The Tarlac State University - School of Law (TSU - SOL), together with the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School of Law (UST GS Law), held the second regional leg of the West Philippine Sea Arbitral Ruling Forum on November 6, 2026, at the Old SP Session Hall, Capitol Building, Barangay San Vicente, Tarlac City.
The forum is part of the nationwide caravan “Mobilizing Filipino Voices on the 10th Anniversary of the South China Sea Arbitral Ruling.” UST GS Law organized the caravan with the UST Faculty of Civil Law and the UST Research and Endowment Foundation, Inc. (UST REFI), with support from the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The Tarlac leg’s theme was “Upholding Sovereignty Through Law: Diplomacy, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Rationale of the 2016 Arbitral Award.”
Dean Atty. Jacqueline O. Lopez-Kaw, DCL, and Dean Atty. Jose I. dela Rama, Jr., DCL, initiated the partnership between the two law schools. Their shared commitment to legal education and public discourse brought this national conversation to Central Luzon.
TSU Law faculty take center stage
Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis H. Jardeleza was the forum’s keynote speaker. As Solicitor General from 2012 to 2014, he led the Philippine legal team in the landmark UNCLOS arbitration against China. Two TSU – SOL faculty members also took part. Atty. Jewel O. Dela Cruz, LLM served as a resource speaker, and Atty. Carisa Marie P. Balilia served as a reactor and gave thoughtful insights on the issues discussed.
The lecture covered the legal, diplomatic and historical foundations of the Philippines’ maritime rights in the contested waters. It also stressed the role of international law and diplomacy and the lasting significance of the 2016 Arbitral Award. The initiative aimed to mobilize Filipino voices. It also called on the youth to carry forward the country’s legal defense of its maritime rights, including any possible second case against China.
The forum drew a diverse audience. Participants included government officials, TSU officials, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) chapter presidents and officers, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, legal practitioners, law students, fisherfolk, advocates, and other stakeholders from the academe and the community.
A caravan across the archipelago
The caravan began at UST on September 25, 2026. The first regional leg, “Securing the Maritime Frontier: Strategic Defense,” was held on October 23, 2026, with the University of Batangas College of Law. The third and final leg, “People at the Frontline: Building Resilient Coastal Communities amid West Philippine Sea Tensions,” will be held at Palawan State University on January 29, 2027.
Bringing the discourse to the grassroots
With the steadfast leadership of President Dr. Jasper Jay N. Mendoza Ph.D, DDM, the University and its School of Law are inspired to keep the conversation on the West Philippine Sea going. The University aims to bring the discourse beyond lecture halls and into the grassroots. It hopes to help ordinary Filipinos, including those in communities far from the sea, understand why the country’s maritime rights matter and how the rule of law protects them.
As the conversation moves forward, TSU joins the call for Filipinos to keep affirming the role of law, knowledge and shared responsibility in protecting the nation’s maritime interests.
One conversation. One shared commitment. A stronger Filipino voice.
Photo credits: TSU Law Moot and Debate Society Facebook Page
