DFA

Issued on July 12, 2016 by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the award stemmed from a case filed by the Philippines in 2013, challenging China's sweeping claims over nearly 85 percent of the South China Sea through its so-called "nine-dash line."

- With Jose Rodel Clapano, Alexis Romero

The tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines, declaring China's claims as inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ruling also clarified the legal status of several maritime features in the Spratly Islands and Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

Since then, this nine-year-old arbitral ruling has served as a guide in peaceful resolution of maritime territorial disputes, according to the DFA.

"It is an illuminating precedent for states facing similarly challenging circumstances in the seas, and the clearest of reminders to the international community that the rule of law can be the great equalizer between and among nations and serve as the bedrock of peace and stability for the international community," the agency said.

"Along with the UNCLOS, the Arbitral Award will continue to be a cornerstone of Philippine maritime policy and the country's unflinching advocacy for a rules-based order governed by international law," the DFA added.