Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The dispute in the West Philippine Sea has been a long-standing issue that caught 
international attention. Over the years, China has been extending its maritime self-
proclaimed territories to within 50 nautical miles within the Philippine Islands along the 
coasts of Luzon and Palawan.  
This proposed measure seeks to complement Administrative Order No. 29, Series of 
2012, and to further reinforce the claim of the Philippines to the disputed islands found 
on the western side of the Philippine Archipelago through the proper designation of 
the name “West Philippine Sea” or Kanlurang Dagat ng Pilipinas”. 
We have sovereign rights over our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for the purpose of 
exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources. The EEZ is 
up to 200 nautical miles measured from the archipelagic baselines according to Article 
47 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).1 Moreover, 
based on the UNCLOS, the Philippines is granted a territorial sea of up to 12 nautical 
miles, and a contiguous zone of up to 24 nautical miles.2 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
1 https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part5.htm 
2 https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part2.htm 
October 20, 2022
1:53 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE MANDATORY USE OF THE NAMES "WEST 
PHILIPPINE SEA" OR "KANLURANG DAGAT NG PILIPINAS" TO REFER TO 
THE MARINE AREAS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:  
SECTION 1. In the exercise of the Philippine's inherent right to designate the names 
of its maritime areas, and consistent with the 2016 Award of the Arbitral Tribunal of 
the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Republic of the Philippines v. The People's 
Republic of China, the maritime area, including the air space, seabed, and subsoil, on 
the western side of the Philippine archipelago is hereby named as the "West Philippine 
Sea" or the "Kanlurang Dagat ng Pilipinas." The West Philippine Sea or Kanlurang 
Dagat ng Pilipinas includes the Luzon Sea and the waters around, within, and adjacent 
to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough 
Shoal, among others.  
SECTION 2. Pursuant to this Act, the National Mapping and Resource Information 
Authority (NAMRIA) shall produce and publish charts and maps of the Philippines 
reflecting the West Philippine Sea or the Kanlurang Dagat ng Pilipinas.  
SECTION 3. The Philippine Government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs 
(DFA) in consultation with NAMRIA and other relevant government agencies, shall 
deposit a copy of this Act and other relevant documents with the Secretary-General of 
the United Nations and notify accordingly all relevant International and 
intergovernmental organizations, such as the United Nations Statistical Commission, 
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the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, 
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Group of Experts 
on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), and the International Hydrographic Organization 
(IHO), among others.  
 
SECTION 4. All departments, subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities of the 
Government are hereby directed to use and employ the name West Philippine Sea or 
Kanlurang Dagat ng Pilipinas in all communications, messages, and public 
documents, and to popularize the use of such name with the general public, both 
domestically and internationally. All departments, subdivisions, agencies, and 
instrumentalities of the Government are enjoined to use the official Philippine maps 
produced by NAMRIA in accordance with this Act: Provided that, the Department of 
Education and the Commission on Higher Education shall cause the distribution of 
said official Philippine maps to all schools, colleges, and universities, both public and 
private, as reference material for teaching geography and other related disciplines.  
 
SECTION 5. All private institutions, organizations, and establishments, whether 
organized under Philippine law or foreign law, operating within the Philippines or 
transiting in Philippine territory are hereby directed to use the name West Philippine 
Sea or Kanlurang Dagat ng Pilipinas in all communications, announcements, and 
messages, both domestically and internationally.  
 
SECTION 6. Should any part or provision of this Act be held unconstitutional or invalid, 
the other parts or provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and 
effect.  
 
SECTION 7. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations, issuances, or 
any part thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, 
amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
Section 8. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its complete publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,