Article 1

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.
 ARCHIPELAGO
Gk. Pelagos – sea
: sea or part of a sea studded with islands
: synonymous with island groups
: large group of islands in an extensive body of water
* Includes both sea and islands which may be considered
as an independent whole
Comprises:
1) The Philippine archipelago
with all the islands and
waters embraced therein

2) All other territories over

which the Philippines has
sovereignty or jurisdiction

3) The terrestrial, fluvial, and

aerial domains including
the territorial sea, the
seabed, the subsoil, the
insular shelves, and other
submarine areas thereof

4) The internal waters

 FLUVIAL DOMAINS:

• Territorial sea – part of the sea extending 12 nautical miles

from the low-watermark:
- marginal sea, marginal belt, marine belt
• Seabed (sea floor; sea bottom)
» Land that holds the sea, lying beyond the seashore,
including the mineral and natural resources
• Subsoil – everything beneath the surface soil and the seabed,
including mineral & natural resources
• Insular Shelves (continental shelves) – submerged portions of a
continent or offshore island
 Three-fold Division of Navigable Waters
1) Inland or internal waters
- parts of the sea within
the land territory (rivers,
canals, & lakes); national
waters
2) Territorial sea
- belt of water outside
and parallel to the coastline
or to outer limits of the
inland or internal waters
3) High or open sea
- waters that lie seaward
of the territorial sea
 ARCHIPELAGIC CONCEPT
Archipelago Doctrine

An archipelago shall be regarded as a single

unit, so that waters around, between, and
connecting the islands of the archipelago,
irrespective of their breadth and dimensions,
form part of the internal waters of the state,
subject to its exclusive sovereignty