15 September 2026, Seattle- In unity with the Philippine Government and the Department’s observance of the Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANAMo) in September pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 316, series of 2017, the Philippine Consulate General in Seattle organized a flag raising ceremony with a commemorative program on 15 September 2026, 10:00 am at the Chancery. The MANAMo 2026 theme is “Karapatan at Karagatan, Sama-Sama Nating Alagaan.”
Philippine Consul General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. led the officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate General in Seattle in facilitating the activity which was participated by the entire Seattle PCG personnel and leaders of some Filipino Community organizations in Seattle. The participants wore blue clothes in solidarity with and in support of the commemoration of MANAMo month and its objectives. These two objectives include defending and protecting the maritime and territorial rights of the Filipino people in the West Philippine Sea in accordance with the 2016 Arbitral Award (the Philippines’ legal victory over the Chinese Government) and under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and promoting the preservation and protection of Philippine ocean and seas and its vast marine and underwater resources. The commemorative program commenced with the flag raising ceremony and the playing of the MANAMo video.
In his opening remarks, Consul General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. informed the Seattle PCG Team and FilCom guests of the significance of the MANAMo commemoration and its observance for the entire month of September in view of the archipelagic orientation of the Philippines. He explained how this archipelagic orientation affects the identity and culture of the Filipino people stating that roughly 75% of the Filipino population’s livelihood is closely tied to the sea, living in the country’s extensive coastlines, working and benefitting from the country’s maritime resources. He extolled everyone to be united with all the Filipinos around the world in striving to defend and protect the Philippines’ maritime, territorial and legal rights in the West PHL Sea under the 2016 Arbitral Award and in ensuring the preservation and protection of Philippine ocean and seas and its vast marine and underwater resources for future generations of Filipinos.
The Consul General then read the message of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. who exhorted the Filipino people to uphold the country’s lawful maritime rights in accordance with the 2016 Arbitral Award (the Philippines’ legal victory over the Chinese Government) and to participate in the national commemorative activities and observance of MANAMo in the month of September.
Afterward, the PH Consulate presented the video message of Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro where she emphasized the two-pronged focus of the Philippine maritime foreign policy, namely: 1) The Philippines’ signing and ratification of the UNCLOS and the country’s strong adherence to its provisions; and 2) The 2016 Arbitral Award in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea which invalidated China’s 9-dash line and overwhelmingly decided in favor of the Philippine Government. With this international legal framework, Secretary Lazaro appealed for stronger ocean stewardship and governance.
In his message, Consul General Bensurto underscored that the country’s Archipelagic policy and the Philippine Government’s legal victory that is the 2016 Arbitral Award are the product of a long, arduous and deliberate process of legal and policy study and collaboration with the Department’s officials and international lawyers. It is the Philippines’ imperative to fight for the country’s maritime and territorial rights, its maritime resources and for the Filipino people’s dignity and identity as a collective.
ConGen Bensurto underscored that the 2016 Arbitral Award is the Philippine Government’s contribution to international maritime law and in strengthening the rules-based regional and international order. Nations are tied and governed through international laws and without these laws, the world will descend into chaos and anarchy. Without these international laws and their effective enforcement, the undersigned warned the “might is right” ethos in geopolitics will prevail and small nations like the Philippines will be put in a disadvantageous position vis-à-vis big nations like China.
ConGen Bensurto also provided a brief backgrounder on the beginnings of the 2016 Arbitral Award. The process of deliberations on the PH policy on maritime foreign policy stated with the UNCLOS where the country introduced its archipelagic doctrine to protect the Philippine maritime rights. Prior to this, the Philippine Government signed the UNCLOS in 1982 and ratified it on 1984. In 2009, the Philippines passed the Archipelagic Baselines Law or the Republic Act No. 9522. This law served as the impetus for the Department’s subsequent review, studying and deliberation on a comprehensive maritime foreign policy on the West Philippine Sea. This culminated in the preparation and submission of the Philippine case against China in 2013 under Part XV and Annex VII of UNCLOS. On 12 July 2016, the Philippine Government won the 2016 Arbitral Award where the Philippine maritime rights over the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea was overwhelmingly upheld and China’s 9-dash claim was invalidated. He emphasized the importance of the Filipino people and its Government standing up for what is right, and that this legal victory/foreign policy triumph is evidence that the Philippines is in the right side of the law and of history.
Finally, Consul General highlighted that the Philippines’ assertion and conviction gave it a rightful and prestigious place in the community of nations. The fight to assert the country’s maritime rights and the Filipino archipelagic identity was a noble and valiant endeavor, one that brought pride and dignity to the Filipino people. He stressed that the responsibility of protecting our maritime and territorial rights over the West PHL Sea and preserving and protecting our marine resources is now being handed over to the Filipino people.
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