Government, defense experts, and other key stakeholders called for intensified efforts to strengthen ocean governance through strategic international collaborations.
This became apparent when the Stratbase Institute, in partnership with the French Embassy in the Philippines, held the final installment of “Blue Talks” on Thursday as part of the Blue Nations initiative of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC).
During the event, French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel cited the signing of a letter of intent on security cooperation on December 23, 2024, in addition to the recently ratified Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement.
The landmark agreement set the foundations for closer defense collaboration, capacity building, and regular exchanges on strategic challenges, particularly in the maritime domain.
“Our engagement has moved beyond declarations towards tangible joint initiatives, information sharing, and trust building. We must continue to exchange our assessments of the asymmetric threats we face collectively. Beyond security and sovereignty, we must never forget that the ocean is also a human space, one that sustains lives, livelihoods, and cultures,” Fontanel said.
For his part, Stratbase Institute President Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit emphasized that the Philippines faces constant provocation, aggressive encroachment, and weaponization of environmental issues against China, which undermine sovereign rights, freedom of navigation, global trade, and the integrity of shared maritime commons.
“Effective maritime governance is not only defending one’s territory but also ensuring the seas remain a shared space of peace, prosperity, and sustainability, and France remains a steadfast partner of the Philippines in this endeavor,” he said.
“We believe that the Philippines cannot—and should not—stand alone. We reaffirm our commitment to promoting cooperation among like-minded states such as France, upholding international law, and ensuring a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific,” Manhit added.
For his part, National Maritime Council Spokesperson Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez (Ret.) said the West Philippine Sea has become the frontline of Chinese gray zone activities, characterized by illegal, coercive, and aggressive maneuvers like the incident in the Pag-asa Island.
He underscored that the Philippines and France can enhance joint maritime domain awareness through surveillance data, satellite technologies, and coordinated research to develop the country’s maritime governance framework that is integrated, sustainable, and inclusive.
“We need to reaffirm our shared commitment to protect our oceans, to empower our peoples, and to safeguard peace for the benefit of the generations who will inherit these blue frontiers for the Indo-Pacific we call home,” Lopez highlighted.
“Allow me to emphasize that the Indo-Pacific’s future will not be written by the strongest navy or the largest economy. It will be written by those who can govern the seas wisely, inclusively, and sustainably,” he added.
Likewise, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela cited the need to bolster the maritime domain awareness structure of the National Maritime Center, invest in education and capacity building for key maritime security agencies, sustain support for vessel acquisition, and strategic collaboration with the French Navy to enhance security in the seas.
“Maritime governance is no mere sidebar to conflict. It is the very compass of our ocean stewardship, spanning maritime safety, regulatory frameworks, marine environmental protection, law enforcement, and security,” said Tarriela.
“This brings me to the significance of the French-Philippine maritime cooperation, from early focuses on safety and economic connectivity, to bolstering law enforcement capability of the Coast Guard asset, to today’s united front against illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive maneuvering of the People’s Republic of China.
Tarriela also stressed that the West Philippine Sea should be treated as an election issue in the Philippines.
“We have to work so hard, double our efforts, to once again get the support of the international community to make use of the 2016 Arbitral Award to leverage our position,” he shared.
