A proposed Catholic church on Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea will likely begin as a mission station, according to Bishop Socrates Mesiona of Puerto Princesa.
In a message to LiCAS News, Mesiona clarified the possible ecclesial structure of the proposed church following recent discussions with Philippine Coast Guard officials.
“[Commodore Jay] Tarriella mentions about declaring it a parish, but realistically, I doubt if it is viable at the moment. Maybe it will start as a Mission Station,” the bishop said.
The clarification comes after Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard for the West Philippine Sea, announced plans to build a Catholic church to serve residents and government personnel stationed on the island.
“We believe this is important to support the local community in Pag-asa. The majority of our fellow Filipinos there, including members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Coast Guard personnel, and the PNP Maritime Group currently deployed in Pag-asa, are Catholics as well,” Tarriela said in a press briefing on Feb. 23.
Tarriela said he discussed the proposal with Mesiona and noted that local officials in Kalayaan, Palawan, which has jurisdiction over Pag-asa Island, welcomed the initiative. He added that authorities are aiming to hold a groundbreaking ceremony by the end of March.
Under Church practice, a mission station is typically established in areas where a Catholic community is present but not yet large or stable enough to be erected as a parish. It allows for regular pastoral care while assessing long-term sustainability.
Tarriela dismissed concerns that building a church might heighten tensions in the area.
“I cannot speak for the reaction of the Chinese government, and let me also highlight the fact that with or without anything that we do there, the Chinese maritime militia and the Chinese Coast Guard have always been deployed surrounding Pag-asa Island,” Tarriela said.
Pag-asa Island is administered by the municipality of Kalayaan in Palawan province and remains one of the Philippines’ key outposts in the contested waters of the West Philippine Sea.
