Waypoints, a group that advocates for the protection of Philippine marine resources, lauded the Senate for passing on third and final reading the Maritime Zones Act.
In a press statement, Waypoints said that the passage of the act is, “a step closer to foundational legislation that clarify the country’s geographical jurisdiction.”
Establishing such jurisdiction will enhance the Philippines’ ability to enforce applicable maritime laws in relation to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to reap the benefits from natural resources within its territory and exclusive economic zone.
In sponsoring the bill, Sen. Francis Tolentino, chair of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones, described the adoption of the measure as, “critical and imperative, and very timely and necessary.”
“Nakatatak na po sa kasaysayan ang Philippine Maritime Zones Law na magiging Bantayog ng ating Kalayaan,” Tolentino said.
(The Philippine Maritime Zones Law stands as a historical monument representing the sovereignty of the Filipino people)
“The enactment of the Maritime Zone law marks a significant milestone in the country’s long and difficult quest toward effectively managing our seas,” said Prof. Jay Batongbacal, Director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea of the U.P. Law Center.
“Foreign states will be obliged to ensure that their flag vessels comply with the laws and regulations of the country enacted in accordance with international law. This enables us to secure international cooperation in the conservation and management of our inter-island and offshore waters,” he added.
According to Sen. Joel Villanueva, one of the bill’s seven co-sponsors, “Binibigyang diin at ngipin ng panukalang batas na ito ang intergridad ng ating territoryo na kinikilala ng UNCLOS, at ang makasaysayang tagumpay natin sa Permanent Court of Arbitration sa Hague noong 2016.”
(The law brings focus and gives teeth to the sovereignty of Philippine territory recognized under the UNCLOS, and the Philippines’ historic legal victory in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague back in 2016.)
Julio Amador III, senior advisor for Waypoints urged President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to sign the bill into law, “soonest,” noting that this national maritime legislation has been “40 years in the making.”
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