Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

China Majors of the UP Asian Center Discuss PH-China Ties at Bulacan State University

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Photo: (L-R) Philip Alegre, Mychal Feraren, Ivy Ganadillo, and Paulo Villar at Bulacan State University - Sarmiento Campus, courtesy of Mychal Feraren

Students from the UP Asian Center delivered lectures on the West Philippine Sea disputes and Philippines-China relations before the students of Bulacan State University - Sarmiento Campus last 4 March 2016.

Paulo Benedicto Villar presented “Philippines-China Relations: Cultural and Historical Linkages” where he laid down the foundations of Philippines-China relations. Banking on the commonalities of the history of the two countries, he argued that despite the heightening of the disputes, both parties should still “give diplomacy a chance,” and open up more channels of communication to help increase mutual understanding. Furthermore, Mr. Villar emphasized the building blocks of better Philippines-China relations, such as the common desire for peace and stability and the long shared history of kinship and friendship.

Ivy Ganadillo presented, “Arbitration 101: The Case of Philippines vs. China”, where she provided an elaborate discussion on the facts and the details regarding the Philippines’ claim to the West Philippine Sea before the court of arbitration. She highlights the four primary questions that the Philippines brought before the court, namely 1) the status of Beijing’s claim in the West Philippine Sea; 2) legitimacy of China’s occupation on the various parts of the Spratlys; 3) China’s exploitation of the natural resources within areas that fall under the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ); and 4) China’s interference with Philippines’ freedom to navigate within its own EEZ.

Joining them is Philip Vincent Alegre, a student of Master in International Studies from the UP Department of Political Science who is taking classes at the UP Asian Center. He presented “Recent Developments in the West Philippine Sea Dispute” where he explored the nature of the conflict between China and the Philippines, as well as the United States’ involvement on the matter. Beyond the claims made in the court of arbitration, Mr. Alegre also gave insights from an international relations perspective on the question of whether war is imminent between the major players in the dispute.

The lecture was organized by John Mychal Feraren, instructor at the Bulacan State University - Sarmiento Campus and  a graduate student at the UP Asian Center taking up Philippine Studies. The graduate program in Asian Studies offers China Studies as a country of specialization. The UP Asian Center has two full-time faculty under the program, Professor Aileen Baviera and Dr. Tina Clemente, Associate Professor.

The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Get an overview of these programs. The Asian Center also houses a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia. It has published several books and monographs, and hosts or organizes various lectures and conferences.