PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW

National Territory of the

Philippines and the United
Nations Convention on Law
of the Sea
[Type the document subtitle]
Amira Acac
Michael Arao
Hazel Joy Batocail
12/5/2014

This is a written output on the national territory and the UNCLOS. This document contains the essential and
basic concepts one has to know about the topics.

I.

Territory, in general
A. Territory defined
A part of a country separated from the rest and subject to a particular jurisdiction.
B. Why must territory be separated or be subject to jurisdiction? What is the point of
territorial delineation?
necessities of national defense
jurisdiction (enforcement of customs, criminal laws, etc.)
protection (fishing, mineral rights)

II.

National Territory

In the Philippines, we have our own National Territory and this is defined in Article 1 of the
1987 Constitution. These areas of our territory include:

the territorial sea;

the air space;
the sub-soil;
the sea-bed;
insular shelves; and
other submarine areas.

Basically, our territory can be classified into three categories: (1) the land domain; (2)
maritime and fluvial domain, or territorial waters; and (3) the aerial space.
A. Instruments officially defining Philippine National Territory before the 1987 Constitution
Treaty of Paris
- concluded between the United States and Spain on December 10,
1898 whereby the Philippines was ceded for twenty million dollars

Treaty for Cession of Outlying Islands of the Philippines (November 7, 1900)

treaty between the United States and Spain ceding for one hundred
thousand dollars outlying islands outside the lines described in article
three of the Treaty of Paris
included the islands of Cagayan Sulu and their dependencies

Anglo-American Convention of 1930

- signed at Washington by the U.S. Secretary of State and the British
Ambassador, but it was only in 1932 that the ratification took place

2|Page

III.

it was only on October 16, 1947 that an exchange of notes with the
British government effected the transfer of the Turtle Islands to the
Philippines

Philippine Independence Act

- provided that the Commonwealth of the Philippine Islands shall
exercise jurisdiction over all territory ceded to the United States and
Spain by the Treaty of Paris and those islands embraced in the treaty
between Spain and the United States on November 7, 1900

Article 1 of the 1935 Constitution on National Territory

- copied the provision on territory in the Philippine Independence Act but
added the statement and all territory over which the present
Government of the Philippine Islands exercises jurisdiction

1973 Constitution which improved upon Article 1 of the 1935 Constitution.

United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

A. Historical Background

Freedom of the seas doctrine

adopted in the 17th century
- limited national rights and jurisdiction over a narrow band
of water along a nations coast, the rest of the sea being
free to all and belonging to none

Cannon-shot rule
-

a nation controlled a territorial sea as far as a projectile

could be fired from a cannon based on shore
this range was approximately three nautical miles

However, due to the evolving technology, the above rules were challenged.
Consequently, the UNCLOS was created.

3|Page

UNCLOS I
- commonly known as UNCLOS in Geneva in 1858
- product of the General Assemblys adoption of Resolution
1105
- produced 4 separate conventions:
(1) Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone
established sovereignty rights and rights of passage through the
territorial sea
established the Contiguous Zone to extend 12 nautical miles
from the baselines but failed to set standards of limits on the
territorial sea
(2) Convention on the High Seas
established access for landlocked nations, expounded on the
concept of "flag state,"
outlawed the transport of slaves, covered piracy, established
safety and rescue protocols, established a national duty to
prevent pollution
established rights to laying of undersea cables and pipelines

(3) Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High
Seas
established the right of coastal nations to protect living ocean
resources
required nations whose fleets leave their territorial sea to
establish conservation measures
established measures for dispute resolution
(4) Convention on the Continental Shelf
established the regime governing the superjacent waters and
airspace, laying and maintenance of submarine cables or
pipelines, the regime governing navigation, fishing, scientific
research and the coastal nation's competence in these areas,
delimitation, and tunnelling

UNCLOS II
-

parties met for just over a month in early 1960 with the
objective of settling the question on the breadth of the
territorial seas and fishery limits
4|Page

UNCLOS III
- commonly referred at present as the UNCLOS or the Law
of the Sea Treaty
-

result of the adoption by the General Assembly of

resolution 2467 A (XXIII) and resolution 2750 C (XXV),
which created the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of
the Sea-Bed and the Ocean Floor beyond the Limits of
National Jurisdiction and called for the convening of a
third Law of the Sea meeting to be held in 1973

- was first signed in December of 1982 but came into force

only in November of 1994(12 years)

B. Divisions of Ocean Areas

Baseline
boundary from which a
nation
may
begin
measurements
to
determine the portion of
the adjacent oceans or
continental shelf over
which it may exercise
sovereignty
low-water line along the
coast

Internal Waters
those that are contained
on the landward side of
the baseline
waters fall under the
exclusive sovereignty of
the nation in which they
are contained
Fig.1. Diagram of the various regions of the ocean
over which a State may exercise sovereignty.

