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During the afternoon session of the Stratbase Institute’s annual conference, held in partnership with the Embassy of Australia in the Philippines and titled “9th Year of the Arbitral Victory: Defending the Rules-Based Order Through Reinforced Defense Capabilities and Partnerships” at the Manila Polo Club, the discussion continued on strengthening the Philippines’ defense posture and enhancing regional security cooperation. The lunch program featured a special teaser screening of the award-winning documentary “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea,” with Director Baby Ruth Villarama and Producer Chuck Gutierrez highlighting the powerful and personal stories of Filipino fishermen and military personnel as they carry out resupply missions and fishing expeditions in the West Philipine Sea. In his speech, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander ADM Steven “Web” Koehler emphasized the growing international recognition of the West Philippine Sea as a critical part of the broader regional geopolitical landscape. He reaffirmed the ironclad alliance between the Philippines and the United States, highlighting key commitments such as Balikatan 2025 the largest iteration to date—and expressed strong support for continued joint exercises, enhanced interoperability, and cooperation in disaster response. The Institute expresses its deep gratitude to the military panelists: MGen. Fabian Pedregosa (Commander, Air Defense Command, Philippine Air Force); RADM Roy Vincent Trinidad (Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea and Inspector General, Philippine Navy); Col. Francel Margareth Taborlupa (Spokesperson, Armed Forces of the Philippines); and CG COMMO Jay Tarriela (Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Philippine Coast Guard) for sharing their invaluable expertise on developments in the West Philippine Sea and the government’s continued efforts to assert its sovereign rights and uphold maritime security. This session was moderated by Mr. Don McLain Gill (Non-Resident Fellow, Stratbase Institute; Lecturer, De La Salle University). We also extend our gratitude to our esteemed defense and security experts: Col. Raymond Powell, US Air Force (Ret) (Non-Resident Fellow, Stratbase Institute; Director, Project Sealight), Dr. Charmaine Willoughby (Chair, Department of International Studies, De La Salle University – Manila), RADM Rommel Jude Ong (Ret) (Non-Resident Fellow, Stratbase Institute; Professor of Praxis, Ateneo School of Government), and Dr. Renato de Castro (Trustee, Program Convenor, and Non-Resident Fellow Stratbase Institute; Professor, International Studies Department, De La Salle University-Manila) for their insightful contributions to the evolving discourse on the West Philippine Sea. This panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Sherwin Ona (Non-Resident Fellow, Stratbase Institute; Associate Professor, De La Salle University). The Institute remains committed to bringing together key stakeholders from government, the military, the diplomatic community, academe, and civil society to strengthen the Philippines’ assertion of its maritime rights and sovereignty.