12/07/2025
| Unsettled Waters
By Lucky Arcenas
Nine years ago today, the Philippines won a historic legal victory in The Hague. The international arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea, especially through its so-called nine-dash line, had no legal basis. The ruling affirmed what international law has long upheld: much of the West Philippine Sea belongs to the Philippines, and any intrusion is unlawful.
Yet despite this legal triumph, the waters remain anything but settled. They are not settled in presence, not in practice, and certainly not for Palawan. Here, the conflict is not measured in courtrooms, but in coastlines, coral reefs, and the shrinking space left for our own people at sea.
Palawan, the country’s western sentinel, sits at the frontline of this defiance. It is in these waters that Chinese ships have repeatedly shooed away Filipino vessels, blocked resupply missions, and engaged in dangerous maneuvers near Ayungin Shoal—well within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. These acts are not just violations of maritime law. They threaten the livelihood of coastal Palawan communities, disturb fragile marine ecosystems, and risk food security for thousands who depend on the sea.
This issue is often boxed as a matter of geopolitics or foreign policy. But in Palawan, it is not about maritime chess or diplomacy. It is about access to fish, to safe waters, to the ecological balance that allows reefs to thrive and food to reach dinner tables. China’s continued activities in the West Philippine Sea directly impact fish migration routes, coral reef health, and the overall productivity of these waters. Filipino fishers are pushed out of their own backyard, while industrial-scale Chinese fishing fleets trawl waters that should be protected under Philippine jurisdiction.
Local data and scientific monitoring show worrying signs: declining fish stocks near traditionally abundant areas, sedimentation from island dredging, and damage to coral reefs that serve as nurseries for various marine species. These environmental consequences seep into Palawan’s economy, nutrition, and tourism.
While the arbitral ruling was a significant affirmation of Philippine maritime rights, its enforcement remains a distant dream. International law lacks teeth when the violator is a global power unwilling to comply. And so, Palawan watches from its coasts as the waters remain contested.
For Palawan, July 12 is a reminder of a fight that is far from over. This is not just a question of borders or ownership; it is a fight for survival, for dignity, for the right to live off waters that are legally, historically, and rightfully ours. As long as the ruling remains ignored and China’s presence grows unchecked, there is no true victory, only silence dressed as peace. These are still unsettled waters—not just in politics, but in the lives they disrupt, the ecosystems they damage, and in every tide that brings uncertainty to our shores.
To China, we say: Indi kamo tagarito, ag indi ini para kanindo! Or should we say… 你们不属于这里，这片海不是你们的！
