We stand on water

The month of September, aside from ushering in the four-month-long celebration of Christmas in the Philippines, is also hailed as the Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month.

Promulgated in 2017 through Proclamation 316, it is dedicated not merely to remind us of our maritime heritage as a nation, but also to motivate us to become stewards of our maritime domain, part and parcel of our shared destiny.

Amid the volatilities and uncertainties we face today, and the continuous exacerbation of maritime-related challenges, this month challenges us, especially young people, to take our part in preserving and promoting our maritime domain. The question now is: Why is MANAMo integral?

 The Philippines, since its very inception, has already been regarded as a maritime nation.

Although, for the longest time, we have known our country to be an agrarian one, we cannot ignore the fact that our maritime history has been spanning since the pre-colonial era.

During this time, we have forged commercial contacts and ties with states across the region. Hence, we can easily argue that our maritime domain has paved the way for us to build meaningful ties with our neighbors.

Similar to shared interests that bind young people today, it is also our waters and shared geographic identities that further enliven the Southeast Asian spirit within us.

Our maritime waters also lead us to progress. In one way or another, our maritime domain remains pivotal in promoting food security.

These bodies of water are also the main routes for trading. However, recent challenges, including the destruction of coral reefs and marine pollution, are threatening our rich biodiversity. If left unaddressed, this may lead to a decline, affecting not just our fisherfolk, but the general population.

 With the furtherance of tensions over the West Philippine Sea, it is imperative for us to be reminded of our sole rights, as granted by the 2016 Arbitral Award.

As the next generation of nation-builders, the challenges we experience today should serve as an impetus for us to take a more proactive stance on our rights as a sovereign nation.

By sharing posts from government agencies and reputable organizations, you are already partaking in the country’s “transparency initiative”, part of the strategies we presently employ in our quest for territorial sovereignty.

 Without a doubt, MANAMo, just like how we usher in the Christmas season, is significant. Just like the holidays, it brings us together. Our maritime domain is not just a reminder of our humble beginnings as a nation.

Rather, it is a continuous history unfurling from one generation to another. In these dire times, where our territorial integrity is challenged, we, young people, are encouraged to celebrate MANAMo with pride.

Because the quest we are in today is not just for the welfare and future of succeeding Filipino generations. More important, it is for the history of our humanity, and the way to winning this quest, in one way or another, may lie in our ideas and fingertips.

☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

The author is a full-time faculty member of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Diplomacy and Governance. Aside from teaching, he also serves as the Practicum Coordinator of its Diplomacy and International Affairs Program. As someone who specialized in the European Union and Asean for his further studies at the Ateneo de Manila University, his research interests include Regionalism, Discourse on Collective identities, and Efforts on Artificial Intelligence in regional blocs.