Republic of the Philippines RECEIVED
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Og JUL 2075
Batasan Hills, Quezon City
Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No1625

Introduced by Honorable Representatives
JOSE MANUEL TADEO “CHEL” I. DIOKNO (Akbayan Partylist)
PERCIVAL V. CENDANA (Akbayan Partylist)
LEILA NORMA EULALIA JOSEFA “LEILA” M. DE LIMA
(Mamamayang Liberal)

ARLENE “KAKA” J. BAG-AO (Dinagat Islands)
DADAH KIRAM ISMULA (Akbayan Partylist)

CIELO KRISEL B. LAGMAN (Albay, 1* District)

AN ACT PROMOTING NATIONAL AWARENESS THROUGH THE
MANDATORY STUDY OF THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA IN
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The West Philippine Sea dispute is one of the most pressing foreign
policy and national security issues facing the Philippines. At its core is the
conflict between the Philippines’ maritime entitlements and the People’s
Republic of China’s sweeping claim over almost the entire West Philippine
Sea (WPS), represented by the so-called "nine-dash line”.

The Philippines’ claim over the WPS is grounded not only in modern
international law but also in a well-documented history of territorial
ownership, effective administration, and recognition by foreign powers.
Historical records and ancient maps support the assertion that parts of the
disputed waters and features belong to the Philippine territory. Spanish-era
maps from as early as the 1700s, including Pedro Murillo Velarde’s 1734
map depicting parts of the West Philippine Sea within the territory of the
Spanish-ruled Philippine Islands. The colonial government of Spain used
these maps in governing the archipelago and later passed on to the United
States under the Treaty of Paris of 1898. The 1900 Treaty of Washington
further added that "all islands belonging to the Philippine Archipelago,

1 Jarius Bondoc, Panatag Is Proven PH Territory; China Claims It by Bogus History, The
Philippine Star, Mar. 27, 2024, https:/iwww.philstar.com/the-
freeman/opinion/2024/03/27/2343536/panatag-proven-ph-territory-china-claims-it-bogus-
history (last accessed July 6, 2025)



lying outside the lines described in Article III" were also ceded to the United
States as part of the territory of the Philippines.?

Despite these strong legal and historical foundations, China continues
to pursue aggressive methods to solidify its "nine-dash" claim. It has
deployed military vessels within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ) and constructed military facilities and other structures on reefs
within the Philippine continental shelf. Filipino fisherfolk continue to be
harassed and denied access to their traditional fishing grounds.

Thus, in response to China’s aggression, in 2013, the Philippine
Government instituted arbitration proceedings before the Permanent Court
of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands, asking for China’s “nine-
dash line” claim to be invalidated for nonconformity to the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). On July 12, 2016, the PCA
concluded that China's claims to historic rights over most of the South
China Sea had no legal basis under the UNCLOS. The ruling also affirmed
the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
and continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea.

In confronting this challenge, the Constitution provides clear
guidance. It affirms the country’s commitment to pursue an independent
foreign policy and a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the
prosperity and independence of the nation. The Constitution also mandates
that the State must “give priority to education, science and technology, arts,
culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social
progress, and promote total human liberation and development”.4 These
constitutional principles emphasize that defending Philippine sovereignty
requires not only legal and diplomatic action, but also a sustained effort to
build awareness, and civic responsibility, especially among the youth.

Given the enduring importance of this legal victory and the continuing
challenges posed by China’s refusal to honor the PCA ruling, this bill seeks
to integrate the history of the West Philippine Sea dispute and the
Philippines’ legal victory in The Hague into the curricula of public and
private schools. This will ensure that students fully understand the
significance of the PCA ruling, the Philippines’ right to protect its territorial
jurisdiction, and the implications of China’s refusal to recognize the ruling.

2 Janvie Mateo, China Has Backed Philippine Maritime Zone ~ Carpio, The Philippine
Star, June 7, 2024, https://www-philstar.com/headlines/2024/06/07/2361015/china-has-
backed-philippine-maritime-zone-carpio (last accessed July 6, 2025).

s Article II, Section 7 and 9 of the 1987 Constitution.

‘ Ibid., Section 17.


JOS) (UEL TADEO
4 L” I. DIOKNO
Akbayan Representative

om
‘CIVAL V. CENDANA wd ts ULALIA.

