JUNE is already here, and Philippine flags once again appear on highways and at government buildings, schools, village halls, and public plazas. The familiar red, white, blue and golden sun and stars remind us that Independence Day is approaching. For many Filipinos, the sight of the flag evokes pride, sacrifice and nationhood. Yet it also raises a timely question: More than a century after independence, what does sovereignty mean today?

When Filipino revolutionaries declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898, sovereignty meant freedom from colonial rule and the right of Filipinos to govern themselves. More than a century later, the challenges confronting Philippine sovereignty are far more complex. No foreign power governs the country directly, yet debates about sovereignty continue to shape our national conversations.