Thitu Island, also known as Pag-asa Island (; ; Hokkien ; Mandarin ; ), having an area of , is the second largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands and the largest of the Philippine-administered islands. It lies about west of Puerto Princesa. Its neighbors are the North Danger Reef to the north, Subi Reef to the west, and the Loaita and Tizard Banks to the south. As the poblacion (administrative center) of the Kalayaan municipality of Palawan province in the Philippines, it also administers nearly a dozen other islets, cays and reefs in the Spratly Islands. Vietnam also claims the island. In 2019–20, the island's naval port and civilian-military airstrip were upgraded despite being swarmed by Chinese vessels. Pag-asa Island has an naval jetty and landing ramp, dual use military and civilian airstrip, a lighthouse, a 5-bed lying-in clinic, a communication tower powered by Smart, and a small integrated elementary and high school. While most of the occupants of the structures in the Spratly Islands have military personnel or temporary tourists, Pag-asa Island is the only one with a permanent civilian settlement. Etymology The Filipino (Tagalog) name of the island is Pag-asa ("Hope"). It is also variously called in the following languages, ; Mandarin ; ; ; Hokkien . Hokkien Chinese fishermen historically called the island Thih-tu (; in Hokkien Min Nan pronounced ). It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Tiezhi Island" from the Mandarin reading (); () refers to another area 7.5 km northeast of this island. The modern Mandarin Chinese name of the island was taken from one of the battleships named Chung-yeh (), sent by the Chinese government during the Republic of China era to regain control of the island in 1946. History Early and colonial history There are historical records of the island having been inhabited, at various times in history, by fishermen from Champa in present-day Vietnam and the Chinese, and during the Second World War by French Indochina and Imperial Japanese troops. In June 1763, the British ship Earl Temple sank on the reefs of Pag-asa Island en route to Manila. Three crewmembers survived for months on the island, built a raft, and used bird feathers to make a sail. The castaways were able to reach Vietnam, later China, and from there return to England. In 1997 the shipwreck of the Earl Temple was discovered by Philippine authorities, and artifacts were recovered