Akbayan Representative JOSEFA “LEILA” M. DE LIMA
Mamamayang Liberal
Representative
Cachan DADAH AM ISMULA
Dinagat Islands Akbay; epresentative
Representative

CIEL! RISEL B. LAGMAN
Albay, 1st District


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City
Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 1625

Introduced by Honorable Representatives
JOSE MANUEL TADEO “CHEL” I. DIOKNO (Akbayan Partylist)
PERCIVAL V. CENDANA (Akbayan Partylist)
LEILA NORMA EULALIA JOSEFA “LEILA” M. DE LIMA
(Mamamayang Liberal)
ARLENE “KAKA” J. BAG-AO (Dinagat Islands)
DADAH KIRAM ISMULA (Akbayan Partylist)
CIELO KRISEL LAGMAN-LUISTRO (Albay, 1* District)

AN ACT PROMOTING NATIONAL AWARENESS THROUGH THE
MANDATORY STUDY OF THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA IN
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

Sec. 1. Short Title. - This Act will be known as the “West Philippine
Sea Mandatory Education Act of 2025.”

Sec. 2. Declaration of Principles and State Policies.

(a) The national territory of the Philippines comprises the Philippine
archipelago and all other territories over which the Philippines has
sovereignty or jurisdiction.

(b) 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.

(©) The State must give priority to education, science and technology,
arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism,
accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and
development.

(@The State must inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism,
and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs. To this
end, the State must instill and nurture awareness among young
Filipinos of the West Philippine Sea, its rich history, the incursions


42

by China into the West Philippine Sea in violation of Philippine
national sovereignty and the United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the legal significance of the ruling
(‘Award’) promulgated by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the
West Philippine Sea in 2016.

Sec. 3. Inclusion in the Curriculum - All public and private
educational institutions at the primary and secondary levels are directed to
include in their curricula the history and legal basis of the Philippines’
jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea, including but not limited to the
following:

(a) The meaning and significance of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and
continental shelf, as well as the Philippine laws that define the
Philippines’ rights and jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea;

(b) The significance of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS) and the ratification of UNCLOS by the Philippines
and by China;

(©) The Philippines’ sovereignty rights over the EEZ, for the purpose of
exploration and exploitation, conservation and management of the
natural resources, whether living or non-living, both renewable and
non-renewable, of the sea-bed, including the subsoil and the
superjacent waters, and with regard to other activities for the
economic exploitation and exploration of the resources of the zone,
such as the production of energy from the water, currents and winds;

(d) The Philippines’ exclusive rights and jurisdiction with respect to the
establishment and utilization of artificial islands, off-shore
terminals, installations and structures, the preservation of the
marine environment, including the prevention and control of
pollution, and scientific research, in the EEZ;

(e) The rich history of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea, its use
as traditional fishing grounds by Filipino fisherfolk, and the cultural
and economic importance of these waters to Philippine coastal
communities;

(f) The environmental and economic importance of the marine resources
within the West Philippine Sea;

(g) The significance of the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s Award in
favor of the Philippines dated July 12, 2016;

(h) The incursions and activities of China in the West Philippine Sea and
their impact on the Philippines’ food security, marine resources, and
the environment.;

@ The rights and maritime entitlements of the Republic of the
Philippines and the Filipino people, especially in light of the lived
experiences of Filipino fisherfolk in the affected areas;


@) All other matters the Department of Education (DepEd) may deem
necessary.

Sec. 4. Development of the Curriculum. - The DepEd, as the
implementing agency, is mandated to develop age-appropriate curricula,
instructional materials, and teaching modules, in coordination with the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the Department
of Foreign Affairs (DFA), relevant academic institutions, and civil society
organizations, consistent with Section 3 of this Act.

Sec. 5. Appropriations. - This Act will be implemented initially within
the framework of the budget of the DepEd for the year it is enacted into law.
As far as practicable, the funds required will be drawn from its
appropriations for policy formulation, program planning, standards
development, and instructional materials development. Thereafter, the
amounts as may be necessary for the implementation of this Act will be
included in the budget of the DepEd in the annual General Appropriations
Act.

SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60)
days after the effectivity of this Act, the DepEd is directed to promulgate
the rules and regulations needed for the implementation of this Act.

Sec. 7. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any part or provision
of this Act is held unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining parts or
provisions not affected will continue in full force and effect.

Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders,
proclamations, rules and regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof,
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed, amended,
or modified accordingly.

Sec. 9. Effectivity. - This Act takes effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,