The National Security Council (NSC) announced on Wednesday that it is already working on an updated Philippine map that will depict the country's maritime claims in order to challenge China's map, which depicts its contentious 10-dash line.
In a televised interview, NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya stated that they aim to make an announcement on the new Philippine map soon and that they are really considering it and have something in the works.
According to Malaya, the map update is still being approved, but it will comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and its 2016 Arbitral Award.
He also mentioned that the map might show the Philippine Rise, formerly known as the Benham Rise, which is the country's expanded continental shelf on the eastern side.
It is a 13-million-hectare undersea plateau near Aurora that is thought to be rich in natural gas and other minerals.
Last month, the Philippines filed a protest against China’s claim, showing an updated standard map with 10 dashes that formed a U shape, claiming the nearly entire South China Sea as part of its territory.
In the shown map, the area overlaps with the Philippines' exclusive economic zones (EEZ), as well as other neighboring countries such as Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
