NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 404
I
Ot UK-
•22 JUL 12 P2--05
RECEIVED BV.____
Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
AN ACT-
RENAMING THE BENHAM RISE AS "PHILIPPINE RISE" OR "TALAMPAS NG 
PILIPINAS," NAMING THE UNDERSEA FEATURES THEREIN, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
On 6 May 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order No. 25 
renaming Benham Rise to "Philippine Rise". The Executive Order also mandated the 
use of the term Philippine Rise in official maps, charts, and all official documents.
The Philippine Rise is a 13-million-hectare underwater plateau, about 2,000 to 
5,000 meters deep, located near Aurora.1 It is bounded to the North and East by the 
West Philippine Basin, and to the West and South by the Philippine Island of Luzon.2 
Although largely unexplored, it is said to be larger than Luzon with potentially rich 
deposits of natural gas and other resources such as heavy metals.3
1 K. Francisco, "FAST FACTS: What you should kno-w about Benham Rise", March 18, 2017, 
Rappler Ne-ws, retrieved from https://-www.rappler.com/ne-wsbreak/iq/fast-facts-benham-rise.
2 Benham Rise Executive Summary: ECS Submission of the Republic of the Philippines retrieved 
from https://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/phl22_09/phl_esummary.pdf
3 M. Palatino, "The China Benham Rise Controversy: A Wake Up Call for the Philippines?", April 11, 
2017, The Diplomat, retrieved from https://thediplomat.eom/2017/04/the-china-benham-rise- 
contro versy-a-wake-up-cal Ifor-the-ph i 1 ipp i nes.


Article II, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution lays down the foreign policy of 
the Philippines: "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."
In line with the constitutional mandate, the Philippines submitted its claim for 
an extended continental shelf in the Philippine Rise Region to the United Nations 
Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLCS) in 2009. After a series 
of intensive deliberations, the UNCLCS, on April 2012, confirmed the Philippine Rise 
as part Philippines' extended continental shelf. Notably, the Philippines is the sole 
claimant of the Philippine Rise.4
The Philippine Rise region is subject to the jurisdiction and sovereign rights of 
the Philippines pursuant to Article 77 of the United Nations Convention on the Laws 
of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides that a coastal state has sovereign rights over 
its continental shelf for the purpose of exploring it and exploiting its natural 
resources. Under international law, no other state may exploit or undertake 
exploration activities in the Philippine Rise without express consent of the 
Philippines.
However, China has named five undersea features in the Philippine Rise 
despite UNCLCS' confirmation that it is part of the Philippine's continental shelf. In 
2014, China submitted the names to the International Hydrographic Organization 
(IHO), an intergovernmental organization which aims to ensure the world's waters 
are surveyed and charted. IHO approved one name In 2016 and approved the 
remaining four in 2017.5
4 The Philippine Rise: Fast Facts, Foreign Semce Institute, Department of Foreign Affairs, retrieved 
from http://www.philchm.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/The-PhiIippine-Rise-Fast-Facts.pdf
5 https://cnnphilippines.eom/news/2018/02/13/china-names-five-undersea-features-benham-rise.html


This bill seeks to complement Executive Order No. 25, and to solidify the 
sovereign will of the people by renaming, through legislative fiat, the Benham Rise 
as "Philippine Rise" or "Talampas ng Pilipinas". Amid competing maritime claims in 
the West Philippine Sea, exacerbated by China's aggressive posturing, the exercise 
of sovereign rights by the Philippine Government is paramount to protect our 
national interest.
sought
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly
TOL" N. TOLENTINO


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No. 404
viB-KicP ci 111'?
72 JUL 12 P2 -.05
RKCtiVcDBv
Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
1 
AN ACT
2 
RENAMING THE BENHAM RISE AS "PHILIPPINE RISE" OR "TALAMPAS NG
3 
PILIPINAS," NAMING THE UNDERSEA FEATURES THEREIN, AND FOR
4 
OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
5 
Section 1. In the exercise of the Philippine's inherent right to designate the
6 
names of its submarine areas, the undersea region found on the east of Luzon,
7 
which is formerly known as "Benham Rise," is hereby named as "Philippine Rise" or
8 
"Talampas ng Pilipinas."
9 
Section 2. The twenty-two (22) undersea features found in Philippine Rise or
10 
Talampas ng Pilipinas shall be known as follows:
11
Name
Coordinates
1
Akie Seamount
POLYGON ((126.33848 18.47302, 126.33018 
18.46093, 126.33279 18.44551,126.34868 
18.43958, 126.352 18.42345, 126.3252
18.40447, 126.31144 18.39238, 126.3131 
18.38004, 126.32615 18.37672, 126.33729 
18.38787, 126.36007 18.40376, 126.37928 
18.37459, 126.40015 18.36249, 18.36913, 
126.45732 126.49147 18.37411, 
18.41538,126.44759 126.43312 18.46733, 
18.47919, 126.40134 126.40561 18.52307,


