A decade after an international tribunal sided with the Philippines over China's expansive maritime claims, the country held sweeping commemorations on Sunday — and Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. used the occasion to call on every Filipino to take personal ownership of the nation's sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
Teodoro led Department of National Defense officials and personnel at the National Peace Walk for the West Philippine Sea, staged at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. The event drew together government agencies, civil society organizations, and individual advocates in a collective show of commitment to the country's internationally recognized maritime entitlements.
Secretary Teodoro: Embrace the Sea as Your Own
Speaking before participants at the Quirino Grandstand, Teodoro challenged Filipinos to treat the West Philippine Sea not as an abstract legal concept but as something personally valuable and worth protecting. He delivered his message partly in Filipino, urging the crowd to "embrace" the sea in the same way one embraces something — or someone — deeply cherished.
"Kailangan yakapin natin ang West Philippine Sea," Teodoro told the crowd. "Unang-una, ano po ang niyayakap natin? Ang niyayakap po natin ay ang mga bagay na may halaga sa atin at kinikilala natin ang halaga nito sa buhay natin."
The defense chief stressed that this "embrace" carries real obligations — caring for, stewarding, and actively protecting the country's maritime domain. He framed the West Philippine Sea not merely as a present-day political contest but as a legacy to be handed down to younger generations and those not yet born.
"Hindi lang sa atin po pinaglalaban ang West Philippine Sea, kung hindi po lalong-lalo na (para) sa susunod na henerasyon — ang mga musmos ngayon at ang mga hindi pa pinanganganak," Teodoro said, according to statements made at the event.
Standing With Fisherfolk and Coastal Communities
The Defense Secretary also made clear that Sunday's walk was an expression of solidarity with those who feel the consequences of maritime disputes most directly — coastal communities and fisherfolk, particularly those in Masinloc, Zambales, a municipality situated near the contested Scarborough Shoal.
Teodoro said the National Peace Walk was meant to give these communities courage and to affirm the government's support for their right to fish in Philippine waters. "Ito pong lakad na ito ay nagsisilbing lakas-loob nila upang tulong-tulong tayong makapaglayag sila uli, hindi lang sa Scarborough Shoal kung hindi sa lahat ng mga lugar kung saan may karapatan ang Pilipinas," he said.
He described the activity as a "whole of government approach," emphasizing the need to strengthen both public knowledge and institutional capability to properly use and defend the maritime resources the country has been granted under international law.
According to the Department of National Defense, the National Peace Walk is an inter-agency event organized and attended by multiple government offices alongside civil society groups and individual advocates, with the express aim of affirming the Philippines' maritime rights under international law.
DND and AFP Pledge Continued Resolve Under Marcos
Teodoro reaffirmed that, under the direction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., both the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines remain firmly committed to building the country's capacity to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and sovereign rights at sea.
"Ito po'y kinakailangan, hindi bukas kung hindi kahapon pa. Hindi natin pwede ibalik ang kahapon, kaya pursigido tayo ngayon, ngayon natin gagawin," Teodoro said. He called the act of walking together a visible sign of unified commitment — "a signal that we are all united for good against evil."
AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. also joined the peace walk. According to statements made at the event, Brawner framed the anniversary as a reminder of a collective national duty, going beyond its significance as a legal milestone to emphasize the personal responsibility each Filipino carries toward the country's maritime domain.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Oban likewise attended, affirming that the Philippines would continue pursuing peace in the West Philippine Sea while holding its ground on questions of sovereignty and maritime rights, according to event statements.
Events Held Simultaneously Across the Country
The Quirino Grandstand peace walk was just one element of a broader, nationwide program of events held simultaneously to mark the 10th year since the arbitral ruling. The Department of National Defense reported that commemorations included a synchronized sounding of Philippine Navy ship horns, a parade in Palawan that drew approximately 2,000 participants, and the unveiling of the country's first monument dedicated to West Philippine Sea fisherfolk, located in Quezon City.
Organizers also called on the general public to sound their vehicle horns 10 times in unison with church bells and ship horns across the country — a symbolic gesture timed to mark exactly one decade since the tribunal handed down its decision.
About the 2016 Ruling and China's Refusal to Accept It
The arbitral tribunal, based in The Hague and constituted under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), issued its landmark ruling on July 12, 2016. The panel concluded that China's sweeping nine-dash line territorial claim over much of the South China Sea had no valid legal basis under international law — a decision widely regarded as a major diplomatic victory for Manila.
On the occasion of the ruling's 10th anniversary, the Philippines and 13 other nations released a joint statement declaring the arbitral decision to be final and legally binding. Beijing, however, maintained its longstanding rejection of the ruling, repeating its position that it does not accept or recognize the tribunal's authority or its conclusions.
By the Numbers
- 10 — Years since the July 12, 2016 Arbitral Award was issued by the Hague-based tribunal
- 2,000 — Approximate number of participants in the WPS anniversary parade held in Palawan
- 13 — Other nations that joined the Philippines in a joint statement declaring the ruling final and legally binding
- 10 — Number of times the public was invited to honk vehicle horns in unison with church bells and ship horns to mark the decade
- 1982 — Year the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was adopted, the legal framework under which the arbitral tribunal was constituted
Why This Matters
The 10th anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Award is a landmark moment for Philippine foreign policy and national sovereignty, underscoring the country's continued resolve to defend internationally recognized maritime rights despite China's persistent refusal to honor the ruling. The coordinated, government-wide commemorations — spanning Manila, Palawan, and Quezon City — reflect the Marcos administration's strategy of sustaining institutional and public commitment to the West Philippine Sea issue through visible, unified action. The joint statement co-signed by 13 other countries lends significant multilateral support to Manila's legal position at a time when tensions in the South China Sea remain unresolved.
Source: Originally reported by the Department of National Defense / DND Philippines official statements and wire reports