EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session
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SENATE 
S. B. No. 2288
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Introduced by Senator Francis "Tol" N. Tolentino
AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9522, 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 all 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.
Recently, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) 
reported on 9 May 2021 that a total of 287 Chinese maritime militia vessels were in the 
WPS. 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 Philippines 
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," Reuters, retrieved from 
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-padfic/philippines-flags-incursions-by-nearly-300-chinese-militia-boats- 
2021-05-12/.
2 "Locsin orders filing of diplomatic protest anew over presence of 287 Chinese vessels in WPS," CNN Philippines, 
retrieved from https://cnnphilippines.eom/news/2021/5/13/West-Philippine-Sea-China-vessels-Locsin-DFA.html.


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session
SENATE
S. B. No. 2288
;cl Hit- i'- T
*21 JUN -3 P4 50
tr..
Introduced by Senator Francis "Tol" N. Tolentino
AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9522, TO FURTHER DEFINE THE BASELINES 
OF THE PHILIPPINE TERRITORY, INCLUDING ITS MARITIME FEATURES, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 9522, entitled "An Act to Amend Certain 
Provisions of Republic Act No. 3046, as amended by Republic Act No. 5446, to Define the 
Archipelagic Baseline of the Philippines and for Other Purposes", is hereby amended to 
read as follows:
"SECTION 2. 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:
(a) 
BAJO DE MASINLOC
(b) 
SANDY CAY
(c) 
ALISON REEF


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(d) 
AMBOYNACAY
(e) 
ARDASIER REEF
(f) 
BAN THAN JIAO
(g) 
BARQUE CANADA REEF
(h) 
CENTRAL REEF
(i) 
COLLINS REEF
(j) 
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) 
LANSDOWNE REEF
(w) 
LANKIAM CAY 
(X) LOAITA
(y) 
LOUISA REEF
(z) 
MARIVELES REEF 
(aa) MISCHIEF REEF 
(bb) NAMYTT
(cc) NANSHAN
(dd) NORTHEAST CAY
(ee) PEARSON REEFS
(ff) PETLEY REEF
(gg) PIGEON REEF
(hh) SAND CAY
(ii) SECOND THOMAS SHOAL
(jj) SIN COWE


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(kk) SOUTH REEF 
(II) SOUTHWEST CAY 
(mm) SPRATLY 
(nn) SUBIREEF 
(oo) SWALLOW REEF 
(pp) THITU 
(qq) WEST REEF 
(rr) WEST YORK 
(ss) WHITSON REEF
PROVIDED, THAT THIS SHALL NOT PRECLUDE FUTURE DEMARCATION 
OF BASELINES FOR OTHER MARITIME FEATURES OVER WHICH THE 
PHILIPPINES EXERaSES SOVEREIGNTY AND JURISDICTION."
SEC. 2. A new section designated as Section 2-A of Republic Act No. 9522 is hereby 
inserted and shall read as follows:
"SEC. 2-A. THE NATIONAL MAPPING AND RESOURCE INFORMATION 
AUTHORITY (NAMRIA) SHALL PRODUCE AND PUBLISH OFFICIAL CHARTS AND 
MAPS OF THE APPROPRIATE SCALE CLEARLY REPRESENTING THE 
DELINEATION OF THE NEW BASEPOINTS AND BASELINES AS SET FORTH IN 
SECTION 2, WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS FROM THE EFFECTIVITY OF THIS ACT. 
THE NAMRIA SHALL SUBMIT THE FOREGOING TO CONGRESS AND THE 
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (DFA).
PROVIDED, THAT THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE DFA, 
SHALL DEPOSIT A COPY OF THIS ACT, SUCH OFFICIAL CHARTS AND MAPS 
PRODUCED BY NAMRIA, 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, THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION 
OF THE UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL


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ORGANIZATION (UNESCO), THE UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON 
GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES (UNGEGN), AND THE INTERNATIONAL 
HYDROGRAPHIC ORGANIZATION (IHO), AMONG OTHERS."
SEC 3. Such amounts necessary to finance the initial implementation of this Act 
shall be sourced from the unprogrammed funds in the current General Appropriations Act 
(GAA). Thereafter, such amounts necessary for its continued implementation shall be 
included in the annual GAA.
SEC 4. 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.
SEC. 5. 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.
SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its complete publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,