Senator Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones, has urged his colleagues to pass the proposed Philippine Maritime Zones Act of 2023.
The Maritime Zones bill aims to declare the rights and entitlements of the Philippines over its territorial sovereignty and fully enforce maritime laws.
It also seeks to protect the nationÂ’s marine wealth in its reserve its use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens.
According to Tolentino, “the adoption of this measure is not only Tolentino underscored the significance of the maritime zones law by stating that the Philippines is an archipelagic and maritime nation with more than 64 percent of its cities and municipalities situated on the coastlines.
“With this and the fact that the fundamental interests of the the Philippines to have an effective maritime governance,” Tolentino said.
He added that an effective maritime governance necessitates “the clear identification of the maritime areas over which the jurisdiction, and of the specific legal powers that the Philippines would exercise in those areas.”
The Philippines has also declared in 1998 that it intends to harmonize its domestic legislation with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
In 2009, Congress enacted RA 9522, which made the archipelagic baselines of the Philippines in full compliance with the UNCLOS.
The next logical step for the Philippines to take is to enact a maritime zones law that will establish with certainty the country’s “The Maritime Zones Act is not merely a legal obligation, but a paramount necessity for the Philippines” national, economic, and environmental.