REPUBLIC O} PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

|GHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 808

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUE) 1.C. oH. if

EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article I of the 1987 Philippine Constitution declares that:

The 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 seabed, 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.”

Pursuant to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), of which
the Philippines is a signatory and a party, our country and other coastal States has been
recognized to have the right to establish various maritime zones and jurisdictions over which
sovereignty and appurtenant sovereign rights can be exercised. Given the premise, this bill
seeks to have a general declaration and definition of the maritime zones under the jurisdiction
of the Philippines.

This proposed legislation aims to preserve and protect the country’s maritime rights, as it
mentions in general terms the rights that the Philippines may exercise over its maritime
zones, Establishing the extent of the limits of the maritime zone of the Philippine archipelago
practically averts any unnecessary dispute with vessels of foreign states entering the
Philippine maritime territory without our permission.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

MANUEL SHAN III
Representativ
Magdalo Para sa Pilipino Party-List


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESE TIVES
Quezon City

House Bill No.

‘Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN IL

AN ACT
OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

DEFINING THE MARITIME ZOD

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

Si

Zones Act

ION 1. Short Title. ~ This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Maritime

SEC. 2. Maritime Zones. ~ The maritime zones of the Philippines shall be comprised of its
internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone
(FEZ) and continental shelf. All territories of the Philippines shall generate their respective
maritime zones in accordance with international law.

Archipelagic Baselines, ~ Archipelagic baselines, as used in this Act, shall
refer to the baselines as defined under Republic Act No. 9522, entitled "An Act to Amend
Certain Provisions of Republic Act No. 3046, as Amended by Republic Act No. $446, to
Define the Archipelagic Baselines of the Philippines, and for Other Purposes

SEC. 4, Internal Waters. ~ The internal waters of the Philippines shall refer to the:
Waters on the landward side of the archipelagic baselines not forming part of the archipelagic
waters under Section 5 hereof and delimited in accordance with Article 50 of the 1982 United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS); and/or waters on the landward side
of the baseline of the territorial sea of territories outside of the archipelagic baselines.

‘The Philippines shall exercise sovereignty over its internal waters and the airspace
over it as well as its seabed and subsoil in accordance with the UNCLOS and other existing
laws and treaties.

SEC. 5. Archipelagic Waters. ~ The archipelagic waters of the Philippines shall refer
to the waters on the landward side of the archipelagic baselines except as provided for under
the Section 4 hereof.

Within the archipelagic waters, closing lines for the delimitation of internal waters
shall be drawn pursuant to Article 50 of the UNCLOS and other existing laws and treaties.

The Philippines shall exercise sovereignty and jurisdiction over its archipelagic waters
and the airspace over it as well as its seabed and subsoil in accordance with the UNCLOS and
other existing laws and treaties.


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SEC. 6. Territorial Sea, ~ The tercitorial sea of the Philippines shall refer to the belt
of sea measured twelve (12) nautical miles from the baselines or from the low-water line, as
the case may be

The Philippines shall exercise sovereignty over its territorial sea and the airspace over
it as well as its seabed and subsoil in accordance with the UNCLOS and other existing laws
and treaties.

SEC. 7. Contiguous Zone. ~ The contiguous zone of the Philippines shall refer to the
waters beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea and up to the extent of twenty-four (24)
nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured

The Philippines shall exercise sovereign rights over this zone in accordance with the
UNCLOS and other existing laws and treaties.

.C. 8. Exclusive Economic Zone. The exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the
Philippines shall refer to the waters beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea and up to the
extent of two hundred (200) nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the
territorial sea is measured.

The Philippines shall exercise sovereign rights over this area including the right to
explore and exploit living and nonliving, organic or nonorganic resources in accordance with
the UNCLOS and other existing laws and treaties.

SEC. 9. Continental Shelf, — The continental shelf of the Philippines shall be
compromised of the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its
territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the
continental margin, of to a distance of two hundred (200) nautical miles from the baselines
from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured, where the outer edge of the
continental margin does not extend up to that distance.

Continental shelyes extending beyond two hundred (200) nautical miles from the
baselines shall be delineated in accordance with Article 76 of the UNCLOS.

The Philippines shall exercise sovereign rights over this area including the right to
explore and exploit and nonliving, organic or nonorganic resources in accordance with the
UNCLOS and other existing laws and treaties.

SEC. 10, Adherence to Existing Laws. — Other rights of the Philippines not stipulated
in this Act shall be exercised in accordance with international law and the law and regulations
of the Philippines.

SEC. 11. Separability Clause. — If any portions or provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the other portions or provisions hereof not affected thereby shall
continue to be in full force and effect,

SEC. 12. Repealing Clause, ~ All laws inconsistent or contrary to the provisions of
this Act are deemed amended, modified or repealed accordingly.


f This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
2 publication in the Official Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,