By Liz Lagniton | 2026-07-13

The Philippines marked the anniversary of a landmark South China Sea arbitral ruling with ceremonies in Manila on July 10, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. calling on all nations to keep the disputed waters free from conflict.

Speaking at a diplomatic reception in Pasay City, Marcos reaffirmed the Philippines' commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which invalidated China's sweeping "nine-dash line" claims to most of the South China Sea.

"The South China Sea must never be an arena of conflict. It must remain a sea of peace, cooperation and connectivity," Marcos said, according to the Philippine News Agency.

The ruling "is not just an abstract triumph of jurisprudence" but has "a profound and deeply human dimension," he said.

"At its heart, this award is about people. It is about our fisherfolk whose ancestors have cast their nets in these waters for many generations, and who deserve to fish in peace, in safety, and with the dignity to feed their own families," he said.

'Unshakable anchor'

At the same day-long commemorative conference, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro described the ruling as an "unshakable, permanent anchor" of the rules-based international order.

"This award is final. … It is not subject to negotiation or compromise," Lazaro said, according to the Manila Bulletin.

"When the shadow of coercion looms, nations need something far more permanent than political dominance. They need a lighthouse," she said of the decision.

Disgruntled fishermen

But Filipino fishermen from Masinloc, the coastal town closest to Scarborough Shoal, said it has brought them little comfort a decade on.

Chinese vessels ignoring the tribunal continue to drive them away. Henrilito Empoc, 47, said Chinese personnel have used water cannons against Filipino fishing boats and cut their anchor lines.

"They took away our right to fish," Empoc told Reuters on July 10.

Rony Drio, 59, said he has not returned to the shoal since 2024. "We won in 2016, but it doesn't feel like a victory to me," Drio said, according to Reuters.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. later traveled to Masinloc, where he joined anniversary activities with coastal communities and led the distribution of food packs, fish aggregating devices, batteries and fishing gear to local fishermen.

"We chose to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Arbitral Award with you because this effort will only succeed if its benefits reach our people," Teodoro said, according to the Manila Bulletin. "We hope that together we can open the West Philippine Sea and Bajo de Masinloc [the Philippine name for Scarborough Shoal] for all Filipinos today and for future generations," he added.

International support

Fourteen countries July 12 issued a statement reaffirming the arbitral award is "final, legally binding, and definitive" and calling on all parties to resolve disputes peacefully in accordance with UNCLOS.

The United States, Australia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Romania, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the Philippines were the 14.

They expressed "strong opposition to the use of coast guard, military, and maritime militia forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate lawful operations by other states at sea or in the air," and urged compliance with the 2016 award.

China has consistently rejected the ruling and did not participate in the arbitration. Beijing claims "indisputable sovereignty" over Scarborough Shoal and large parts of the South China Sea.

Civic momentum

Ahead of the anniversary, a July 5 flotilla in Subic Bay in Zambales province brought together almost 80 fishing boats whose crews formed the colors of the Philippine flag and spelled out "WPS, ATIN ITO!" ("West Philippine Sea, This Is Ours") across the water.

The anniversary is "a reminder that truth, international law, and the courage of the Filipino people prevailed," Atin Ito Coalition co-convenor Rafaela David said, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Manila will use the arbitral award "as our clear legal and policy baseline to engage partners and pursue an effective, legally binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea," said Lazaro, according to the Manila Bulletin.

The Philippines, which chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, has been pushing for a code consistent with UNCLOS and the 2016 ruling. ASEAN foreign ministers are set to meet in Manila later in July.

Strategic resolve

Teodoro, speaking at the Stratbase Institute forum in Makati City July 10, said the ruling had grown beyond a Philippine legal victory.

"It is not an award for the Philippines; it is an award for the world because it institutes the primacy of UNCLOS and guards it against revisionist attempts," Teodoro said, according to BusinessWorld.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the same forum, Teodoro called for raising defense spending to "at least two to three to four percent of GDP." The country currently spends an estimated 1.3 to 1.4% of GDP on defense, according to the Philippine Star.

The ruling must remain meaningful in action as well as in law, Philippine military Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., addressing the forum, said. "Rights endure only when they are exercised."

"An award … has to be explained, defended and applied," Philippine Coast Guard Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela similarly said at the National West Philippine Sea Summit in Pasay City July 9, according to the Philippine Star.

The ruling gave the Philippines legal standing, but "the next decade must deliver strategic strength," Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres "Dindo" Manhit said.

"It requires credible deterrence, stronger partnerships and national resilience," Manhit said, according to the Manila Times.