SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
By Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill was lifted bodily from House Bill No. 3216 with the permission of 
Congressman Antonio Cuenco, Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Relations. 
The bill was approved on second reading by the House shortly before the Lenten 
break of Congress and is expected to be approved on third and final reading once our 
sessions resume. 
The decision to file the bill “as is” is anchored on the need for the House and Vhe 
Senate to present a unified stand on the issue of the baselines of the Republic as 
required by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. And meet the 
deadline for the submission of the baselines of the country by next year. 
It is urgent that we do so soonest because as Congressman Cuenco has pointed 
out the deadline next year is the third extension that we had asked for from the UN 
agency authorized to handle baseline issues of UN members. 
Hence, urgent approval of the measure is requested. 
I k-+ 
ENTEL,J 
Senator 


SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
By Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr. 
AN ACT DEFINING THE ARCHIPELAGIC BASELINES OF THE PHILIPPINE 
ARCHIPELAGO, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 3046, 
AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5446 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Senate 
assembled: 
SECTION I. 
Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Archipelagic Baselines 
Law of the Philippines.” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The Philippines is an archipelagic State and its 
national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and waters 
embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or 
jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial, and aerial domains, including its territorial 
sea, the scabbed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas. The 
waters around, between and connecting the islands of the archipelago, regardless of 
their breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal waters of the Philippines. 
SEC. 3. Archipelagic Baselines. - The geographical coordinates of the location 
basepoints of the Philippines are hereby defined and prescribed as follows: 
PROPOSED PHILIPPINE ARCHIPEL.AGIC BASELINES 
Enclosing Main Archipelago, Scarborough Shoal and KlG) 
I
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3 


* - Position coordinates of these basepoints will be upgraded either thru GPS survey or large- 
scale nautical chart/high-resolution satellite imagery data. 
** - A  permanent structure such as a lighthouse should be established on its low tide elevation. 
Long baseline (100 to 125 nm). Total is 4 which is less than 3% of the total number of 
basepoints/baselines. 
*** - 






7 


POTENTIAL RESOURCES UNDE 


SEC. 4. Without Prejudice Clause. - The delineation of baselines as provided in 
this Act shall be without prejudice to any claims to any contested portions of the national 
territory or maritime zones and jurisdictions of the Philippines, in accordance with 
international law and under appropriate international dispute resolution mechanisms. 
SEC. 5. Vested Rights. - The delineation of baselines as provided in this Act 
shall be without prejudice to vested rights existing or being claimed by virtue of Republic 
Act No. 7160 (otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, as Amended) 
and other laws which give rise to local government allotments and shares in the income 
generated from natural resources within the national territory as delineated prior to this 
Act. 
SEC. 6. Registration with the United Nations. - This Act, together with the 
geographic coordinates and the charts and maps indicating the aforesaid baselines, 
shall be deposited and registered with the Secretary General of the United Nations. 
SEC. 7. lssuance of Appropriate Charfs and Maps. - The National Mapping and 
Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) shall forthwith produce and publish charts 
and maps of the appropriate scale clearly representing the delineation of basepoints 
and baselines as set forth in this Act. 
SEC. 8. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of 
this Act shall be provided in a supplemental budget or included in the General 
Appropriation Act of the year of its enactment into law. 
SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. - Republic Act No. 3046, as amended by Republic 
No. 5446, and all other laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and issuances 
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
SEC 10. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is declared 
unsconstitutional or invalid, the other portions or provisions hereof which are not 
affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
SEC. 11. Effecfivify Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,