Mr Erick Nielson C Javier is a Defense Research Officer of the National Defense College of the Philippines, specializing in defense industrial development, small state deterrence and the future of warfare. Previously, he served as a Defense Analyst in the Office of Strategic Studies and Strategy Management, Armed Forces of the Philippines from 2015-2021.

Mr Javier completed his Master of Arts in Political Science, Major in Global Politics at the Ateneo de Manila University in 2017. He also completed the 30th Executive Course on National Security from NDCP on December 2024. He was a member of the Young Leaders Program of Pacific Forum International, and is part of the Young Strategists’ Forum 2023 cohort of the United States German Marshall Fund.

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Dr. Jeremy Gatdula is a lawyer specializing in international law, constitutional law, and the philosophy of law. He is the Dean of UA&P Law School, as well as Legal Counsel of the University of Asia and the Pacific. He is an opinions columnist for BusinessWorld and Of Counsel at Belgica Aranas Baldueza Dela Cruz and Associates.

On scholarship from the Cambridge Overseas Trust, Jemy read international law at the University of Cambridge. Upon the invitation of the US State Department, he attended the Study of US Institutes (SUSI) program, focusing on constitutional law and political thought. He received his Doctor of Juridical Science degree from San Beda College, where his dissertation work focused on the natural law, the Philippine Constitution, and the limits of judicial power.

He lectures on international law, international trade law, philosophy of law, and constitutional law for various governmental and academic institutions, including the Philippine Judicial Academy, the National Defense College, Congress, and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. He has authored, co-authored, or edited books and articles on public international law, international economic law, and natural law.

He continues to work on various issues relating to international law, international trade, national security and the law on armed conflict, and the Constitution.

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Bryce Barros is an Associate Fellow at GLOBSEC’s GeoTech Center, where his research focuses on the convergence of Indo-Pacific, Euro-Atlantic, and emerging technologies with security. He previously served in the U.S. Senate as National Security Advisor on foreign policy and defense, supported the Defense Innovation Unit as a contractor, analyzed China and Taiwan’s roles in the Transatlantic relationship at the German Marshall Fund, and researched strategic trade controls and sanctions at Kharon.

Bryce is a Council on Foreign Relations Stephen M. Kellen Term Member, a Truman National Security Project Fellow, a National Committee on U.S.-China Relations member, and a Pacific Forum Young Leader. He holds degrees from Norwich University and Texas A&M University, is an honorary graduate of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Military Academy, and speaks Mandarin, Japanese, and Portuguese. He currently resides in Taiwan. He has lived and worked in both Taiwan and China for six years.

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Ervine Jules Beltran Sape is the Founding Executive Director of the Philippine International Law of the Sea Academy Inc. (PHILSEA). He leads a team of young Filipino ocean professionals in developing law of the sea capacity-building training programmes for Philippine law schools, universities, and colleges to address gaps in interpreting, applying, and enforcing the modern rule of international law of the sea. He trains Filipino law deans, law professors, law lecturers, law students, court attorneys, solicitors, and law enforcement officers to correctly interpret, properly domesticate, and effectively enforce the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with areas of interest in islands, rocks, maritime boundary delimitation, and Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).

Granted full scholarships from National University of Singapore Centre for International Law (NUS CIL), Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), and Chinese National Marine Data and Information Service (NMDIS), he holds a Diploma in International Law of the Sea awarded by the Korea Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) and is an alumnus of the Singapore Academy of International Law (SAIL) and International Ocean Institute (IOI) China. In 2023 he was competitively selected by the United States Embassy in the Philippines as an Academic Fellow on Sustainability and Environment under the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Programme hosted by the East-West Center (EWC) in the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa). Since 2021, he has been a Member of the Teaching and Researching International Law in Asia (TRILA) Programme managed by the NUS CIL.

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Brin Isaac is the Executive Secretary of the Philippine International Law of the Sea Academy (PHILSEA). She leads a team in performing secretariat functions and liaising with natural and juridical persons in relevant organizational matters across domestic and international platforms to foster partnerships, enhance visibility, and further engage in industry discussions. She implements and maintains a robust compliance framework to ensure that the organization adheres to its standards and regulations.

Aside from her PHILSEA role, she is a dedicated scholar, currently pursuing a Master of Arts (MA) in Philippine Studies at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, specializing in Foreign Relations. Her academic pursuit is complemented by practice experience, including her role as a Project Associate for the Gas Policy Development Project and previous work at the Embassy of India Manila.

Brin’s passion for maritime affairs is evident in her contributions to PHILSEA and her recognition as “Best Delegate” at the 2022 ASEAN-China Young Leaders Summit. She proactively engages in global policy discussions as a Young Leader of the Pacific Forum’s Young Leaders Program. She was also competitively selected by the United States Embassy in the Philippines as a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellow on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Empowerment at the University of Connecticut (UConn) for Fall 2025.

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CAPT Dhanavat Somchit currently serves the duty as Head of International Exercise Group, Exercises Division, Office of Exercise and Training, Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center (Thai-MECC).

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Vice Admiral Pongsak Somboon has held key positions including Commanding Officer of H.T.M.S. Klongyai, Deputy Director of the Naval Operations Department, Commander of the 1st Flotilla Riverine Squadron, the Royal Thai Navy ‘s Naval Attaché to the People’s Republic of China, Commander of the Submarine Squadron, Director of Maritime Enforcement Operations Center, and currently serves as Deputy Secretary General of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center (Thai-MECC).

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