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'iDUiti' of!!;
TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ] 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ] 
F/rst Regular Session 
]
25 AUG-7 P3:08
RliCClVilJ (?•
S.B. No.
SENATE
1120
Introduced by SEN. WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
RENAMING THE BENHAM RISE AS "PHILIPPINE RISE" OR "TALAMPAS 
NG PILIPINAS" NAMING THE UNDERSEA FEATURES THEREIN, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Renaming of the Benham Rise. - In the exercise of the Philippines' 
inherent right to designate the names of its submarine areas, the undersea region 
found on the east of Luzon, which was formerly known as "Benham Rise", is hereby 
named as "Philippine Rise" or" Talampas ng Pilipinas."
SEC. 2. Features and Coordinates of the Philippine Rise. - The twenty-two (22) 
undersea features found in the Philippine Rise or Talampas ng Pilipinas shall be as 
follows:


Name
Coordinates
126.40015 18.36249, 126.42885 18.35537, 126.43976 
18.36913, 126.45732 18.36913, 126.47772 18.36889, 
126.49147 18.37411, 126.49574 18.39475, 126.46348 
18.41538,126.44759 18.43317, 126.45328 18.45215,
1
Akie
126.43312 18.46733, 126.4215 18.46235, 126.40181.
1
Seamount
18.47919, 126.40134 18.49959, 126.41154 18.5124, 
126.4056118.52307, 126.37952 18.51809, 126.36315 
18.52568, 126.35133 18.51777, 126.34963 18.50599, 
126.30978 18.51287, 126.29721 18.50149, 126.30504 
18.48299, 126.31974 18.48773, 126.33848 18.47302))
Amugis
Hill
POLYGON ((124.59511 15.87461, 124.59427 15.86748, 
124.59662 15.86059, 124.60073 15.85655, 124.61239
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15.86319, 124.61493 15.8667, 124.61451 15.87679,
124.61282 15.88228, 124.60828 15.88295,
124.6015815.87956, 124.59511 15.87461))
POLYGON ((124.46231 15.97932, 124.45644 15.97597, 
124.44597 15.96745, 124.43983 15.96158, 124.43661
"3
Antipolo
15.94957, 124.4408 15.92947, 124.45616 15.92514,
Hill
124.47069 15.92954, 124.47243 15.93491, 124.47355 
15.94308, 124.46706 15.95781, 124.47083 15.96514, 
124.46426 15.97143, 124.46231 15.97932))
POLYGON ((124.24981 16.39809, 124.246 16.39794, 
124.23956 16.39267, 124.23092 16.37041, 124.21906 
16.35327, 124.21364 16.34741, 124.21686 16.34448,
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Anubing
124.23282 16.34653, 124.24366 16.32998, 124.26182
Seamount
16.31563, 124.29185 16.31285, 124.32143 16.31739, 
124.33051 16.33657, 124.337 2516.35635, 124.33095 
16.36821, 124.28936 16.37744, 124.25684 16.38461, 
124.24981 16.39809))
Bayog
Saddle
POLYGON ((124.1578 16.70452, 124.11307 16.68175, 
124.08358 16.60326, 124.09029 16.53393, 124.09822 
16.50302, 124.1395 16.46195, 124.18057 16.40379,
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124.19135 16.41965, 124.18464 16.50831, 124.20945
16.5 6707, 124.24239 16.62034, 124.23344 16.63702, 
124.20497 16.67524, 124.17854 16.70005, 124.1578 
16.70452))
Bicol
Saddle
POLYGON ((123.50595 15.67579, 123.47556 15.52431, 
123.55037 15.55002, 123.6219 15.51075, 123.65697 
15.54021, 123.75235 15.54208, 123.78648 15.46166,
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123.89401 15.58182, 123.81593 15.61267, 123.73177 
15.61221, 123.71728 15.58789, 123.67333 15.5715306, 
123.63265 15.58743, 123.59946 15.58322, 123.5513 
15.61782, 123.50595 15.67579))


