CEBU CITY – Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Monday, July 13, said that the commemoration of the Philippines' legal victory in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) should lead to stronger resilience, deterrence, infrastructure security, and cybersecurity as Cebu officials called for concrete action beyond symbolic support.

Speaking during the city's observance of West Philippine Sea Victory Day here, Teodoro said local government units should now focus on building resilience after adopting resolutions supporting the country's position in the WPS.

Last month, the Cebu City Council unanimously passed a resolution declaring July 12 as the annual West Philippine Sea Victory Day. Authored by Councilor Paul Labra, the measure commemorates the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

“I would like the LGUs to replicate it in practice. It is more important than practicing passing a resolution, to cascade and actually purpose this West Philippine Sea victory into creating their own resiliencies,” Teodoro said.

"That is why after this resolution with the City of Cebu, we will enter into more extensive resilience-building measures with the City of Cebu,” he added.

Teodoro said the DND, through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), would help Cebu strengthen its capacity against disasters while protecting its economy and digital infrastructure.

“In natural disasters and calamities, naturally the investment climate is affected. And if your raw materials for building your infrastructure do not come from reputable or secure sources, then your infrastructure is compromised,” he noted.

Teodoro said Cebu should also strengthen cybersecurity as it develops into a technology center.

“You have to secure Cebu on different levels, particularly if Cebu is going to be a technology hub. Why? Because if this is not secure, there will be intellectual thefts, compromises, and nobody will partner in an unsecure environment in the digital space,” he said.

Meanwhile, asked whether July 12 WPS Victory Day should become a national holiday, Teodoro said he was open to the idea but preferred a broader observance.

“If it were up to me, it can become a holiday,” he said.

“It should become a Maritime Victory Day so it is inclusive of the entire maritime interest of the Philippines. This legal victory is very important but it is only one step among the many steps we still need to take,” he added.

Teodoro also praised Cebu officials for taking a firm stand despite “a direct provocation by foreign officials.”

"My heart is full because Cebu stood up in the face of a direct provocation by foreign officials here, and they stood their ground. That is admirable. They deserve praise," he said.

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña recalled an earlier dispute with Chinese diplomats after he attended a celebration hosted by the Taiwanese community during his previous term as mayor.

He said he received letters from the Chinese consul warning and later criticizing him for attending the event, which prompted him to stop engaging with the Chinese Consulate in Cebu.

Osmeña echoed the call to defend the country's maritime rights, saying Cebu's support is rooted in national interest even if the city is far from the disputed waters.

“Cebu is part of the Philippines,” Osmeña said. “I personally am offended when we have Chinese harassing our fishermen. I cannot take the stand that they are not from Cebu. That is wrong. We have to protect our own.”

“We will not allow the Chinese consulate to bully us ever again,” he added.