In China’s shadow, Filipino villagers carve out normal life on disputed island

THITU ISLAND: When Mary Joy Suelo set off for Thitu Island in 2024, it took five days at sea on a Philippine navy ship to get there — a journey that made her realize how very far she was from her family and the life she knew. She arrived with a group of other teachers to work at the island’s only school. As soon as they disembarked, they saw it was surrounded by Chinese military vessels. “At night, their lights would flicker. It almost looked like you were in a park. We even counted them. Before, they could reach up to around 50 ships. Now, there are fewer,” she said.

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