Manila, July 11 -- Ten years ago, an Arbitral Tribunal affirmed the Philippines' sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea; and invalidated China's nine-dash line in the South China Sea.

Since then, legal luminaries and experts have hailed the ruling - handed down on July 12, 2016 - as a Philippine legal victory that upheld the rule of law in the vital sea lane.

But at the grassroots level, what does this 501-page decision mean for a regular Filipino?

In the words of Solicitor-General Darlene Marie Berberabe, "It means the fish that feed our coastal towns are in law, Filipino fish. It means the gas beneath Recto Bank is in law, Filipino gas."

"And that Bajo de Masinloc, in ...