On 20 November 2025, former Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio delivered the Commencement Address to the graduating class of De La Salle University, where he was also conferred a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.

His message — later published as a long-form essay under his own byline — confronted what he calls “the gravest misconception in Philippine history”: the belief that the Philippine national territory is limited to the borders drawn in the 1898 Treaty of Paris.

Carpio’s address to the Class of 2025 was both a correction and a warning:
A nation that misunderstands its own map weakens its own claim.

---

The Paris Lines Are Not Our Borders

Carpio explained how generations of Filipinos internalized the wrong idea that the Treaty of Paris fully defines Philippine territory. This mistake, he argued, narrows the country’s historical footprint and inadvertently weakens its position in maritime disputes.

To set the record straight, Carpio highlighted the often-overlooked Treaty of Washington (1900) — a binding agreement in which Spain ceded to the United States all islands “lying outside” the Paris lines but administered as part of the Philippine archipelago. These include areas directly relevant to today’s West Philippine Sea narrative.

By ignoring the Treaty of Washington, many Filipinos unknowingly erase parts of their own national geography.

---

Why the Truth Matters

Carpio emphasized three points:

• Foreign revisionism thrives where domestic historical gaps exist.
• Misunderstanding treaties weakens the Philippines’ historical and legal position.
• Accurate territorial history is inseparable from national security.

The Philippines must present a unified historical narrative — not one diluted by inherited colonial errors.

---

A Call to Educators and Policymakers

Carpio urged universities, media institutions, historians, and government agencies to correct the misconception urgently. Updating textbooks, realigning public education, and strengthening state messaging are essential steps in safeguarding Philippine maritime rights.

The Philippine territorial story is not a single line drawn in 1898 but a centuries-long continuum of maps, decrees, treaties, and state acts. Without accurate public understanding, protecting the West Philippine Sea becomes an uphill battle.

Read Justice Carpio’s full analysis here:
https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-correcting-gravest-misconception-philippine-history/