5|Page

Territorial Sea
extends up to 12 nautical miles from the baselines
the treaty establishes that all nations have the right of innocent passage
through the territorial sea of another nation and that, outside certain
conditions, the nation laying claim to the territorial sea cannot hamper
innocent passage of a foreign vessel

Contiguous Zone
a region of the seas measured from the baseline to a distance of 24
nautical miles
a nation may exercise the control necessary to prevent the infringement of
its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations within its
territory or territorial sea, and punish infringement of those laws and
regulations committed within its territory or territorial sea

Exclusive Economic Zone

a region that stretches a distance of no more than 200 nautical miles from
a nation's baselines
a nation may explore at exploit the natural resources (both living and
inanimate) found both in the water and on the seabed, may utilize the
natural resources of the area for the production of energy (including wind
and wave/current), may establish artificial islands, conduct marine
scientific research, pass laws for the preservation and protection of the
marine environment, and regulate fishing
Continental Shelf
a
gently
sloping
undersea plain between
the above-water portion
of a landmass and the
deep ocean
UNCLOS
includes
provisions for nations to
Fig.2. Cross sectional map of a continental shelf
lay claim to a continental
shelf that exceeds 200 nautical miles from the baseline by establishing
the foot of the continental slope
High Seas
waters beyond a nation's EEZ
still governed the "freedom of the seas" concept, albeit a modified version

6|Page

 nations are permitted freedom of navigation and overflight, freedom to lay

submarine cables and pipelines, freedom to construct artificial islands,
freedom of fishing, and freedom of scientific research

Fig.3. Map illustrating the high seas. All areas in blue are considered part of the high seas and are not
subject to national appropriation.

IV.

Republic Act 9552

A. Background
Philippine Declaration: In 1958 and 1960 Conferences on the Law of Sea, when
it was clear that no uniform rule on the breadth of the territorial sea exists, the
Philippines proposed the archipelago theory, which sought to treat outlying or midocean archipelagos such as Philippines as a whole for the delimitations of the
territorial waters by drawing baselines from the outermost points of the archipelago
and the belt of marginal seas outside of such baselines. The Philippines position
was rejected.
Hence, In support of our position the Philippines passed RA 3046 as amended
by RA 5446 using the outermost points of the Archipelago for the purpose of straight
archipelagic baselines. The use of straight baselines was pursuant to AngloNorwegian Fisheries case which laid the doctrine that States with highly irregular
coasts may use the outermost points of their baselines and draw straight baselines
along these points UK VS Norway.
With the recent passage of RA 9522 in March of 2009 what have we lose so far?
UNCLOS reduced territorial sea by 230,000 square miles or by 50 percent. If
national treaty are to be understood as boundaries to be applied in compliment with
the old base lines law, the area of the countries territorial sea that is lost covers

7|Page

about 520,700 square miles. Under UNCLOS we lose EEZ that we already have
since the 200 miles conflict with all our neighbours.

B. The Law
AN ACT TO AMEND CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 3046, AS
AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5446, TO DEFINE THE ARCHIPELAGIC BASELINES
OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
SECTION 1. Section 1 of Republic Act No. 3046, entitled An Act to Define the Baselines of
the Territorial Sea of the Philippines, as amended by Section 1 of Republic Act No. 5446, is
hereby amended to read as follows:
SEC. 1. The baselines of the Philippine archipelago are hereby defined and described
specifically as follows:
Basepoint Station
Number Name

Location

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Amianan Is.
Balintang Is.
Iligan Pt.
Ditolong Pt.
Ditolong Pt.
Ditolong Pt.
Spires Is.

PAB-01
PAB-02
PAB-04
PAB-05A
PAB-05B
PAB-05
PAB-06

World Geodetic System of 1984 Distance

(WGS
84) Coordinates
to
next
Latitude (N)
Longitude (E)
basepoint
(M)
21 6 57.73
121 57 27.71
70.03
19 57 38.19 122 9 46.32
99.17
18 18 35.30 122 20 19.07
71.83
17 7 16.30
122 31 28.34
1.05
17 6 14.79
122 31 43.84
0.39
17 5 51.31
122 31 42.66
3.29
17 2 36.91
122 31 3.28
9.74
8|Page

8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51

PAB-06B
PAB-06C
PAB-07
PAB-08
PAB-10A
PAB-11
PAB-12
PAB-13
PAB-13A
PAB-14
PAB-14A
PAB-14D
PAB-15
PAB-16A
PAB-16B
PAB-16C
PAB-16D
PAB-17A
PAB-18A
PAB-19C
PAB-19D
PAB-20A
PAB-21B
PAB-22
PAB-22C
PAB-23
PAB-23B
PAB-23C
PAB-24
PAB-24A
PAB-25B
PAB-25
PAB-26
PAB-27
PAB-28
PAB-29
PAB-30
PAB-31
PAB-32
PAB-33A
PAB-34A
PAB-35
PAB-35A
PAB-38A

