12/07/2025
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We join the Filipino people and the international community in celebrating the 9th anniversary of the arbitral ruling which affirmed the Philippines' right in the West Philippines Sea.
On 22 January 2013, the Philippines filed a case against Chinaβs claims before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague, Netherlands. The Philippines invoked the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) that protects the countryβs Exclusive Economic Zone.
On 12 July 2016, the PCA announced its decision which can be summarized as follows:
β’ China violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines because of illegal activities in Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas Shoal), and Recto (Reed) Bank in the Spratly islands, which are deemed part of the Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf of the Philippines.
β’ The historic claim of China over the Spratlys is unjustifiable since China did not exercise exclusive control over the waters or its resources which were also used by other Asians in the past.
β’ The illegal reclamation of China in the Spratlys has severely damaged the islandβs marine environment and resources.
Through various activities, we support our government's efforts to spread awareness and counter disinformation about our rights in the West Philippines Sea. We also salute the people who actively defend it from foreign agression in the sea itself and in the diplomatic front.
With inspiration and guidance from history, let us make our victory complete for our countrymen who live in the West Philippines Sea and depend on it for livelihood.
πΈ Tourists and advocates pose on the runway in Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan. Photo by Paul Quiambao.