Atin Ito: July 12: West Philippine Sea Victory Day

Ten years ago, on July 12, 2016, established under Annex VII of the 1982 United

Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Arbitral Tribunal (in response to the case brought by the Philippines against China on the legal status of its nine-dashed line and historic rights over the South China Sea) issued its renowned 2016 Arbitral Award.

This 2016 Arbitral Award ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines and declared China’s nine-dashed line and its claimed historic rights over the South China Sea to have no legal basis under the UNCLOS.

This 2016 ruling, which affirmed the Philippines’ maritime entitlements in the

West Philippine Sea, has been considered “a landmark victory for international law and the rules-based international order.“

The West Philippine Sea (WPS) - Atin Ito Coalition calls on every Filipino to join in the commemoration of this July 12 WPS Victory Day, to reaffirm “the Filipino people’s commitment to defending the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime entitlements in the West Philippine Sea.”

Alvin Dizon, former Cebu City Councilor and Atin Ito Coalition Cebu convenor, reminds all that aside from honoring the historic legal victory, “we encourage all sectors to join the commemoration and help educate the public about our sovereignty and maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea.”

In the words of Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Gen Romeo Brawner Jr.,

”more than a legal ruling, it is a recognition of what every Filipino has long held in their heart — that these waters, resources and legacy are rightfully ours, the WPS as a lifeline and a vital waterway that feeds thousands of Filipinos.”

Last April 15, during their Atin Ito Coalition caravan in Cebu, as the Philippines’ sovereign rights continue to be challenged, Filipinos should present “a louder, broader, more determined stand,” to defend, “not only territory but the country’s dignity, rights and national future,” according to Akbayan Party-list President Rafaela David.

Filipinos were also reminded by former DOF undersecretary Cielo Magno about “the vast value of the West Philippine Sea, citing its estimated oil, natural gas reserves, its role in food, energy security, and the livelihoods of millions of Filipinos connected to its resources.”

Hence, “the West Philippine Sea is not just the government’s fight, but the responsibility of all Filipinos regardless of where they come from,” stressed Philippine Coast

Guard spokesperson RADM Jay Tarriela.

As Cebu City did, more LGUs are urged to declare July 12 as WPS Victory Day.

Sponsored by Councilor Paul Labra and approved during the June 16 Cebu City

Council’s Regular Session, the resolution “emphasized that the West Philippine Sea is not only of strategic national importance but also a critical ecological and economic resource that sustains marine biodiversity, fisheries, and the livelihoods of Filipino coastal communities.”

Like Atin Ito’s partner schools and non-government organizations in Cebu, all are invited to express their support for our country’s maritime rights with “streamers, educational campaigns, forums, flag-raising ceremonies, public discussions (others) that promote awareness of Philippine sovereignty and maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea.”

You may also want to do the “W” hand sign, first popularized by Atin Ito, raising the index, middle, and ring fingers to create the letter “W,” as a “simple yet powerful expression of the Filipino people’s unity, resolve, and peaceful assertion of the country’s sovereign rights and territorial integrity, in support of our fisherfolk, maritime frontliners, and the rules-based defense of the West Philippine Sea.”

All Filipinos are reminded by Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary

Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. that the July 12, 2016 Arbitral Award was “a victory which our country should embrace and fight to enforce.”

Let us all proudly remember that the West Philippine Sea is ours - Atin Ito!