Digollorin Pt.
Digollorin Rk.
Diviuisa Pt.
Dijohan Pt.
Tinaga Is.
Horodaba Rk.
Matulin Rk.
Atalaya Pt.
Bacan Is.
Finch Rk.
Cube Rk.
NW Manjud Pt.
SE Manjud Pt.
E Sora Cay
Panablijon
Alugon
N Bunga Pt.
E Bunga Pt.
SE Tubabao Is.
Suluan Is.
N Tuason Pt.
Arangasa Is.
Sanco Pt.
Bagoso Is.
Languyan
Languyan
Languyan
N Baculin Pt.
Pusan Pt.
S Pusan Pt.
Cape San Agustin
Cape San Agustin
SE Sarangani Is.
Panguil Bato Pt.
Tapundo Pt.
W Calia Pt.
Manamil Is.
Marampog Pt.
Pola Pt.
Kauluan Is.
Tongquil Is.
Tongquil Is.
Tongquil Is.
Kinapusan Is.

16 53 18.03
16 49 56.11
16 47 38.86
16 18 44.33
14 29 54.43
14 6 29.91
14 6 10.40
12 41 6.37
12 36 18.41
12 32 33.62
12 31 57.45
12 28 36.42
12 27 37.51
12 21 41.64
12 17 27.17
12 13 21.95
12 11 48.16
12 11 20.67
12 6 7.00
10 45 16.70
9 49 59.58
8 53 16.62
8 13 11.53
7 42 45.02
7 29 49.47
7 29 16.93
7 28 30.97
7 27 29.42
7 17 19.80
7 16 14.43
6 17 14.73
6 16 8.35
5 23 34.20
5 23 21.80
5 21 55.66
5 21 58.48
5 22 2.91
5 23 20.18
6 9 8.44
6 26 47.22
6 2 33.77
6 1 8.15
6 0 17.88
5 12 8.70

122 27 56.61
122 26 50.78
122 26 4.40
122 14 16.69
122 57 51.15
124 16 59.21
124 17 26.28
125 3 53.71
125 8 50.19
125 12 59.70
125 13 32.37
125 17 12.32
125 18 5.23
125 23 7.41
125 27 0.12
125 30 19.47
125 31 30.88
125 31 48.29
125 34 11.94
125 58 8.78
126 10 6.39
126 20 48.81
126 28 53.25
126 34 29.03
126 35 59.24
126 35 59.50
126 35 57.30
126 35 51.71
126 36 18.16
126 35 57.20
126 12 14.40
126 11 35.06
125 28 42.11
125 28 19.59
125 25 11.21
125 21 52.03
125 20 59.73
125 19 44.29
124 15 42.81
122 13 34.50
121 56 36.20
121 54 41.45
121 53 11.17
120 41 38.14

3.51
2.40
30.94
116.26
80.29
0.54
96.04
6.79
5.52
0.80
4.90
1.30
7.69
5.68
5.21
1.94
0.54
5.71
83.84
56.28
57.44
40.69
30.80
12.95
0.54
0.76
1.02
10.12
1.14
63.28
1.28
67.65
0.43
3.44
3.31
0.87
1.79
78.42
122.88
29.44
2.38
1.72
85.94
55.24
9|Page

52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64

PAB-39
PAB-40
PAB-40A
PAB-41A
PAB-42A
PAB-43
PAB-44
PAB-45
PAB-46
PAB-47
PAB-48
PAB-48A
PAB-49

65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94

PAB-50
PAB-51
PAB-52
PAB-53
PAB-54
PAB-54A
PAB-54B
PAB-55
PAB-60
PAB-61
PAB-62
PAB-63
PAB-63A
PAB-64
PAB-64B
PAB-65C
PAB-67
PAB-68
PAB-71
PAB-72
PAB-73B
PAB-73
PAB-74
PAB-74A
PAB-75
PAB-75C
PAB-75D
PAB-76
PAB-77
PAB-78

Manuk Manka Is.

