With the passing of Ambassador Albert del Rosario, his valuable contributions to the country’s independent foreign policy will unequivocally be remembered and will remain in the social consciousness of all Filipinos.
Among the former foreign affairs secretary’s many achievements, the case of the West Philippine Sea stands out.
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In 2016, under his leadership, the Philippines won the arbitration case against China, effectively upholding the rule of law in international relations. In the next seven years, he persisted in making the issues concerning the country’s maritime territory strategically relevant, not only in the diplomatic community but, more importantly, in the public discourse.
As more geopolitical, defense and security challenges in the West Philippine Sea continue to emerge, Stratbase ADR Institute commits to continuing the legacy of Del Rosario, its chairman.
Del Rosario anticipated that the West Philippine Sea-related issues would be one of the defining challenges of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
To resolve problems and to implement policies on national security, he advocated for the rule of law to serve as the foundation of stability and sustainability amidst territorial tensions in the region. He added that multilateral cooperation among like-minded states will also contribute to preserving the rules-based international order.
On defense cooperation, Del Rosario supported the conduct of joint patrols with allies and partners such as the United States, Japan, Australia and the European Union. The joint patrols are a way of enforcing the 2016 arbitral victory by helping uphold the freedom of navigation and overflight.
At the same time, it is a show of support for the country’s exercise of its rights over its territory. Toward this end, he advocated for the country’s credible defense posture through the acquisition of defense assets.
The geopolitical developments in the West Philippine Sea have elevated the level of tension among claimants that require diplomatic and military responses. At the same time, these strains relationships as China’s gray zone operations in the area have raised concerns about their effect on the marine environment and on biodiversity.
The Philippines’ rights over the West Philippine Sea entail a responsibility to protect the territory from incursions from another state, as well as preventing the irreversible damage to marine biodiversity. As is evident, reclamation activities to build military outposts have destroyed the natural ecosystems in the area. In fact, the official 2016 arbitral award that ruled in favor of the Philippines contains observations that such activities have caused “irreparable harm to the coral reef ecosystem.”
On this issue, Del Rosario has stated that China had inflicted the “most massive, near permanent and devastating destruction of the marine wealth.” China’s activities had also disrupted the breeding grounds of fish and other marine life in the Spratlys. As such, for Secretary Del Rosario, the West Philippine Sea is not only a diplomatic and external defense issue but is also a major concern for the country’s food security.
Policies on national security continue to evolve to include traditional, non-traditional and emerging risks, requiring the Philippines to implement strategic and responsive policies.
To amplify the discourse on the concerns and issues on the West Philippine Sea, Stratbase ADR Institute has sought to organize regular discussions that bring together government officials, the diplomatic community, academe, think tanks and policy experts.
One such event was the recent town hall discussion entitled “Protecting the Seas: Preserving Biodiversity Through Marine Protection in the West Philippine Sea.”
The West Philippine Sea is a hotspot for marine and energy resources with immense environmental and economic value. Hence, strategies must include cooperation among relevant stakeholders, including the international community, to protect the area’s biodiversity.
To this end, Dr. Moya Collett, deputy head of mission of the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, assured of Australia’s commitment to supporting the Philippines in marine biodiversity protection, which contributes to the health and prosperity of both countries.
Likewise, Assistant Director-General Jonathan Malaya of the National Security Council recommended harnessing the strengths of strategic like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific to further its capacity-building measures, joint exercises, and cooperation initiatives to enable the Philippines to become a capable maritime nation.
Protecting the biodiversity of the marine environment in the West Philippine Sea complements the efforts to enrich our maritime territory and transform it into a viable zone for tourism. The municipality of the Kalayaan Island Group has launched its tourism initiative known as The Great Kalayaan Expedition.
The expedition aims to bring spirited individuals to remote islands in the West Philippine Sea for an exploration adventure and to engage in water sports activities. Since its launching, the invitation has created a lot of buzz as so many have enlisted to join the expedition. Increasing the country’s presence in the area through tourism is a unique way to assert and protect the country’s rights over its waters.
Undersecretary for Fisheries Drusila Esther Bayate of the Department of Agriculture advocated another way of asserting the country’s sovereignty by the strengthening of the capacity of our fishermen and their communities and the promotion of viable livelihood projects with sustainable fishing practices.
While our government is hard at work in addressing the many issues affecting our sovereign rights, marine life protection and food supply, Del Rosario has been unrelenting in fighting for rights in the West Philippine Sea.
As the country faces new security risks, the secretary’s life work will remind Filipinos that in asserting our rights in the West Philippine Sea, there is no need to ask consent or permission from anybody.
If we are to assert our right to benefit from these vast marine resources, we must be willing to carry on Ambassador Albert del Rosario’s mission to justly assert our nation’s integrity and to stand firm with likeminded allies in sustaining the peace and prosperity fostered by the adherence to the rule of law.
Alynna Carlos is a program manager at the think tank Stratbase ADR Institute.