To Claim What is Ours: Philippine’s Sovereignty at Stake over ‘Nine-dash Line’

As we commemorate the 7th year of the historic arbitral win of the Philippines against China, we still continue to fight and claim what is ours— the West Philippine Sea.

For starters, we first look back to 2016, when the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) decided that the Philippines had exclusive sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea, a portion of the South China Sea that China, continues to claim as its own. The controversial "nine-dash line," a series of line segments that appear on multiple maps to denote China's territorial claims, was included in the verdict. The nine-dash line claim made by China, which was first depicted on a map in 1948 and has since been recognized to have no legal justification, has made its way into films, which security and defense professionals are now taking seriously and viewing with cause for concern.

The much-anticipated film "Barbie" premiered this month, but this Barbie isn't everything (pun intended) in Vietnam as it was banned. This move alerts senators like Francis Tolentino, who said that a local showing of the movie "Barbie" would only have "injurious" repercussions for the Philippines' reputation. Senator Francis Tolentino who had not watched the movie by the time he made that statement, can change his mind based on the press release of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) which stated that the nine-dash line is NOT DEPICTED in the movie. “Instead, the map portrayed the route of the make-believe journey of Barbie from Barbie Land to the ‘real world’ as an integral part of the story,” the statement read.

As big as its land area, China's stance on the "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea remains big, adamant, and persistent as it plays a card of positional advantage using its strong economic advantage in the region. The Tribunal concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the "nine-dash line." Hence, there has been an ongoing conflict with the Philippines. This conclusion of the tribunal goes in one ear of China and out the other as there were recorded Chinese incursions throughout the year. A diplomatic protest and agreements on communication channels between both of us should not be the only responses to Chinese aggressiveness in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines will encounter increasing Chinese activity on its territory if we don't change our strategy.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo released a statement on the 7th anniversary of the award in the South China Sea Arbitration that "we will continue to translate the positive outcomes of the Award into positive gains for our people.” His statement makes us wonder: Did we actually experience those "positive gains?” Seven years have passed since our historic triumph, yet it seems that our government is having a hard time upholding our David vs. Goliath victory. Our country's future will surely be greatly impacted by how the government handles this important issue. The hope lies in the hands of this generation to uphold the legacy of our historic breakthrough.

This generation (Gen-Z) has been always known for being at the forefront of speaking up and driving change for the betterment of their own country. Ms. Nyah Raganit and Mr. Emman Cabasbas, two students from De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, Antipolo Campus, assert that the so-called "positive gains" have failed to trickle down to the fishermen who were “unable to benefit from the resources of our own territory" which “affected their livelihood.”

Adding to this sentiment is Mr. Sebastian Vibar, another student from DLS-CSBA, who bravely points out the stark reality of the government's limitations in defending the West Philippine Sea against China's encroachments. He highlights the "lack of resources, budget, and manpower of the government.” which have hindered effective action on this front. Mr. Cabasbas echoes the sentiment, emphasizing our "economic status and other factors" seem to undermine our efforts to be taken seriously in this dispute.

Ms. Raganit suggested that if we want to obtain "positive gains" in this long-standing dispute, “the legislators should propose a clear-cut policy that qualifies the Philippines to assert maritime claims for its country.” The task at hand is enormous, thus it is essential that our lawmakers take action urgently and effectively. It is critical for our leaders to reconsider how they are handling this sensitive matter as we stand on the verge of determining our future and the future of the generations to come.

While we commemorate the 7th year of the historic arbitral win, we must never forget the significance of this international tribunal win we achieved; it was a triumph for justice and hope against all odds. It is now time to turn this hope into reality for our people. We must keep in mind that our decisions today will determine the course of our country's future as we work through this difficult situation. It is time to demonstrate a strong, unified, and driven stance in defending our national sovereignty and ensuring a better future for all Filipinos.