Amid a national energy crisis, strengthened maritime security in the West Philippine Sea is seen as crucial for protecting coastal livelihoods, sustaining economic stability, and keeping vital trade routes flowing without disruption.

Speaking at a forum organized by the Stratbase Institute and the Embassy of Japan, Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said safe sea lanes provides confidence for investors and industries.

“In the face of the People’s Republic of China’s increasing assertiveness in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines remains firmly anchored in international law, diplomacy, and transparency,” he said. 

As such, he said the country should continue to assert its maritime rights “through peaceful and lawful means,” citing the 2016 arbitral ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that invalidated China’s sweeping claims.

Brawner said authorities should leverage growing defense cooperation with allies as evidence of Manila’s commitment to maintaining stability in key sea routes, which support both commercial shipping and local fisheries. 

For Stratbase Institute president Prof. Victor Andres Manhit, safeguarding sovereignty requires “strategic clarity” and coordination with democratic partners whose economies rely on secure regional trade routes. 

“Because the next seventy years will not be defined by history—but by how we act today,” Manhit said. “In a region where the stakes continue to rise, the Philippines and Japan have both the opportunity and the responsibility to work together.”

As the impact of the Middle East crisis spreads across the country, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. has cautioned that a significant restructuring of ties between Manila and Beijing may be on the horizon.