ABSTRACT
The Philippines' maritime policy has in the past decade shifted from one end of the spectrum to another. What explains these shifts in the Philippines' maritime policy? Against this backdrop, I argue that the inconsistencies in foreign policy are a function of an uncoordinated domestic structure in the maritime domain. The Philippines is an archipelagic and a maritime nation, and yet, its policies are unable to capture this distinction. Maritime domain awareness remains largely insufficient, resulting in overlapping mandates and areas of maritime law enforcement agencies. The policy landscape is murky and implemented in a clumsy manner. It is no wonder that the Philippines suffers from chronic insecurity in the maritime domain.
