More than 700 participants from the youth sector, schools, national and local government agencies, and religious organizations gathered in Batac City, Ilocos Norte for an Ilocano dialogue on the West Philippine Sea.

The forum aimed to raise awareness among young people and local communities about issues surrounding the West Philippine Sea through discussions on international law, maritime security, and regional developments in the Indo-Pacific.

Speakers included retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, National Maritime Council spokesperson Alexander Lopez, Armed Forces of the Philippines Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Aristotle Gonzalez, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Ray Powell, and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., the event's guest of honor, also answered questions from participants during the dialogue.

In an interview, Teodoro said it was difficult to believe an AI-generated video depicting Filipinos as monkey-like characters, noting that there was no indication that the Chinese government had authorized its release.

As part of the event, the Armed Forces of the Philippines also displayed military equipment and allowed youth participants to view and handle various weapons during an exhibit.