TURNING POINT: The Philippines Map Re-drawn

NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 27 February) – The passage of Republic Act 12064, signed by President Marcos Jr. on November 8, 2024, declares the maritime zones under the jurisdiction of the Republic of the Philippines and has re-drawn the map of the sovereign territory of the country.

The maritime zones of the Philippines on the western side of the Philippine archipelago, including the Luzon Sea, the territorial seas of Bajo de Masinloc, and the maritime features of the Kalayaan Island Group, are collectively called the West Philippine Sea.

The waters inside the archipelagic baselines of the Philippines are considered archipelagic water, except for bays, estuaries, and other waters considered internal waters, as delimited from archipelagic waters by Article 50 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) .

The Philippines exercises sovereignty over its territorial sea and the airspace above it as well as its sealed and subsoil under UNCLOS and other existing laws and treaties, having due regard for the rights of other States, including the right of innocent passage as provided in Part II, Section 3 of the UNCLOS.

The delimitation between archipelagic waters and internal waters shall be made by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) and marked on the official charts of the Philippines. The archipelagic sea lanes shall also be marked on these charts. The charts shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations by Articles 16 and 53 of the UNCLOS.

Foreign vessels have no navigational rights in the internal waters of the Philippines unless expressly authorized by the Philippine Government.

The clear-cut delineation of the country’s sovereign territory irked imperial China which provocatively responded by sending Liberation Army maritime ships to crisscross in nearby Bajo de Masinloc, an internal water of the Philippines. Chinese Coast Guards were also observed navigating in the WPS. The tension created by the Chinese trespassing eased up when said trespassers eventually returned to base after a tense faceoff with the Philippine Coast Guard.

It is easy to define our sovereign territory and declare it to the whole world. The great task is how to protect and secure it. We expect more challenges to come from the angered monster. Thus, we must keep if not augment our possession of Typhon missiles to counter Chinese terrorism, and to be ready when push comes to shove.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental.)