4 47 39.24
Frances Reef
4 24 53.84
Frances Reef
4 25 3.83
Bajapa Reef
4 36 9.01
Paguan Is.
4 42 52.07
Alice Reef
4 45 55.25
Alice Reef
4 47 5.36
Omapoy Rk.
4 55 10.45
Bukut Lapis Pt.
5 2 23.73
Pearl Bank
5 46 35.15
Baguan Is.
6 5 58.41
Taganak Is.
6 4 14.08
Great Bakkungaan 6 11 4.65
Is.
Lihiman Is.
6 13 39.90
Sibaung Is.
6 17 43.99
Muligi Is.
6 52 14.53
South Mangsee Is. 7 30 26.05
Balabac Is.
7 48 30.69
Balabac Great Reef 7 51 27.17
Balabac Great Reef 7 52 19.86
Balabac Great Reef 7 54 36.35
Ada Reef
8 2 0.26
Secam Is.
8 11 18.36
Latud Pt.
8 37 56.37
SW Tatub Pt.
8 44 17.40
W Sicud Pt.
8 53 32.20
Tarumpitao Pt.
9 2 57.47
Dry Is.
9 59 22.54
Binangcolan Pt.
11 13 19.82
Pinnacle Rk.
12 19 35.22
Cabra Is.
13 53 21.45
Hermana Mayor Is. 15 48 43.61
Tambobo Pt.
15 57 51.67
Rena Pt.
16 9 57.90
Rena Pt.
16 10 12.42
Rocky Ledge
16 16 34.46
Piedra Pt.
16 17 12.70
Piedra Pt.
16 18 29.49
Piedra Pt.
16 19 28.20
Piedra Pt.
16 20 4.38
Dile Pt.
17 34 24.94
Pinget Is.
17 41 17.56
Badoc Is.
17 55 4.13

119 51 58.08
119 14 50.71
119 14 15.15
119 3 22.75
119 1 44.04
119 3 15.19
119 5 12.94
119 22 1.30
119 44 18.14
119 39 51.77
118 26 57.30
118 18 33.33
118 6 54.15

43.44
0.61
15.48
6.88
3.40
2.28
18.60
23.37
44.20
75.17
8.54
13.46
3.97

118 3 52.09
118 0 5.44
118 23 40.49
117 18 33.75
116 59 39.18
116 54 17.19
116 53 28.73
116 53 16.64
116 54 10.04
116 59 51.87
117 15 51.23
117 20 39.37
117 28 15.78
117 37 38.88
118 36 53.61
119 15 17.74
119 50 56.00
120 1 5.86
119 46 56.09
119 44 55.32
119 45 15.76
119 45 11.95
119 46 19.50
119 46 28.52
119 46 44.94
119 47 7.69
119 47 20.48
120 20 33.36
120 21 2.02
120 24 40.56

5.53
41.60
75.06
26.00
6.08
1.18
2.27
7.42
10.85
30.88
7.91
11.89
13.20
81.12
82.76
74.65
93.88
115.69
9.30
12.06
0.25
6.43
0.65
1.30
1.04
0.63
80.60
6.86
14.15
35.40
10 | P a g e

95
96
97
98
99
100
101

PAB-79
PAB-79B
PAB-80
PAB-82
PAB-83
PAB-84
PAB-85

Cape Bojeador
Bobon
Calagangan Pt.
Itbayat Is.
Amianan Is.
Amianan Is.
Amianan Is.

18 29 32.42
18 30 52.88
19 10 14.78
20 43 15.74
21 7 17.47
21 7 18.41
21 7 12.04

120 33 42.41
120 34 55.35
121 12 52.64
121 46 57.80
121 56 43.85
121 56 48.79
121 57 3.65

1.77
53.23
98.07
25.63
0.08
0.25
0.44

SECTION 2. The baselines in the following areas over which the Philippines likewise exercises
sovereignty and jurisdiction shall be determined as Regime of Islands under the Republic of
the Philippines consistent with Article 121 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS):
a) The Kalayaan Island Group as constituted under Presidential Decree No. 1596; and
b) Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal.
SECTION 3. This Act affirms that the Republic of the Philippines has dominion, sovereignty
and jurisdiction over all portions of the national territory as defined in the Constitution and by
provisions of applicable laws including, without limitation, Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise
known as the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended.
SECTION 4. 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.
SECTION 5. 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.
SECTION 6. The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be provided in
a supplemental budget or included in the General Appropriations Act of the year of its
enactment into law.
SECTION 7. If any portion or provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the
other portions or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full
force and effect.
SECTION 8. The provisions of Republic Act No. 3046, as amended by Republic Act No. 5446,
and all other laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and issuances inconsistent with this Act
are hereby amended or modified accordingly.
SECTION 9. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication in the Official
Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

11 | P a g e

V.

Resources:

Balasbas, Ma. Reymunda Carmen. (n.d.). The National Territory of the Philippines: A Brief
Study. plj.up.edu.ph. Retrieved December 1, 2014 from
Garcia, Michael. (13 April 2009). The Philippine Baselines Law. www.un.org. Retrieved
November
28,
2014
from,
http://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon/unnff_programme_home/alumni/tokyo_alumni_presents_fil
es/alum_tokyo_garcia.pdf.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. www.un.org. Retrieved December 2, 2014
from http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf.
http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/156775/
http://www.gov.ph/2009/03/10/republic-act-no-9522/

12 | P a g e