WPS: Preparing our children for the future
The West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute is often framed in legal, military, or diplomatic language that seems remote from ordinary citizens. Yet, this is a mistake. Our younger generation will inherit the consequences of how we handle this conflict today. If we fail to help them grasp why it matters, we risk raising citizens who will accept the erosion of sovereignty as normal. That is why I begin with the kind of question a child might ask: Why are we fighting China, when we also benefit from trade, culture, and friendship with them?
The Philippines is a smaller kid in the schoolyard. China is the biggest one. The rules of the school—international law—say the slides and swings near our side are ours to use. But the bigger kid has been placing his bag there and telling others to stay away. Everyone can see it, but not everyone is willing to intervene.
This conflict is not about refusing friendship. It is about boundaries, fairness, and rules. Friendship cannot mean submission, and generosity cannot excuse aggression.
By the time today’s 10-year-olds enter college, the WPS will look different depending on decisions made in the next decade. Will they find a Philippines that stood firm, defended its rightful waters, and strengthened its alliances? Or will they see a cornered nation, hemmed in by the expansion of its neighbor?
The answer will depend on several uncertainties that could tip the balance.
1. Allied cohesion. Will our security partners—especially the United States, Japan, Australia, and Asean neighbors—stand with us consistently, or will their unity waver under pressure?
2. Leadership at home. The stance of our leaders, like a school principal on the playground, can empower alliances or render them meaningless. A weak principal smiles at the bully and hopes for the best; a strong one enforces the rules and protects those who are smaller.
3. China’s internal stability. Beijing’s behavior at sea is partly shaped by struggles at home. A fragile leadership may double down on bullying to rally domestic support, or it may retreat from risky behavior to avoid further instability.
4. Global opinion. The Philippines’ transparency initiative has earned it sympathy abroad, exposing China’s coercion. But this could be reversed if China stages a false flag operation, portraying itself as the victim of Filipino aggression.
5. Mindanao’s fragility. The relative peace in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region is a bright spot. Yet if communities there feel neglected, they could be vulnerable to manipulation, even recruitment, by external actors with an interest in destabilization.
There are likely four possible futures by 2040:
1. Rules with teeth. Strong alliances, firm national leadership, and solid global opinion behind us. China is constrained, and Philippine sovereignty is secure.
2. Gray tide. Alliances falter, leadership is weak, and China’s narrative gains traction. The Philippines is boxed into a corner, losing access to its seas.
3. Confused resistance. We stand up to pressure but with limited allies and internal distractions. The Philippines clings to some ground, but at much cost and constant risk.
4. Edge of the line. Our allies are strong, but domestic leadership wavers and divisions grow at home. We remain protected but fragile.
Across these futures, one factor repeats: leadership. A president who acts like a fawning principal can squander even the strongest alliances. Conversely, a leader who is principled and firm can rally allies, protect domestic cohesion, and keep the bully’s behavior in check.
This is why elections matter more than ever. Choosing leaders indifferent to sovereignty is not just a short-term mistake; it reshapes the strategic environment our children will live in. Sovereignty is not a slogan. It is the foundation of dignity, security, and national development.
Our children will ask hard questions about why the Philippines fought to hold its ground in the West Philippine Sea. We must prepare them for clear answers: that we defended fairness, insisted on rules, and refused to yield to intimidation. China may remain a trading partner and cultural friend, but it cannot be allowed to act as a playground bully.
By the time our young citizens enter college, let us hope they inherit not a diminished corner but a proud and secure nation. That outcome begins with the choices we make at present—most importantly, the leaders we entrust with the role of principal.
