National Security Adviser Eduardo SL Oban Jr. called on the Filipino nation to look beyond mere commemoration and embrace a collective responsibility to defend the country’s maritime domain.
Delivering the 10th Anniversary Commemorative Policy Address at the National West Philippine Sea Summit at the Conrad Manila, NSA Oban underscored that securing the nation’s future requires active resolve.
Reflecting on a decade of legal and strategic challenges, NSA Oban emphasized that the historic 2016 Arbitral Award remains a cornerstone of the nation’s identity and defence posture.
“The 2016 Arbitral Award is not just a landmark legal victory to be remembered,” NSA Oban stated. “It is a continuous, living call to action to defend our sovereign rights, reinforce our national resilience, and firmly uphold a rules-based international order.”
Marking exactly ten years since the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued its landmark ruling, the high-level summit served as a critical forum for regional security.
The event gathered a distinguished assembly of government leaders, international diplomats, academic scholars, and strategic defence partners. Together, attendees analysed the enduring relevance of the ruling against the backdrop of shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.
Throughout the summit’s panel discussions, speakers and delegates reaffirmed a central conclusion: the true legacy of the 2016 ruling cannot be measured by historical text alone.
Instead, its impact will be defined by the Philippines’ ongoing resolve to uphold international law through principled diplomatic action, robust coastal defence, and deep cooperation with global allies.
