Four-term Senator Loren Legarda stood firm on the Philippines' commitment to defending its maritime rights through international law, diplomacy, and a rules-based international order.

This, after the country celebrated the 10th anniversary of its landmark 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.

Rendered on July 12, 2016 by an Arbitral Tribunal constituted under Annex VII of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Award declared that there is no legal basis for China's expansive maritime claims based on so-called "historic rights" and affirmed the Philippines' sovereign rights and maritime entitlements within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

"For many, the Arbitral Award is remembered as a landmark legal victory. For our fisherfolk, it is about being able to fish safely, return home to their families, and earn an honest living from the waters that have sustained generations of Filipinos," Legarda said.

She stressed that the continuing situation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) has real consequences for ordinary Filipinos, especially communities whose lives depend on the sea.

She says many fisherfolk face uncertainty when they venture into traditional fishing grounds, with some compelled to shorten their trips, avoid productive areas, or spend more on fuel by traveling farther offshore in search of a safe and productive catch.

"The story of the [WPS] does not end at our shores. When our fisherfolk return with fewer catches, families earn less, markets have less to sell, and every Filipino feels the impact through food prices and food security. Every time a Filipino fisherman is compelled to turn back from waters where generations have earned their livelihood, our nation loses more than fish—we lose livelihoods, opportunity, and a measure of our future," Legarda said.

These realities reveal why the Arbitral Award remains relevant to the lives of Filipinos. Protecting the West Philippine Sea means safeguarding the livelihoods of Filipino fisherfolk, ensuring food security, conserving marine ecosystems, and securing the future of coastal communities.

Legarda described the Arbitral Award as one of the Philippines' greatest legal and diplomatic victories, demonstrating that disputes among nations are resolved through the rule of law rather than force or coercion.

She emphasized that the Award stands as a final and legally binding determination between the Philippines and China with respect to the matters decided by the Tribunal, and continues to serve as a foundation for the Philippines’ efforts to strengthen maritime governance and uphold its rights under international law.

"The significance of the Arbitral Award lies not only in what it declared in 2016, but in how the Philippines has built upon it through concrete action," Legarda said.

As co-author and co-sponsor of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act (R.A. No. 12064) and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act (R.A. No. 12065), Legarda said these landmark measures translate the principles affirmed by UNCLOS and the Arbitral Award into domestic law by defining the country's maritime zones and establishing archipelagic sea lanes consistent with international law.

Legarda likewise underscored that the Philippines' position in the West Philippine Sea rests on a firm legal and historical foundation. "While the Arbitral Award clarified the Philippines' maritime rights and entitlements under UNCLOS, these rights are reinforced by a long historical record. The 1734 Murillo Velarde Map, the Treaty of Paris of 1898, the Treaty of Washington of 1900, UNCLOS, and the 2016 Arbitral Award together demonstrate that the Philippines' position is anchored not in rhetoric, but in law and historical fact," she said.

As the Philippines marks a decade since the historic Award, Legarda called on Filipinos to remain united in protecting the country's lawful rights while continuing to champion peace, diplomacy, and a rules-based international order.

"Our rights in the West Philippine Sea are neither negotiable nor subject to intimidation. We have a duty to protect what belongs to the Filipino people, consistent with our Constitution and international law. Defending the West Philippine Sea means standing firmly for our lawful rights while remaining steadfast in our commitment to peace, dialogue, and diplomacy. Atin ang West Philippine Sea, at pananagutan nating pangalagaan ito para sa susunod na henerasyon," Legarda concluded.