Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

Teodoro pushes ‘Maritime Victory Day’ as Cebu marks WPS victory

The HMCS Montreal (FFH336) (left), BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS16) (front), USS Lake Erie (CG70) (rear) and BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) (right) during the AUS-CAN-PH-US Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity being held in the West Philippine Sea from August 7 to 8.

Photo: Royal Canadian Navy

Article (news)

Bianca Dava

Christopher Sitson

Adrian Ayalin

ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATE) – Although located hundreds of kilometers from the West Philippine Sea, Cebu City on Monday commemorated West Philippine Sea Victory Day, underscoring that the Philippines&#x27; landmark legal victory against China is an issue that extends beyond the country&#x27;s western seaboard.The Cebu City Council earlier adopted a resolution declaring July 12 of every year as &quot;West Philippine Sea Victory Day&quot; in commemoration of the landmark 2016 arbitral ruling, which invalidated China&#x27;s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. served as guest of honor and speaker during the celebration at the Cebu City Hall Sugbo Grounds.In his keynote address, Teodoro stressed that the arbitral ruling remains more than just a historic legal victory.“The arbitral award is not simply a document of the past. It continues to serve as a guidepost to our maritime policy, diplomacy, and collective responsibility to preserve the West Philippine Sea,” he said. “The Philippines&#x27; destiny lies in our awareness of our potential [and for] as long as we continue to stand firm on our convictions, principles, and ideals,” he added.Teodoro said Cebu City&#x27;s decision to institutionalize the annual observance sends a strong message that protecting the country&#x27;s maritime rights is a national concern.According to him, it is not just an issue for provinces facing the West Philippine Sea.“Resonating from the center of the Philippines, nagbibigay ito ng magandang mensahe kasi yung awareness na hindi lang West Philippine Sea. Of course, awareness ng importansya na kung hindi natin ipaglaban ang West Philippine Sea, baka may mawala pa eh. Kasi baka ang susunod na biyakin nila [China] ‘yung archipelagic doctrine,” the defense chief said.“Napakaimportante na maliit na bagay pa lang na kinukwestyon na ang mga implikasyon ng UNCLOS, tayuan na natin, at hindi pwede hindi tayo tumayo dito. That is why napakataba ng puso that Cebu stood up in the face of a direct provocation by foreign officials here. They stood their ground. That is admirable. Kapuri-puri yun.”<div>‘WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR OWN’</div>Cebu City Vice Mayor Tomas Dela Rama Osmeña said geography should never diminish Cebu&#x27;s stake in the issue.“Cebu is part of the Philippines. We are not going to alienate it,” Osmeña told reporters in a chance interview.He added that the harassment of Filipino fishermen affects all Filipinos, regardless of where they live.“I personally am offended when we have Chinese harassing our fishermen, and I cannot take the stand that anyway they&#x27;re not from Cebu. That&#x27;s wrong. I&#x27;m very proud of the City Council,” he added.Osmeña said the City Council&#x27;s resolution reflects Cebu&#x27;s commitment to protecting national sovereignty.“We have to protect our own, and we have to be very careful that opportunities are being exploited to take advantage of our tolerance. So, I&#x27;m not tolerating anything,” Osmeña stressed.“We will not allow the Chinese Consulate to bully us ever again,” he added. <div>‘MARITIME VICTORY DAY’</div>Asked whether other local government units should adopt similar resolutions, Teodoro said the greater challenge is turning awareness into concrete action.“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,” the secretary said.He said local governments should strengthen disaster preparedness, infrastructure security, cybersecurity, and economic resilience instead of merely passing symbolic resolutions.Teodoro also welcomed proposals to declare July 12 a national holiday but suggested broadening its scope into a nationwide &quot;Maritime Victory Day.&quot;“Kung ako, pwede siyang gawing holiday, pero sana i-scope sa mas malawakan na bagay. Of course, victory ito eh, legal victory. We should put that front and center, but it should have a wider scope,” Teodoro said.“That it is a Maritime Victory Day, so that it is inclusive for the whole maritime interest of the Philippines,” he noted.The defense chief emphasized that the 2016 arbitral ruling remains a milestone but is only one step in protecting the country&#x27;s maritime rights.“Mind you, this legal victory is very important, but it is only one step of the several steps we need to take at the soonest possible time,” he said.Meanwhile, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino expressed support for the proposed West Philippine Sea Education Act, a measure being pushed by Senator Erwin Tulfo in Congress that seeks to integrate the West Philippine Sea into the country&#x27;s formal education curriculum.“Magkaroon na ng formal education, maging bahagi na ng curriculum, hindi lang sa elementary kung hindi sa kolehiyo, sa law school. Dapat magkaroon na ng isang separate subject tungkol sa maritime law. Sang ayon ako kay Senator Tulfo na gawing bahagi ito ng curriculum,” Tolentino said.He also highlighted the role of the media in raising public awareness about the West Philippine Sea and other maritime territories, including Benham Rise.“Katulong diyan ang media, dapat maging bahagi ang lahat na malaman kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng West Philippine Sea, pati yung kabila, nakakalimutan eh, yung Benham rise, yung talampas ng Pilipinas, dapat kabahagi rin yun,” Tolentino mentioned.Tolentino likewise underscored the importance of the 2016 Arbitral Award, noting the growing international support for the ruling.“Ang katotohanan hindi dapat idaan sa propaganda. Yung totoo na kinampihan ng 13 other countries nung isang araw, yun ang masayang victory natin. Kasama yung mga bansa na hindi natin akalain, Estonia, Romania, yung mga malalayo sumuporta roon sa Arbitral Ruling. Yun ang nakakalugod,” Tolentino added.<div>UNIT FOR LEGAL SERVICES </div>Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the department now has a dedicated unit for legal services as the country commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on the West Philippine Sea. “Kaya meron ng dedicated maritime unit parang maritime center na tayong binuo dito sa Department of Justice para meron na tayong single repository ng expertise,” Vida said.Vida underscored that the Philippines’ victory on the West Philippine Sea was premised on the rule of law.“Napakaganda ng posisyon dito ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas pinili na imbes na mag-away, dumulog at pakinggan ang rule of law,” Vida said.July 12 marked the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Award, which affirmed the Philippines&#x27; sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea and invalidated China&#x27;s expansive &quot;nine-dash line&quot; claim over most of the South China Sea.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/12/simultaneous-sounding-of-horns-unveiling-of-monument-mark-first-decade-of-ph-arbitration-victory-1430">Simultaneous sounding of horns, unveiling of monument mark first decade of PH arbitration victory</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/11/filipino-fishermen-see-no-victory-a-decade-after-landmark-south-china-sea-ruling-0758">Filipino fishermen see no victory, a decade after landmark South China Sea ruling</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/12/ph-13-countries-reaffirm-2016-arbitral-award-on-its-10th-year-0841">PH, 13 countries reaffirm 2016 arbitral award on its 10th year</a></div>

Although located hundreds of kilometers from the West Philippine Sea, Cebu City on Monday commemorated West Philippine Sea Victory Day, underscoring that the Philippines' landmark legal victory against China is an issue that extends beyond the country's western seaboard.

Although located hundreds of kilometers from the West Philippine Sea, Cebu City on Monday commemorated West Philippine Sea Victory Day, underscoring that the Philippines' landmark legal victory against China is an issue that extends beyond the country's western seaboard.