MANILA, Philippines — A policy think tank has called on the government to accelerate the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), saying the country must strengthen its defense capabilities to address evolving security challenges in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) a decade after its landmark legal victory against China.
The Stratbase Institute made the appeal ahead of a high-level conference on July 10 commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral award, which invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea under international law.
The forum, titled "A Decade of the Arbitral Award: Credible Deterrence in Defense of the West Philippine Sea," will focus on how the Philippines can build on its legal victory by enhancing credible deterrence and strengthening national security amid increasing geopolitical tensions.
Discussions will be based on the Stratbase Institute's June 2026 Spark publication, "10 Years After the Arbitral Award: From Legal Triumph to Credible Deterrence Through Multidomain Modernization," which argues that the country's legal victory must be complemented by stronger strategic and defense capabilities.
"The Arbitral Award gave the Philippines legal standing; the next decade must deliver strategic strength," Stratbase Institute president and SPARK lead author Victor Andres Manhit said in the publication.
Manhit said the country should accelerate efforts to transform the AFP into a technologically capable multidomain force and fully implement the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, which integrates operations across land, maritime, air, cyber, and information domains.
He stressed that protecting Philippine interests in the West Philippine Sea requires a broader national effort beyond military modernization.
"National security today requires a whole-of-society effort involving government, civil society, academia, media, the private sector, faith-based organizations, and international partners working together to strengthen resilience and uphold the rules-based international order," Manhit said.
The institute cited recent survey results indicating strong public backing for the government's efforts to defend the West Philippine Sea.
A Stratbase-commissioned survey conducted in May found that 86 percent of Filipinos support the government's efforts to defend the West Philippine Sea in cooperation with like-minded nations and in accordance with the 2016 arbitral ruling.
"The survey results show that Filipinos understand that defending the West Philippine Sea requires more than legal arguments and diplomatic statements," Manhit said. "It requires credible deterrence, stronger partnerships, and national resilience."
The institute also pointed to a 2025 Pulse Asia survey it commissioned, which found that Filipinos consider continued support for the AFP and the Philippine Coast Guard as the most important measure in protecting the country's rights in its waters. Respondents also identified stronger alliances, joint patrols, military exercises, and security cooperation with like-minded countries as key priorities.
The July 10 conference will examine both the gains achieved since the arbitral ruling and the continuing challenges facing the Philippines in asserting its maritime rights.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. is scheduled to deliver the keynote address. The conference will also bring together at least 10 ambassadors from countries that support a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, along with representatives from government, academia, the business sector, youth organizations, civil society, and the religious sector, including Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David.