Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. on Sunday called on Filipinos to embrace and defend the country's sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, as the Philippines marked the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 Arbitral Award with commemorations held across the nation.
Teodoro led officials and personnel of the Department of National Defense in the National Peace Walk for the West Philippine Sea at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, joining government agencies, civil society organizations, and individual advocates in a show of unified commitment to the country's maritime rights under international law.
Teodoro Calls WPS a Shared Inheritance
"Kailangan yakapin natin ang West Philippine Sea," Teodoro told participants at the Quirino Grandstand. "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. Kaya yakapin po natin. Kapag niyayakap po natin ang isang tao, isang bagay, nagmamay-ari tayo dito in some way."
The defense chief explained that "embracing" the West Philippine Sea extends beyond symbolic affirmation — it means caring for, protecting, and stewarding the country's maritime domain for both present and future generations.
"Kaya po, 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.
Solidarity with Coastal Communities and Fisherfolk
According to Teodoro, the National Peace Walk expressed direct solidarity with coastal communities and fisherfolk, particularly those in Masinloc, Zambales — one of the communities closest to the disputed Scarborough Shoal.
"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. "Kaya po, whole of government approach ito dahil kailangan pagtibayin natin ang ating mga kaalaman at kapabilidad para magamit natin nang tama ang karagatan na regalo ng Panginoon po sa atin."
The National Peace Walk is an inter-agency activity organized and attended by multiple government offices, civil society groups, and advocates. Its purpose, according to the DND, is to promote and affirm the country's commitment to its maritime rights as accorded by international law.
DND and AFP Reaffirm Commitment Under Marcos
Teodoro reaffirmed that, under the guidance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., both the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines remain committed to strengthening the country's resolve and capabilities to defend its territorial integrity, sovereignty, and sovereign rights.
"Ito po'y kinakailangan, hindi bukas kung hindi kahapon pa. Hindi natin pwede ibalik ang kahapon, kaya pursigido tayo ngayon, ngayon natin gagawin. Sa pamamaraan ng paglakad ninyo, ito'y senyales ng commitment na nagkakaisa tayong lahat para sa kabutihan laban sa kasamaan," he said.
AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr., who also joined the walk, framed the anniversary as a reminder of a shared national responsibility rather than a purely legal milestone, according to statements made at the event.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Oban said the country would continue pursuing peace in the West Philippine Sea while standing firm on its sovereignty and maritime rights.
Nationwide Commemorations Mark the Decade
The Manila walk was one of several simultaneous commemorations held across the Philippines on the anniversary. These included a synchronized sounding of Philippine Navy ship horns, a 2,000-strong parade in Palawan, and the unveiling of the country's first monument honoring West Philippine Sea fisherfolk in Quezon City.
Organizers also invited the public to sound vehicle horns 10 times — in unison with church bells and ship horns — to mark a full decade since the ruling was handed down.
The 2016 Ruling and China's Continued Rejection
The Hague-based arbitral tribunal, constituted under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), issued its ruling on July 12, 2016, declaring that China's sweeping nine-dash line territorial claim had no legal basis under international law.
On the 10th anniversary, the Philippines and 13 other countries issued a joint statement affirming the decision as final and legally binding. Beijing, however, repeated its longstanding position that it neither accepts nor recognizes the arbitral ruling.
By the Numbers
- 10 — Years since the July 12, 2016 Arbitral Award ruling
- 2,000 — Participants in the WPS anniversary parade held in Palawan
- 13 — Other countries that joined the Philippines in a joint statement affirming the ruling as final and legally binding
- 10 — Number of times the public was invited to sound vehicle, church bell, and ship horns to mark the decade
- 1982 — Year of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), under which the tribunal was constituted
Why This Matters
The 10th anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Award represents a significant diplomatic and legal milestone for the Philippines, reinforcing the country's internationally recognized rights over the West Philippine Sea against China's continuing rejection of the ruling. The whole-of-government commemorations — from a Manila peace walk to a Palawan parade and a fisherfolk monument in Quezon City — signal a coordinated effort by the Marcos administration to sustain public awareness and institutional resolve around sovereign maritime claims. The joint statement by the Philippines and 13 other nations calling the ruling final and binding adds multilateral weight to Manila's legal position at a moment of continued tensions in the South China Sea.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the Department of National Defense / DND Philippines