“Domestic Politics and Manila’s Policy on the South China Sea” was the title of a presentation Dr. Baviera delivered at a Conference on New Dynamics in the South China Sea Disputes, organized by the China Programme of the S. Rajaratnam School for International Studies in Singapore on November 28, 2016. The China Foreign Affairs University was a co-organizer of the event, which brought together scholars and experts from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, and China. From the discussions, it could be gleaned that while the countries that competed with China did not appear to have a grand strategy on how to manage the South China Sea, China had a clear vision that included defense modernization, economic initiatives under the framework of its 21st century Maritime Silk Road, and rejection of the arbitration ruling. In her presentaion, Dr Baviera highlighted elements of the political system, political culture, and traditional relationships that continue to shape Philippine foreign policy alongside changes that appear to be emerging under the Duterte administration.