MANILA, Philippines — Construction of the first Catholic church on Pag‑asa Island is set to begin soon, bringing a permanent place of worship to the small Filipino community living on the West Philippine Sea outpost.
A groundbreaking ceremony was recently held on the island — formally known also as Thitu Island — led by church and local officials. The project aims to build a chapel that will serve as a spiritual center for residents and affirm the island’s role as a thriving Filipino community despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.
According to reports, the planned chapel will cover about 1,200 square meters and is expected to accommodate around 400 people, making it the first permanent Roman Catholic structure on the island.
Officials from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines emphasized that the new church is more than an architectural addition — it symbolizes hope, resilience, and unity for island residents living far from the Philippine mainland.
Pag‑asa Island is home to the only civilian population among the Philippine‑held features in the disputed South China Sea and forms part of the Kalayaan Municipality of Palawan. The island already hosts essential community structures such as a school, health facility, and Coast Guard station, but until now did not have a dedicated Catholic church.
The church project also highlights broader efforts to strengthen infrastructure and community life on the remote island, as the national government pushes to improve living conditions and assert Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.