Name
Coordinates
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Bicol Slope
POLYGON ((122.74621 15.3576, 122.71738 14.86041, 
122.95517 14.75233, 123.7833114.7127, 124.0288 
14.41727, 124.5476 13.90927, 124.57642 13.66068, 
124.27379 13.4301, 124.36746 13.17791, 124.89707 
13.05181, 125.24654 13.25357, 125.23213 13.65348, 
125.02317 14.03537, 124.77097 14.52175, 124.48275 
14.93967, 124.27379 15.12702, 123.84145 15.44046, 
123.56404 15.56656, 123.09568 15.53413, 122.74621 
15.3576))
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East Luzon 
Trough
POLYGON ((122.50232 15.67898, 122.82273 15.48532, 
123.28853 15.54916, 123.16887 15.78853, 123.00043 
15.82548, 122.91165 15.94017, 123.25093 16.93462, 
123.52632 17.32731, 123.69195 17.3984, 123.85118 
17.7518, 123.5683 17.82659, 123.45799 17.50203, 
123.11414 17.04287, 122.93655 17.01346, 122.50232 
15.67898))
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Ipil Hill
POLYGON ((125.49385 16.87911, 125.48602528398 
16.8117410016766, 125.512537747291
16.7517619863167,
125.564258782275 16.743069375395, 125.599898487054 
16. 7926172576488, 125.630757255826
16.8599849922922,
125.627714842004 16.914313810553, 125.609025728522 
16.9564729735233, 125.567301196098
16.9803776535581,
125.535573166234 16.9686426288137,
125.520795727667
16.9073597218156, 125.49385 16.87911))
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Isabela
Ridge
POLYGON ((123.40526 17.67204, 123.4113 17.60116, 
123.41006 17.52553, 123.36441 17.4898, 123.37364 
17.44946, 123.41544 17.47347, 123.45683 17.53449, 
123.47109 17.61005, 123.50286 17.6815, 123.5519 
17.79038, 123.53016 17.80854, 123.49935 17.80902, 
123.47762 17.78737, 123.40526 17.67204))
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Kalantas
Seamount
POINT (124.39312 15.76329)
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Malabatino
Hill
POLYGON ((124.90724 16.69051, 124.89447 16.68993, 
124.89005 16.67883, 124.89145 16.67192, 124.88913 
16.6696, 124.88837 16.66321, 124.89383 16.66083, 
124.90591 16.66135, 124.90963 16.66565, 124.9141 
16.67779, 124.90724 16.69051))
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Mangkono
Seamount
POLYGON ((127.29233 16.9857, 127.28132 16.95893, 
127.29319 16.92741, 127.33486 16.91273, 127.36746


Name
Coordinates
16.92525, 127.3802 16.96778, 127.3992 16.99153, 
127.4264 16.99801, 127.4223 17.01247, 127.39315 
17.02953,127.35904 17.02457, 127.34609 17.01183, 
127.31284 17.00233, 127.29233 16.9857))
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Molave
Rise
POLYGON ((126.36253 16.08516, 126.35749 15.87181, 
126.60443 15.99276, 126.5154 15.74246, 126.66323 
15.53919, 126.85474 15.41488, 127.06472 15.52239, 
127.27135 15.58623, 127.49477 15.62655, 127.77364 
15.66182, 128.23224 15.64838, 128.1768115.79118, 
127.93826 15.87013, 128.05586 15.89701, 127.9937 
16.05156, 127.69468 16.11203, 127.55525 16.23467, 
127.1168 16.55048, 126.83122 16.47825, 126.74555 
16.33882, 126.51876 16.07172, 126.36253 16.08516))
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Molave
Gap
POLYGON ((126.33945 16.05579, 126.3529 16.01117, 
126.3529 15.9861, 126.32722 15.9586, 126.30338
15.9103,
126.30094 15.87607, 126.38285 15.88157, 126.37674 
15.90358, 126.38224 15.92008, 126.36207 15.9482, 
126.37307 15.9751, 126.39447 15.99955, 126.40241 
16.01728, 126.40669 16.03623, 126.40853 16.06374, 
126.33945 16.05579))
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Narig
Seamount
POLYGON ((124.68663 16.57244, 124.69638 16.47406, 
124.72402 16.44642, 124.77646 16.44276, 124.82687 
16.49805, 124.84598 16.56512, 124.78012 16.64358, 
124.73703 16.64276, 124.72728 16.60008, 124.68663 
16.57244))
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Narra Spur
POLYGON ((125.47458 17.54654, 126.05975 17.03722, 
126.20716 17.71323, 126.55493 18.30067, 126.90694 
18.40245, 127.03417 18.56361, 127.12323 18.82232, 
126.96207 18.82656, 126.54645 18.68236, 126.05024 
18.61026, 126.12658 18.41093, 126.05461 18.21519, 
125.90091 18.02896, 125.47458 17.54664))
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Palanan
Seamount
POLYGON ((123.08189 17.38776, 123.03401 17.34207, 
123.00414 17.2507, 122.98613 17.19008, 122.97251 
17.ll;483, 123.02215 17.11804, 123.07794 17.11584, 
123.14427 17.12902, 123.16052 17.18305, 123.14339 
17.26959, 123.11044 17.35657, 123.08189 17.38776))
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Palosapis
Hill
POLYGON ((124.9481 16.46351, 124.94441 16.44899, 
124.93985 16.44825, 124.93998 16.4448, 124.94687 
16.4357, 124.95191 16.4304, 124.94945 16.42253, 
124.9551116.4117, 124.95819 16.41096, 124.96963 
16.41071, 124.98034 16.41354, 124.99339 16.42671, 
124.99659 16.43557, 124.99191 16.44382, 124.98994