18.52568, 126.35133 126.30978 18.51287, 
18.48299, 126.31974 126.42885 18.35537, 
126.43976 18.36913, 126.47772 18.36889, 
126.49574 18.39475, 126.46348 18.43317, 
126.45328 18.45215, 126.4215 18.46235, 
126.40181 18.49959, 126.41154 18.5124, 
126.37952 18.51809, 126.36315 18.51777, 
126.34963 18.50599, 126.29721 18.50149, 
126.30504 18.48773, 126.33848 18.47302))
2
Amugis Hill
POLYGON ((124.59511 15.87461, 124.59427 
15.86748, 124.59662 15.86059, 124.60073 
15.85655, 124.61239 15.86319, 124.61493 
15.8667, 124.61451 15.87679, 124.61282 
15.88228, 124.60828 15.88295, 124.60158 
15.87956, 124.59511 15.87461))
3
Antipolo Hill
POLYGON ((124.46231 15.97932, 124.45644 
15.97597, 124.44597 15.96745, 124.43983 
15.96158, 124.43661 15.94957, 124.4408 
15.92947, 124.45616 15.92514, 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))
4
Anubing Seamount
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, 124.23282 16.34653, 
124.24366 16.32998, 124.26182 16.31563, 
124.29185 16.31285, 124.32143 16.31739, 
124.33051 16.33657, 124.33725 16.35635, 
124.33095 16.36821, 124.28936 16.37744, 
124.25684 16.38461, 124.24981 16.39809))
5
Bayog Saddle
POLYGON ((124.1578 16.70452, 124.11307 
16.68175, 124.08358 16.60326, 12«1.09029 
16.53393, 124.09822 16.50302, 124.1395 
16.46195, 124.18057 16.40379, 124.19135 
16.41965, 124.18464 16.50831, 124.20945 
16.56707, 124.24239 16.62034, 124.23344 
16.63702,
124.20497 16.67524, 124.17854 16.70005, 
124.1578 16.70452))
6
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, 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))
7
BIcol Slope
POLYGON ((122.74621 15.3576, 122.71738 
14.86041, 122.95517 14.75233, 123.78381 
14.7127, 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))
8
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))
9
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))
10
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))
11
Kalantas Seamount
POINT (124.39312 16.76329)
12
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))
13
Mangkono
Seamount
POLYGON ((127.29233 16.9857, 127.28132 
16.95893, 127.29319 16.92741, 127.33486 
16.91273, 127.36746 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))
14
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, 128.17681 
15.79118,
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))
15
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))
16
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))
17
Narra Spur
POLYGON ((125.47458 17.54664, 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))


18
1
Palanan Seamount
POLYGON ((123.08189 17.38776, 123.03401 
17.34207, 123.00414 17.2507, 122.98613 
17.19008, 122.97251 17.14483, 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))
19
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, 124.95511 
16.4117, 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 16.45243, 124.98366 
16.45871, 124.97431 16.46363, 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))
21
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, 125.97829 
17.83408, 125.92262 17.85794, 125.88499 
17.86271, 125.84045 17.84893))
Yakai Seamount
POINT (126.28086 18.23918)
1 
Section 3. Pursuant to this Act, all official maps and charts of the Philippines
2 
to be produced and published by the National Mapping and Resource Information
3 
Authority (NAMRIA) shall refer to the abovementioned undersea region as Philippine
4 
Rise or Talampas ng Pilipinas.


1 
Section 4. The Philippine Government, through the Department of Foreign
2 
Affairs (DFA) in consultation with NAMRIA and other relevant government agencies,
3 
shall deposit a copy of this Act and other relevant documents with the Secretary-
4 
General of the United Nations and notify accordingly all relevant international and
5 
intergovernmental organizations, such as the United Nations Statistical Commission,
6 
the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations
7 
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations
8 
Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), and the International
9 
Hydrographic Organization (IHO), among others.
10 
Section 5. All departments, subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities of
11 
the Government are hereby directed to use and employ the name Philippine Rise or
12 
Talampas ng Pilipinas in all communications, messages, and public documents, and
13 
to popularize the use of such name with the general public, both domestically and
14 
internationally.
15 
All departments, subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities of the
16 
Government are enjoined to use the official Philippine maps produced and published
17 
by NAMRIA in accordance with this Act: Provided that, the Department of Education
18 
and the Commission on Higher Education shall cause the distribution of said official
19 
Philippine maps to all schools, colleges, and universities, both public and private, as
20 
reference material for teaching geography and other related disciplines.
21 
Section 6. All private institutions, organizations, and establishments
22 
organized under the laws of the Philippines or operating within the Philippines are
23 
hereby directed to employ the name Philippine Rise or Talampas ng Pilipinas and the
24 
names adopted in this Act for its undersea features in all communications,
25 
announcements, and messages, both domestically and internationally.
26 
Section 7. Should any part or provision of this Act be held unconstitutional or
27 
invalid, the other parts or provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full
28 
force and effect.


1 
Section 8. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations,
2 
issuances, or any part thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
3 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
4 
Section 9. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its complete
5 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,