EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session
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SENATE
S. B. No. 2235
71 HAY 25 P3-27
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 May 6, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order No. 25 
renaming Benham Rise to "Philippine Rise". The Executive Order also mandated the use 
of 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
Article II Sec. 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 (UNLCS) In 2009. After a series of 
intensive deliberations, the UNCLCS, on April 2012, confirmed the Philippine Rise as part
K. Francisco, "FAST FACTS: What you should know about Benham Rise", March 18, 2017, Rappier News, 
retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/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-controversy-a-wake-up-call- 
for-the-philippines.


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
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.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
N. TOLENTINO
FRANCIS
4 The Philippine Rise: Fast Facts, Foreign Service Institute, Department of Foreign Affairs, retrieved from 
http://www.philchm.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/The-Philippine-Rise-Fast-Facts.pdf,
5 https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/02/13/china-names-five-undersea-features-benham-rise.html


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. B. No. 2235
ol III;' Ji'- •-
71 MAY 25 P3:27
Rl-C!';rOBV ___
Introduced by Senator Francis "Tol" N. Tolentino
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AN ACT RENAMING THE BENHAM RISE AS 
"PHILIPPINE RISE" OR "TALAMPAS NG PILIPINAS/' NAMING THE 
UNDERSEA FEATURES THEREIN, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
Section 1. In the exercise of the Philippine's inherent right to designate the 
names of its submarine areas, the undersea region found on the east of Luzon, 
which is formerly known as "Benham Rise," is hereby named as "Philippine Rise" or 
" Taiampas ng Pilipinas."
SEC. 2. The twenty-two (22) undersea features found in Philippine Rise or 
Taiampas ng Pilipinas shall be known as follows:
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,


Amugis Hill
Antipolo Hill
Anubing
Seamount
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))
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))
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))
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))


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Bayog
Saddle
Bicol Saddle
Bicol Slope
East Luzon 
Trough
POLYGON ((124.1578 16.70452, 124.11307 16.68175, 
124.08358 16.60326, 124.09029 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))
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))
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))
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
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


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3
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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
Plli 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))
22
Yakal
Seamount
POINT (126.28086 18.23918)
SEC. 2. Pursuant to this Act, all official maps and charts of the Philippines to 
be produced and published by the National Mapping and Resource Information


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Authority (NAMRIA) shall refer to the abovementioned undersea region as Philippine 
Rise or Talampas ng Pilipinas.
SEC. 3. The Philippine Government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs 
(DFA) in consultation with NAMRIA and other reievant government agencies, shali 
deposit a copy of this Act and other relevant documents with the Secretary-General 
of the United Nations and notify accordingiy all relevant international and 
intergovernmental organizations, such as the United Nations Statistical Commission, 
the Intergovernmentai Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations 
Educational, Scientific and Culturai Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations 
Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), and the International 
Hydrographic Organization (IHO), among others.
SEC. 4. All departments, subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities of the 
Government are hereby directed to use and employ the name Philippine Rise or 
Taiampas ng Pilipinas in ail communications, messages, and public documents, and 
to popuiarize the use of such name with the general public, both domesticaiiy and 
internationally.
All departments, subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentaiities of the 
Government are enjoined to use the official Philippine maps produced and published 
by NAMRIA in accordance with this Act: Provided that, the Department of Education 
and the Commission on Higher Education shail cause the distribution of said offidai 
Philippine maps to all schools, colleges, and universities, both public and private, as 
reference material for teaching geography and other related disciplines.
SEC. 5. All private institutions, organizations, and establishments organized 
under the laws of the Philippines or operating within the Phiiippines are hereby 
directed to employ the name Philippine Rise or Taiampas ng Pilipinas and the names 
adopted .in this Act for its undersea features in all communications, announcements, 
and messages, both domestically and internationally.


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SEC. 6. 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. 7. 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. 8. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its complete 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
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