Edcel John A. Ibarra
Assistant Professor
Bulwagang Silangang Palma
Africa Street
University of Philippines Diliman, Quezon City
eaibarra@up.edu.ph
Google Sites | Google Scholar
Edcel John A. Ibarra is an assistant professor at the Department of Political Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, and the managing editor of the Philippine Political Science Journal. He is also Young Leader and US-Philippines Alliance Next-Generation Leader at the Pacific Forum in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. In 2024, he was awarded the Aileen San Pablo Baviera Prize by the Graduate Research and Development Network on Asian Security, based at the Australian National University in Canberra, for his article “Issue-Based Cooperation on Conflict Resolution in the South China Sea: Roles for ASEAN Beyond the Code of Conduct” in the Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies. In the same year, he also testified on China’s military capabilities and the regional security architecture before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission based in Washington, DC. Edcel was previously a research fellow of the Strategic Studies Program of the Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the Philippines, and the officer-in-charge of the Strategic, Territorial, and Maritime Issues Section of the Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, Foreign Service Institute—the think tank of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. Edcel obtained his master’s degree in international studies and bachelor’s degree in political science (magna cum laude) from the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Education
- Master in International Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman, 2022
- Bachelor of Arts (Political Science), magna cum laude, University of the Philippines Diliman, 2015
Research Interests
Philippine foreign policy; territorial and maritime disputes; South China Sea; maritime security and ocean governance; regional security
Recent Publications
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2024). Articulating a Philippine grand strategy: Policy continuities on the South China Sea. Asian Politics and Policy, 16(3), 317-366. https://doi.org/10.1111/aspp.12753
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2024). “Pendulum swings” in the Philippines’ South China Sea approach? Policy continuities from the Ramos to the Duterte administrations (Discussion Paper 2024-02). University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies. https://cids.up.edu.ph/discussion_paper/pendulum-swings-philippines-south-china-sea-approach/
- Ibarra, E. J. A., & Arugay, A. A. (2024). Something old, something new: The Philippines’ transparency initiative in the South China Sea (ISEAS Perspective 2024/27). ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2024-27-something-old-something-new-the-philippines-transparency-initiative-in-the-south-china-sea-by-edcel-john-a-ibarra-aries-a-arugay/
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2024). Partnership diplomacy for Philippine maritime security: Revival under Marcos Jr. and strategic convergence with the Republic of Korea (KIMS Periscope No. 350). Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy. https://en.kims.or.kr/issubrief/kims-periscope/peri350/
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2024, 21 March). Testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission: Regional views on China’s military capabilities and implications for regional security architecture. https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/Edcel_Ibarra_Testimony.pdf
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2022). Issue-based cooperation on conflict resolution in the South China Sea: Exploring roles for ASEAN beyond the code of conduct. Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies, 9(1), 97–115. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48684181
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2022). Advancing the Philippines-US alliance for conflict resolution in the South China Sea: Policy options from an issues approach. Issues & Insights, 22(SR1), 38–44. https://pacforum.org/publication/issues-insights-vol-22-sr1-resilient-alliance-moving-the-u-s-philippines-security-relations-forward
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2022). The controversy surrounding Sandy Cay: Examining the public evidence. FSI Insights, 7(2). https://fsi.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/FSI-Insights-November-2021.pdf
- Estrada, D. V., & Ibarra, E. J. A. (2021). Don’t get the wrong impression: Revisiting the Philippines-China relationship of comprehensive strategic cooperation. FSI Insights, 7(1). https://fsi.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/FSI-Insights-March-2021.pdf
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2021). Revisiting the need for a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea. CIRSS Commentaries, 6(2). https://fsi.gov.ph/revisiting-the-need-for-a-legally-binding-code-of-conduct-in-the-south-china-sea-chasing-a-moving-target/
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2018). Considerations on the legal approach to dispute settlement: The Philippine experience with the South China Sea arbitration. CIRSS Commentaries, 5(5). https://fsi.gov.ph/considerations-on-the-legal-approach-to-dispute-settlement-the-philippine-experience-with-the-south-china-sea-arbitration/
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2017). Probing the (Im)possibility of China’s compliance with the South China Sea arbitration award. FSI Insights, 4(2). https://fsi.gov.ph/probing-the-impossibility-of-chinas-compliance-with-the-south-china-sea-arbitration-award/
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2017). Lessons of functionalism for functional cooperation in the South China Sea. CIRSS Horizons, 1(1), 12–13. https://www.think-asia.org/bitstream/handle/11540/7971/CIRSS-HORIZONS-Jan-June2017.pdf
- Ibarra, E. J. A. (2017). The Philippines’ “pivot” to China: A review of perspectives. CIRSS Commentaries, 4(9). https://fsi.gov.ph/the-philippines-pivot-to-china-a-review-of-perspectives/
- Amador, J. S., III, & Ibarra, E. J. A. (2016). Deliberate, not desperate: The Philippines’ national security strategy on the West Philippine Sea. CIRSS Commentaries, 3(9). https://fsi.gov.ph/deliberate-not-desperate-the-philippines-national-security-strategy-on-the-west-philippine-sea/
Courses Taught
- Political Science 121: Society and Politics
- Political Science 181: Philippine Foreign Policy
- Social Science 2: Social, Economic, and Political Thought