Minority Congressman Chel Diokno filed a proposed bill to promote a clearer understanding of the current issues confronting the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Diokno filed House Bill No. 1625, or the proposed West Philippine Sea Mandatory Education Act of 2025, together with fellow Akbayan Representatives Perci Cendana and Dadah Kiram Ismula, Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, and Albay 1st District Rep. Cielo Krisel Lagman.
Amid pressing concerns in the WPS, Diokno sounded the alarm over the lack of public understanding of the country’s maritime rights and boundaries, pushing for the swift passage of a measure mandating the study of the WPS in all public and private educational institutions nationwide.
Diokno called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify the measure as urgent and urged his colleagues in the House and Senate to act without delay.
“Now that we are facing increasingly pressing concerns regarding the West Philippine Sea and our maritime boundaries, it is more important than ever that Filipinos—especially the youth—fully understand our rights, our history, and the truth grounded not only in well-documented history of territorial ownership, but also in international law,” Diokno said.
He stressed the need to prioritize the passage of the proposal to ensure that future generations are equipped with factual knowledge about the WPS, including the Philippines’ sovereign rights and the significance of the country’s legal victory against China in the 2016 arbitral ruling.
The pronouncement came amid recent questions regarding the arbitral award—that it did not provide clear coordinates or boundaries for the WPS, and therefore could not be considered definitive.
The proposed measure will include lessons on the history of the West Philippine Sea dispute, the Philippines’ maritime entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the landmark ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, which will be integrated into the curricula of public and private schools.
“This will ensure that students fully understand the significance of the PCA ruling, the Philippines' right to protect its territorial jurisdiction, and the implications of China's refusal to recognize the ruling,” the bill’s explanatory note said.
The Department of Education (DepEd), as the implementing agency, will be mandated to develop age-appropriate curricula, instructional materials, and teaching modules, in coordination with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs, relevant academic institutions, and civil society organizations.
Akbayan Partylist lawmakers, led by Diokno, were among those who signed House Resolution No. 680, which urges the government to take stronger action against what they described as disrespectful and misleading public statements by the Chinese Embassy targeting Philippine officials.
On Monday, the Senate approved and adopted Senate Resolution No. 256, condemning statements by Chinese Embassy officials in Manila criticizing Philippine officials and institutions for defending the country’s sovereignty and maritime rights over the West Philippine Sea.