1987 PHILIPPINE

CONSTITUTION

Group 3
 ARTICLE I
Section 1 : NATIONAL TERRITORY

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.
National territory of the Philippines comprises of:
1. Binding of such provision under international law.

• The Philippine Archipelago consisting of the three main

islands namely Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao
• All waters embracing the said island such as water under
the archipelago doctrine, and territorial sea including the
seabed, insular shelves and other submarine areas
• All other territories over which the Philippines has
sovereignty and jurisdiction.
2. Value of provision defining our
national territory.

3. Acquisition of other territories.

• Archipelago
Greek word “PELAGOS” meaning sea.

Our country is compromised of the sea and all its

islands which is considered to be one single
unit.

The use of the word “ARCHIPELAGO” in Article I

is intended to project the idea that the
Philippines is an archipelago and bolster the
archipelagic concept which the Philippines
together with Indonesia and other archipelago
states, had espoused in international
conferences on the law of the sea.
The archipelagic concept or principle.

The use of the word “archipelago” in Article 1 is

intended to project the idea that the Philippines is an
archipelago.
by this concept archipelago shall be regarded as
a single unit, so that the waters around, between, and
connecting the islands of archipelago, irrespective of
their breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal
waters of the state, subject to its exclusive sovereignity.
• UNICLOS Maritime Zones
(United Nations Convention on the
Laws of the Seas)
-Archipelagic Baselines
-200 nm Exclusive Economic Zone
-200 nm Juridical Continental Shelf
Other territories over which the
Philippines has sovereignty or
jurisdiction:
1. Pending Philippine claim to Sabah
etc.
2. Future Claim by the Philippines to
other areas
• Other areas included in the
Philippine Archipelago
1. Terrestial Sea
2. Seabed
3. Subsoil
4. Insular shelves
5. Other submarines areas
UNICLOS MARITIME ZONES (Non-
Archipelagic States)
• Internal Waters
• Territorial Sea
• Contiguous Zone
• Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
• High Seas/ International Waters
Three-fold division navigable
waters:

1.Inland or internal waters

2. Terrestrial Sea
3. High open seas
Jurisdiction over navigable waters

The inland or internal waters

and the territorial sea together
comprise what is generally known
as the territorial water of state.