WE JOIN the whole nation in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the historic Arbitral Tribunal Award that upheld our country’s legal and historic rights over the West Philippine Sea. A decade into our long and continuing journey to enforce the award, we are met with growing challenges, both out in the seas and within the spaces where the battle that now rages is one for the truth to prevail.
Even before 2016, we have seen growing attempts to prevent our people from the bounties of our own seas, brazen lies that spread in the media, and real physical threats to our sovereignty and security. But we have also seen growth in how our people face these challenges. Following the sure footsteps of our heroic forebears, Filipinos now strongly agree that it is our solemn duty to protect our sovereign rights and uphold our legal claims over our seas.
On this growing strength, we, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, join everyone in playing our part to ensure that our seas remain ours. Through our initiatives, we have challenged baseless claims that use fabricated sources and raised awareness of the real history of our rights. Rights that have existed throughout history, rights that have been exercised, fought for, and sacrificed for by generations of Filipinos.
As we look forward to our future, we draw inspiration from our past, in the lessons that they provide as a guide towards a just and peaceful co-existence with the world where our rights are respected and our seas remain prosperous.
Atin ang Werst Philippine Sea! Ituloy and pananaliksik ng katotohanan! Mabuhay ang Sambayanang Pilipino!
(Message for the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling on the West Philippine Sea)
