03/09/2026
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The University of the VisayasβGullas Law School congratulates Joshua Tambor for earning 3rd Best Thesis in the 2026 Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity Nationwide Dissertation Writing Contest.
His winning thesis, βBahala Na is Not a Legal Standard,β tackles environmental law and the growing risks posed by climate change.
His work was supervised by Atty. Eunice Baliong.
CONGRATULATIONS JOSHUA TAMBOR for winning 3RD BEST THESIS at the 2026 Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity Nationwide Dissertation Writing Contest!
Gullas Law School proudly celebrates Joshua Tambor who has been awarded the 3rd Best Thesis in the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity (FLP) Nationwide Dissertation Writing Contest, besting law students from across the country. He is the first-ever awardee from the University of the Visayas and now joins the distinguished guild and family of FLP Scholars.
As Cebu and the rest of the Philippines continue to reel from recurring floods, intensifying typhoons, and the mounting toll of the climate crisis, Joshua's research could not be more timely or more urgent. It speaks directly to the lived reality of Filipino communities who face disaster not as a distant possibility, but as a near-yearly certainty.
Joshuaβs thesisββBahala Na is Not a Legal Standard: An Analysis of the Preventive Standards in International Environmental Law and their Relevance to the Protection of Liberty and Prosperity under the Conditions of Escalating Climate Risk"βchallenges the legal habit of calling disasters "natural" β a label that quietly erases the human decisions behind their deadliest consequences. Using Cebu City as a lens, the study shows how recurring floods, infrastructure failures, and livelihood losses are not just accidents of geography, but foreseeable results of land-use decisions, weak infrastructure planning, and lax environmental regulation in high-risk areas.
Drawing on international treaties, customary international law, and the ICJ's landmark 2025 Advisory Opinion, the thesis argues that environmental protection is not a footnote to the rule of law β it is one of its most urgent expressions. Where legal doctrine still treats disasters as "fortuitous events," Joshua makes the case for due diligence, accountability, and justice for the communities left to bear the worst of the climate crisis.
Founded by retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban, the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity champions "Liberty and Prosperity under the Rule of Law" β the belief that the two must always go together, since one is useless without the other. It works toward inclusive economic growth grounded in the social justice principle of giving more law to those who have less in life.
This achievement is a testament to rigorous scholarship, a deep sense of justice, and a genuine commitment to the communities most vulnerable to climate harm.
Joshua's thesis was supervised by his adviser, Atty. Eunice Baliong.
The Alliance is proud of you, Joshua! π΅πβοΈ
