Filipino Canadians in Toronto will gather on Sept. 19 for a community forum marking the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award and examining its significance to the Philippines.
The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Toronto (UPAAT) will host the free forum on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Filipino Centre Toronto, 4395 Sheppard Ave. E. in Scarborough.
The event also commemorates Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month, or MANA Mo, which promotes awareness of the Philippines’ maritime identity and interests.
UPAAT president Agnes Manasan said the anniversary provides an opportunity for the community to better understand the issue.
“We wanted to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Award by creating an opportunity for our community to learn, reflect and have an informed conversation about an issue that continues to matter to the Philippines,” Manasan said.
She said the forum also reflects UPAAT’s connection to the Philippines and the Filipino community in Canada.
“As UPAAT, we felt this was a natural extension of our commitment to UP, the Philippines and the Filipino-Canadian community.”
The forum comes a decade after an arbitral tribunal issued its final award on July 12, 2016, in a case brought by the Philippines against China under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The proceedings addressed maritime entitlements, the status of features in the South China Sea and certain Chinese activities.
China did not participate in the proceedings and has maintained that it does not accept the arbitration.
Manasan said the issue also affects the Philippines’ resources and communities.
“The South China Sea is directly connected to the Philippines’ future—our maritime resources, livelihoods, environment and national interests,” she said.
Understanding the award, she added, also means understanding how international maritime law applies to the Philippines.
“Filipinos need to understand not only what the 2016 Award says, but why the Law of the Sea matters to a country whose life and economy are so closely tied to the ocean.”
The forum will feature Prof. Jay L. Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea at the UP Law Center and a professor at the UP College of Law.
Batongbacal has worked extensively on maritime affairs.
He previously served as a legal adviser to the Philippine delegation that pursued the country’s claim to an extended continental shelf in the Benham Rise region.
Manasan said his experience can help make the subject easier for community members to understand.
“He brings both legal expertise and a deep understanding of Philippine maritime affairs, so attendees can better appreciate what the 2016 Award means and how the Law of the Sea applies to the Philippines,” she said.
The discussion will also examine the importance of the sea to the Philippines as an archipelagic country.
“For the Philippines, the Law of the Sea is not an abstract legal concept,” Manasan said. “We are an archipelagic nation.”
She said the country’s waters play a central role in both daily life and the economy.
“The sea connects our islands, sustains our communities and provides enormous economic and environmental resources.”
Holding the forum in Toronto brings the discussion closer to Filipino Canadians who continue to have strong connections to the Philippines.
Manasan said the community also has a growing voice in Canadian society.
“We wanted to bring this important conversation closer to our community and encourage Filipino-Canadians to engage thoughtfully with an issue that has significance not only for the Philippines, but for the broader rules-based international order,” she said.
Organizers hope the conversation continues beyond Saturday’s forum.
“I hope they leave with greater understanding, curiosity and a willingness to continue learning,” Manasan said.
For her, staying informed is also a way for Filipinos abroad to remain engaged with issues affecting the Philippines.
“Most of all, I hope they recognize that staying informed is one meaningful way we can contribute to the Philippines and to a more thoughtful Filipino-Canadian community.”
Luis Miguel De Castro is a Changing Narratives Fund-Local Journalism Initiative reporter at Mabuhay Canada and a journalism graduate at Humber Polytechnic in Toronto. Originally from the Philippines, he is passionate about community storytelling, multimedia journalism, and amplifying Filipino voices through meaningful local coverage.
