Ferdinand Marcos bought the Kalayaan Island in Spratlys for 1 peso.

LtJG  Domingo Tucay reading proclamation at the Kalayaaan Islands in Spratlys. Source: bonginvirginia.blogspot.com

Philippines’ claim over the Spratlys started when Tomas Cloma landed at its biggest island in 1956. A seafaring adventurer and owner of a fishing business, Cloma made a “Proclamation to the whole world” that a new state called  “The Free Territory of Freedomland” was created. He asserted sovereignty over the area although no country formally recognized his claims.

Cloma, who was also the founder of the Philippine Maritime Institute, was later jailed during the martial law for the fraudulent use of the “admiral” title (his drinking buddies at the National Press Club called him “Admiral”).

He was released after he surrendered all his claims to the islands to Marcos for only one peso. Afterwards, Marcos officially transformed the biggest island (“Pag-Asa Island”) into a fortification, the first and probably the last time that our country was able to add a new territory.