/V'
NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
S. No. 1G9
of tijp c
*22 JUL-7 P4 -13
RECEIVED 8Y:„
Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9522A TO FURTHER DEFINE THE 
BASELINES OF THE PHILIPPINE TERRITORY, INCLUDING ITS 
MARITIME FEATURES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article II, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution lays down the foreign policy of 
the country: "The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In its relations 
with other states the paramount consideration shall be national sovereignty, 
territorial Integrity, national interest, and the right to self-determination."
This bill aims to amend Republic Act No. 9522, or the 2009 Baselines Law, to 
include the maritime areas over which the Philippines exercises sovereignty and 
jurisdiction, taking into account the Award of the Tribunal of the Permanent Court of 
Arbitration in Republic of the Philippines v. People's Republic of China (PCA Case No 
2013-19), but maintaining our territorial, sovereign rights, and ail other claims in the 
West Philippine Sea. The bill also mandates the National Mapping and Resource 
Information Authority (NAMRIA) to produce and publish official charts and maps of 
the appropriate scale clearly representing the delineation of the new basepoints and 
baselines over the said maritime features.
Last 9 May 2021, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF- 
WPS) reported that a total of 287 Chinese maritime militia vessels were in the WPS.
t,-
f


Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. ordered the filing of another diplomatic 
protest against China last 13 May 2021 as Chinese militia vessels refused to leave 
the different maritime features in the West Philippine Sea.1 With tensions in the 
West Philippines Sea flaring up in the past two months over the illegal incursions of 
Chinese vessels despite repeated demands from Philippine officials to withdraw,2 it is 
therefore imperative to bolster our stance and assert our rights in the West 
Philippine Sea through a legal framework consistent with the Constitution and 
international law.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly
sought.
TOL" N. TOLENTINO
1 “Philippines flags ‘incursions’ by nearly 300 Chinese militia boats,” retrieved from 
https://www.reuters.eom/world/asia-pacific/philippines-flags-incursions-by-nearly-300-chinese- 
militia-boats-2021-05-
12/#:~:text=Philippiiies%20flags%20%27incursions%27%20by%20nearly%20300%20Chinese%20m
ilitia,in%20a%20relationship%20after%20a%20period%20of%20rapprochement.
2 “Locsin orders filing of diplomatic protest anew over presence of 287 Chinese vessels in WPS,” 
retrieved from https://www.cnnphilippines.eom/news/2021/5/l 3/West-Philippine-Sea-China-vessels- 
Locsin-DFA.html


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
s. No. 169
of tl)C 0'rcvftitrp
•22 JlL-7 P4-13
RtCElVED BV:
Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
1 
AN ACT
2 
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9522, TO FURTHER DEFINE THE
3 
BASELINES OF THE PHILIPPINE TERRITORY, INCLUDING ITS
4 
MARITIME FEATURES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
5 
Section 1. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 9522, entitled "An Act to Amend
6 
Certain Provisions of Republic Act No. 3046, as amended by Republic Act No. 5446,
7 
to Define the Archipelagic Baseline of the Philippines and for Other Purposes," is
8 
hereby amended to read as follows:
9 
"SECTION 2. [The- baselines in the following--areas over
10 
which the Philippines likewise-exercises sovereignty-and jurisdiction
11 
shall be determined as-"-Rcgime of Islands'' under the Republic of
12 
the-Philippines consistent with-Article 121 of the-United Nations
13 
€eevention-on the Law-of the Sea (UNCLOS):
14 
a)—The—Kaiayaan—Isiaed—Group—as—eoRstituted—wder
15 
Presidential-Decree No. 1596; and
16
b) Bajo de-Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal.]


