As countries ‘expand’ their claims because of their declining resources, there is a need for the country’s stakeholders, particularly the youth, to protect their resources in all the country’s waters, not just the West Philippine Sea, the defense chief said in a forum on Saturday.
‘As populations expand in the world, as resources grow more scarce, as needs grow more scarce, there is a temptation to expand,’ Defense Secretary Gilberto ‘Gibo’ Teodoro Jr. said at the launching of the Bantay Dagat Youth Ambassadors-West Philippine Sea Edition Caravan held in San Juan City.
‘And that we cannot allow for your sake in the future,’ Teodoro said.
The forum billed ‘Safeguarding Our Seas: National Duty and Community Leadership in the West Philippine Sea’ was organized by the Rotary Club of Chinatown Circle in partnership with the Philippine Navy.
PH waters in Pacific
The Philippines has about 2.4 million square kilometers of maritime domain, Teodoro said, adding that the country’s geography makes the protection of its waters particularly important.
‘You cannot stop the growth of human beings, the growth of society,’ Teodoro said. ‘But what you can stop is somebody else taking what should be yours to support yourself and giving it to somebody else.’
He said the Philippines should look beyond the West Philippine Sea when considering its maritime interests, as he cited the Philippine Rise and waters on the country’s Pacific side as potential sources of food and energy for future generations.
‘Because all the resources, whether in the West Philippine Sea, in the internal waters, in the Pacific Ocean side of the Philippines, are sources of potential sustenance, energy for future generations,’ he said.
Unclos, Hague ruling
Teodoro urged the youth ambassadors to treat maritime awareness as part of a broader effort to strengthen national resilience, including in schools and communities.
‘The dimension of how you approach the problem and how you engage the younger generation is multidimensional, because you need to be resilient on land as you do on sea,’ Teodoro said.
Teodoro also reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and to the 2016 ruling by the Hague arbitral court in asserting its maritime rights.
China rejects the 2016 ruling on the Philippines’ 2013 arbitral case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, The Netherlands. The ruling found no legal basis for Beijing’s sweeping claims over much of the South China Sea.
Teodoro said the country is also working to strengthen its ability to defend its maritime domain through military modernization, infrastructure development and security partnerships.
He cited the Philippines’ status of visiting forces agreements with Canada and New Zealand, which he said had entered into force. Another agreement, this time with France, awaits the Senate’s approval, while formal negotiations for a proposed agreement with the United Kingdom have begun, he said.