‘PH firm on sovereignty, but also looking to deescalate tensions’
West Philippine Sea composite image by DANIELLA MARIE AGACER from file photos from 黑料社, Agence France-Presse, and Philippine Coast Guard
MANILA, Philippines — House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has assured participants of the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) that while the Philippines will always protect its rights over territorial waters, it is also looking at deescalating tensions in the region.
Romualdez made this remark on Friday, as he spoke at a stakeholder dialogue in the WEF, entitled “Navigating Asia’s Hotspots.”
According to Romualdez, the Philippines maintains its strategic position as a United States (US) ally, while also being a vital trade partner of China — noting that the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) does not define the entirety of Manila-Beijing ties.
“President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has been very, very firm on his policy that we should not give an inch of any Philippine territory,” said Romualdez, one of the members of the Philippine delegation to the 2025 WEF in Davos, Switzerland.
“Despite the President being very firm on this policy of not giving up a single inch, we are working daily to de-escalate tensions. We do not want the South China Sea dispute to overshadow the many other facets of our relationship with China, including trade, education, and cultural exchanges,” he added.
Article continues after this advertisementRomualdez meanwhile said that the Philippine government continues to abide by a rules-based global order, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).
Article continues after this advertisement“Having that been said, we celebrate, of course, our rules-based global order, and with the UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral award recognizing the sovereignty of the Philippines, we stand steadfast with the President’s policy in enforcing that,” he said.
“We are not taking sides. The United States is our long-standing ally, and China is our largest trading partner. The Philippines is navigating a middle path where we maximize opportunities from both relationships while actively participating in the broader global community,” he added.
According to Romualdez, he and the rest of the Philippine delegation attended the WEF to highlight the economic benefits of the Philippines’ pragmatic foreign policy.
“We are here at the WEF to tell the Philippine story—of a nation full of potential and resilience. As part of ASEAN, we are at the heart of a dynamic growth region, and we are working to build stronger partnerships to unlock opportunities for trade and investment,” he said.
“ASEAN continues to play a vital role in ensuring regional peace and stability. The Philippines remains committed to this multilateral framework, which has proven effective in addressing challenges while promoting cooperation,” he added.
“Our future lies in de-escalating tensions, building meaningful partnerships, and safeguarding our principles.”
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