Name
Coordinates
16.45243, 124.98366 16.45871, 124.9743116.46363, 
124.96459 16.46462, 124.9481 16.46351))
20
Pili Ridge
POLYGON ((124.97196 16.12906, 124.96104 16.1295, 
124.95143 16.11858, 124.93659 16.064, 124.98942 
16.03692, 125.04095 15.99893, 125.08069 15.97317, 
125.11606 15.97361, 125.11999 16.0081, 125.08462 
16.04915, 125.06846 16.07535, 125.04051 16.095, 
125.02567 16.11596, 125.00907 16.1129, 124.98637 
16.12164, 124.97196 16.12906))
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Toog
Seamount
POLYGON ((125.84045 17.84893, 125.75722 17.77524, 
125.67664 17.70632, 125.67452 17.66709, 125.69149 
17.65013, 125.76306 17.63475, 125.82773 17.58651, 
125.89347 17.56001, 125.92899 17.55364, 126.0101 
17.60878, 126.03024 17.66179, 126.02388 17.75244, 
126.02123 17.80811, 125.97819 17.83408, 125.92262 
17.85794, 125.88499 17.86271, 125.84045 17.84893))
22
Yakal
Seamount
POINT (126.28086 18.23918)
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SEC. 3. Designation in OfficiaiPhiiippine Maps. - Pursuant to this Act, all official
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maps and charts of the Philippines to be produced and published by the National
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Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) shall refer to the
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abovementioned undersea region as Philippine Rise or Taiampas ngPiiipinas.
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SEC. 4. Deposit of Instrument Obiigation. - The Philippine Government,
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through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in consultation with NAMRIA and
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other relevant government agencies, shall deposit a copy of this Act and other relevant
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documents, in compliance with the deposit obligations pursuant to the United Nations
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Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with the Secretary-General of the United
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Nations, and notify accordingly all relevant international and intergovernmental
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organizations such as the United Nations Statistical Commission, the
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Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational,
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Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Group of Experts
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on Geographic Names (UNGEGN), and the International Hydrographic Organization
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(IHO), among others.


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SEC. 5. Mandatory Use of the "Philippine Rise" in all Government Documents 
and Communications. - All departments, subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities 
of the Government are hereby directed to use and employ the name Philippine Rise 
or Talampas ng Piiipinas\n 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 and published 
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.
SEC. 6. Mandatory Use of the "Philippine Rise" in the Communications of AH 
Juridical Entities Operating Within the Philippines. - All private institutions, 
organizations, and establishments organized under the laws of the Philippines, or 
operating within the Philippines, are hereby directed to employ the name Philippine 
Rise or Taiampas ng Pilipinas and the names adopted in this Act for its undersea 
features in all communications, announcements, and messages, both domestically and 
internationally.
SEC. 7. Repeating Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, 
memoranda, rules, and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of 
this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain 
in full force and effect.
SEC. 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the
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