FOR PURPOSES OF DEFINING THE TERRITORY OF 
THE MARITIME AREAS OVER WHICH THE REPUBLIC OF 
THE PHILIPPINES EXERCISES SOVEREIGNTY AND 
JURISDICTION, BASELINES SHALL BE DRAWN TO 
DELINEATE THE MARITIME ZONES OF ISLANDS, ROCK 
FORMATIONS, AND THE LOW-TIDE ELEVATIONS OF THE 
FOLLOWING:
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
(a) BAJO DE MASINLOC
(b) SANDY CAY 
(C) ALISON REEF
(d) AMBOYNA CAY
(e) ARDASIER REEF
(f) BAN THAN JIAO
(g) BARQUE CANADA REEF
(h) CENTRAL REEF
(i) COLLINS REEF
(]) COMMODORE REEF
(k) CORNWALLIS SOUTH REEF
(l) CUARTERON REEF
(m) DISCOVERY GREAT REEF
(n) EAST REEF
(o) ELDAD REEF
(p) FIERY CROSS REEF
(q) FLAT ISLAND
(r) GAVEN REEF
(s) IRVING REEF
(t) ITU ABA
(u) JOHNSON REEF
(v) KALAYAN ISLAND GROUP
(w) LANSDOWNE REEF
(x) LANKIAM CAY


1 
(y) LOAITA
2 
(z) LOUISA REEF
3 
(aa) MARIVELES REEF
4 
(bb) MISCHIEF REEF
5 
(CC) NAMYTT
6 
(dd) NANSHAN
7 
(ee) NORTHEAST CAY
8 
(ff) PEARSON REEFS
9 
(gg) PETLEY REEF
10 
(hh) PIGEON REEF
11 
(ii) SAND CAY
12 
(jj) SECOND THOMAS SHOAL
13 
(kk) SIN COWE
14 
(II) SOUTH REEF
15 
(mm) SOUTHWEST CAY
16 
(nn) SPRATLY
17 
(oo) SUBIREEF
18 
(pp) SWALLOW REEF
19 
(qq) THITU
20 
(rr) WEST REEF
21 
(ss) WEST YORK
22 
(tt) WHITSON REEF
23 
PROVIDED, THAT THIS SHALL NOT PRECLUDE FUTURE
24 
DEMARCATION OF BASELINES FOR OTHER MARITIME FEATURES OVER
25 
WHICH THE PHILIPPINES EXERCISES SOVEREIGNTY AND
26 
JURISDICTION."
27 
Section 2. A new section designated as Section 2-A of Republic Act No. 9522
28 
is hereby inserted and shall read as follows:
29
30
"SEC. 2-A. THE NATIONAL MAPPING AND RESOURCE 
INFORMATION AUTHORITY (NAMRIA) SHALL PRODUCE AND


1 
PUBLISH OFFICIAL CHARTS AND MAPS OF THE APPROPRIATE
2 
SCALE CLEARLY REPRESENTING THE DELINEATION OF THE NEW
3 
BASEPOINTS AND BASELINES AS SET FORTH IN SECTION 2,
4 
WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS FROM THE EFFECTIVITY OF THIS ACT.
5 
THE NAMRIA SHALL SUBMIT THE FOREGOING TO CONGRESS AND
6 
THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (DFA); PROVIDED, THAT
7 
THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE DFA, SHALL
8 
DEPOSIT A COPY OF THIS ACT, SUCH OFFICIAL CHARTS AND MAPS
9 
PRODUCED BY NAMRIA, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS WITH
10 
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND NOTIFY
11 
ACCORDINGLY ALL RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL AND
12 
INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS THE UNITED
13 
NATIONS STATISTICAL COMMISSION, THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL
14 
OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
15 
EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION
16 
(UNESCO), THE UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON
17 
GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES (UNGEGN), AND THE INTERNATIONAL
18 
HYDROGRAPHIC ORGANIZATION (IHO), AMONG OTHERS."
19 
Section 3. Such amounts necessary to finance the initial implementation of
20 
this Act shall be sourced from the unprogrammed funds in the current General
21 
Appropriations Act (GAA). Thereafter, such amounts necessary for its continued
22 
implementation shall be included in the annual GAA.
23 
Section 4. Separability Clause. Should any part or provision of this Act be
24 
held unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts or provisions not affected thereby
25 
shall continue to have full force and effect.
26 
Section 5. Repealing Clause. All law/s, decrees, executive orders, rules and
27 
regulations, issuances, or any part thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
28 
are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.


1 
Section 6. Effectivity Clause, This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
2 
following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
3 
circulation.
Approved,