Secretary Raphael Lotilla recently called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) officials to take a bolder, more strategic role in defending the Philippines’ maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Underscoring the agency’s critical role in reinforcing the victory through scientific data, environmental reports, and legal-environmental strategies, Lotilla stressed, “These are essential to informing both Filipinos and the international community, protecting our marine environment from destruction, and showing that we are actively defending what is rightfully ours”.
“This landmark legal victory must not be taken for granted — the work is far from over.”
The 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration declared China’s expansive claims under its “nine-dash line” invalid and affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). However, as the environment chief emphasized, “This landmark legal victory must not be taken for granted — the work is far from over.”
At a symposium hosted by Lotilla for DENR officials, Senior Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, one of the most respected voices on the issue, presented historical and legal evidence affirming Philippine ownership of key islands and reefs in the WPS. Carpio urged the country to develop a unified narrative to counter disinformation and challenge China before the international community, backed by legal and environmental evidence that the DENR can help provide.
“The Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act align domestic law with UNCLOS.”
Atty. Fretti Ganchoon, Senior State Counsel at the Department of Justice and an expert in maritime and environmental law, emphasized that the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act align domestic law with UNCLOS, clearly defining the country’s maritime zones and strengthening the legal basis for exercising jurisdiction over Philippine waters.
Ganchoon added that these measures integrate the 2016 arbitral ruling into Philippine law, giving the country firmer authority to protect marine resources, regulate activities, and assert sovereignty. They also institutionalize the term “West Philippine Sea,” further strengthening the country’s position in both law enforcement and diplomatic engagement.
Dr. Fernando Siringan, marine geologist and former Director of the UP Marine Science Institute, on the other hand, stressed that scientific research is vital to upholding the Philippines’ maritime rights, and called for greater investment in coordinated research, habitat mapping, and ecological monitoring to generate data that can reinforce the 2016 arbitral ruling and support long-term marine protection.
Lotilla vowed to mobilize the DENR’s environmental, legal, and scientific capabilities in support of national sovereignty. Among his directives: strengthen inter-agency coordination, publish marine environmental reports, and launch grassroots awareness campaigns.
“The DENR is not just a steward of forests and rivers,” Lotilla stressed. “We are frontliners in protecting what is ours — from ridge to reef, and across our rightful seas.”
