The Department of National Defense (DND) has welcomed the Cebu City Council’s unanimous approval of a resolution declaring every July 12 as “West Philippine Sea Victory Day,” calling the 2016 Arbitral Award a victory the country must uphold and enforce.
In a statement issued on Monday, June 29, 2026, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. lauded the council’s approval of the measure, saying the landmark ruling remains a significant legal victory for the Philippines that deserves to be embraced and defended.
“We laud the Cebu City Council’s unanimous approval of a resolution declaring July 12 of every year as ‘West Philippine Sea Victory Day.’ The 2016 Arbitral Award was indeed a victory which our country should embrace and fight to enforce,” Teodoro said.
He ended his statement with the message, “Mabuhay po kayo. Hindi Tayo Magpapasiiil.”
Resolution Details
The resolution, authored by Cebu City Councilor Pablo Labra II, seeks to commemorate every July 12 as “West Philippine Sea Victory Day” in recognition of the Philippines’ historic arbitral victory under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It also affirms the country’s sovereign rights and maritime entitlements in the West Philippine Sea and urges Congress to institutionalize the annual observance nationwide.
The measure cites the strategic, economic and environmental importance of the West Philippine Sea and emphasizes the need to preserve public awareness of the July 12, 2016 arbitral ruling. It also aims to promote patriotism, national unity, civic education and respect for international law, particularly among the youth.
Chinese Protest
The Cebu City Council unanimously approved the resolution despite a diplomatic protest from the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Cebu, which expressed its “gravest concern and firm opposition” to the proposal.
In a note dated June 22, the Chinese Consulate described the arbitration as “a political farce disguised in legal clothing” and insisted that the arbitral award is “illegal, null and void.” Beijing also maintained that its sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea are rooted in history and law.
Historic Ruling
The Philippines secured the landmark arbitral victory on July 12, 2016, when an arbitral tribunal constituted under Annex VII of UNCLOS ruled that China’s sweeping “nine-dash line” claim has no legal basis under international law. The ruling affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.
