NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 405
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•22 JUL12 P2 ‘06
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Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
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
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Pursuant to the archipelagic doctrine embodied in the United Nations 
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Philippines is granted a territorial 
sea of up to 12 nautical miles, a contiguous zone of up to 24 nautical miles, and an 
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of up to 200 nautical miles which shall all be measured 
from the archipelagic baselines drawn in accordance with Article 47 of the UNCLOS.
The West Philippine Sea is teeming with various kinds of species of fish. 
According to Mr. Robert D. Kaplan, a geopolitical analyst, fish stocks in the West 
Philippine Sea could account for a tenth (1/10) of the global landed catch.1 The 
Kalayaan Island Group and the area west of Palawan comprise about 10 percent of 
our EEZ and annually contribute some 20 percent of our total marine fish catch. Its 
coral reefs span an area almost as large as Mindanao, comprising 30% of the
1 Kaplan, Robert D. Asia's Contribution: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific. First edition. New 
York: Random House, 2014.
1


nation's total coral reefs, which serves as refuge for many marine species, including 
those threatened or endangered.2
As patriotic citizens, we should assert our sovereign rights over our EEZ for 
the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural 
resources, whether living or non-living, of the waters superjacent to the seabed and 
of the seabed and subsoil of our EEZ with the concomitant duty to protect and 
preserve the marine environment therein.
During the past decade, the actions of China in establishing control over the 
region for economic and military purposes intrude upon the sovereign rights of the 
Philippines over its EEZ. China's buildings and offshore harbor in Mischief Reef, 
which are well within our EEZ, required major excavation and destruction of 
significant coral reef areas.3
In a standoff with China, former President Benigno S. Aquino III issued 
Administrative Order No. 29, series of 2012,4 naming the western side of the 
Philippine Archipelago as "West Philippine Sea." The West Philippine Sea 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. 
Thereafter, the Philippines filed an arbitration case against China over the West 
Philippine Sea on 22 January 2013 before the Arbitral Tribunal of the Permanent 
Court of Arbitration (PCA) In The Hague, concerning the role of historic rights and 
the source of maritime entitlements in the West Philippine Sea, the status of certain 
maritime features in the West Philippine Sea, and the lawfulness of certain actions 
by China in the West Philippine Sea.5
2 Lucio Blanco Pitio III, The Philippines and the West Philippine Sea, The Diplomat, retrieved 
fromhttps://thediplomat.com/2013/10/the-philippines-and-the-west-philippine-sea/, 2013.
3 Ronald O'Rourke, Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving 
China: Issues for Congress, Congressional Research Service, 2018.
4 Administrative Order No. 29, s. 2012, Naming the West Philippine Sea of the Republic of the 
Philippines, and for other Purposes, retrieved from
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/09/05/administrative-order-no29-S-2012/
5 South China Sea Arbitration, Philippines v. China Award, PCA Case No 2013-19.


In 2016, the PCA Invalidated China's claim over the West Philippine Sea.6 
However, the Hague ruling was rejected by China.6 On 12 May 2021, it was reported 
that 287 maritime militia vessels from China made illegal incursions into the 
Philippines' EEZ.7
This bill seeks to complement Administrative Order No. 29, Series of 2012, 
and to further reinforce the Philippine's claim to the disputed islands found on the 
western side of the Philippine Archipelago by exercising our inherent sovereign right 
to designate an appropriate nomenclature to our maritime area. In view of the 
foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
TOL" N. TOLENTINO
6 Ibid.
1 Philippines flags 'incursions' by nearly 300 Chinese militia boats, Reuters, retrieved from 
https://www.reuters.eom/world/asia-pacific/philippines-flags-incursions-by-nearly-300-chinese- 
militia-boats2021 -05-12/


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
s. No. 405
J.
rp nf the r'l r;:'
*22 JUL 12 P2:06
RlXEiV-Dc.
Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
1 
AN ACT
2 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE MANDATORY USE OF THE NAMES "WEST
3 
PHILIPPINE SEA" OR "KANLURANG DAGAT NG PILIPINAS" TO REFER TO
4 
THE MARINE AREAS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND
5 
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Phiiippines in 
Congress assembied:
6 
Section 1. In the exercise of the Philippine's inherent right to designate the
7 
names of its maritime areas, and consistent with the 2016 Award of the Arbitral
8 
Tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Repubiic of the Phiiippines v.
9 
The Peopie's Repubiic of Chinaf the maritime area, including the air space, seabed,
10 
and subsoil, on the western side of the Philippine archipelago is hereby named as the
11 
"West Philippine Sea" or the '""Kaniurang Dagat ng Piiipinas." The West Philippine Sea
12 
or Kaniurang Dagat ng A,///p//7a5 includes the Luzon Sea and the waters around, within,
13 
and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc, also known as
14 
Scarborough Shoal, among others.
15 
Section 2. Pursuant to this Act, the National Mapping and Resource
16 
Information Authority (NAMRIA) shall produce and publish charts and maps of the
17 
Philippines reflecting the West Philippine Sea or the Kaniurang Dagat ng Piiipinas.


1 
Section 3. 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 4. All departments, subdivisions, agencies, and Instrumentalities of
11 
the Government are hereby directed to use and employ the name West Philippine
12 
Sea or Kanlurang Dagat ng Pilipinas in all communications, messages, and public
13 
documents, and to popularize the use of such name with the general public, both
14 
domestically and internationally. All departments, subdivisions, agencies, and
15 
Instrumentalities of the Government are enjoined to use the official Philippine maps
16 
produced by NAMRIA in accordance with this Act: Provided that, the Department of
17 
Education and the Commission on Higher Education shall cause the distribution of
18 
said official Philippine maps to all schools, colleges, and universities, both public and
19 
private, as reference material for teaching geography and other related disciplines.
20 
Section 5. All private institutions, organizations, and establishments, whether
21 
organized under Philippine law or foreign law, operating within the Philippines or
22 
transiting in Philippine territory are hereby directed to use the name West Philippine
23 
Sea or Kaniurang Dagat ng Pilipinas in all communications, announcements, and
24 
messages, both domestically and internationally.
25 
Section 6. If any part or provision of this Act is held unconstitutional or
26 
invalid, the other parts or provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be In full
27 
force and effect.
28 
Section 7. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations,
29 
issuances, or any part thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
30 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.


1 
Section 8. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication
2 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,