanitarianism; it is... propaganda-driven assistance.”