Gen. Info - Article 1: The National Territory of the Philippines

Summary

This educational video delves into the Philippine Constitution's first article, detailing the nation's territory. It explains the Philippine Archipelago, internal and territorial waters, and airspace. The video also covers maritime zones under UNCLOS, emphasizing the Philippines' rights within its exclusive economic zone, including disputes in the South China Sea. It asserts the country's sovereignty and the right to protect its resources, despite China's actions.

Takeaways

• 📜 The Philippine Constitution's first article defines the national territory, which is unique as most countries do not specify this in their constitutions.
• 🌏 The national territory of the Philippines includes the Philippine Archipelago, all territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, and potentially any future territories.
• 🏞️ The Philippine Archipelago is considered an integrated whole rather than 7,107 individual islands, with internal waters defined by straight baselines connecting the outermost points of the archipelago.
• 🚢 The concept of archipelagic baselines was introduced by the Philippines, Indonesia, and other archipelagic nations to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• 🏝️ The internal waters of the Philippines are the waters within the archipelagic baselines, and these waters are considered as part of the national territory.
• 🛳️ Territorial sea, seabed, subsoil, and the continental shelf are parts of the Philippine Archipelago that extend beyond the internal waters and are subject to different legal statuses.
• 🌊 The South China Sea, known as the West Philippine Sea in the Philippines, is a region of territorial dispute where the Philippines asserts rights based on UNCLOS.
• 🚫 The Philippines has the right to prevent activities such as building man-made islands and fishing within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) without agreement or when such activities deplete resources needed by Filipinos.
• 🔄 UNCLOS provides a framework for maritime zones, including territorial waters, contiguous zone, and EEZ, which determine the rights and responsibilities of coastal states in maritime areas.
• ⚖️ The Philippines' Constitution asserts exclusive rights for Filipinos in the EEZ, which allows for the management and protection of resources within this zone.

Q & A

What is unique about the Philippine Constitution's approach to defining national territory?

The Philippine Constitution uniquely defines the national territory in its first article, emphasizing the importance of knowing one's territory to avoid territorial disputes, which is not commonly found in other countries' constitutions.

What does the national territory of the Philippines comprise of?

The national territory of the Philippines comprises the Philippine Archipelago, all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, and the internal waters.

What is the significance of the code 'DFLA' in the context of the Philippine national territory?

The code 'DFLA' stands for 'Terrestrial, Flowing Bodies of Water, Local Airspace, and Aerial Domain', which are the four components that make up the national territory of the Philippines.

What are the different areas included in the Philippine Archipelago according to the script?

The different areas included in the Philippine Archipelago are the territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas.

How does the concept of 'archipelagic baseline' affect the determination of internal waters in the Philippines?

The concept of 'archipelagic baseline' connects the outermost points of the Philippine Archipelago, considering all waters inside these baselines as internal waters, treating the archipelago as one integrated whole rather than individual islands.

What is the territorial dispute mentioned in the script, and how does it relate to the Philippines?

The territorial dispute mentioned is the South China Sea dispute, referred to by the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea, which involves disputes over maritime areas and resources between the Philippines and other countries, including China.

What rights does the Philippines have within its territorial waters according to UNCLOS?

Under UNCLOS, the Philippines has sovereignty over its territorial waters, meaning it has complete ownership and can regulate passage through these waters, allowing foreign vessels to enter without engaging in prohibited activities.

What is the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and how does it relate to the Philippines?

The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is an area extending up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline, where the Philippines has sovereign rights but not full sovereignty, allowing it to control economic resources and manage fishing and mining activities.

How does the Philippines justify its right to stop China from building man-made islands and fishing in its area?

The Philippines justifies its right by citing the lack of agreement with China, the need to protect resources for its 105 million citizens, and the constitutional protection of its EEZ, which is exclusively for Filipinos.

What are the maritime zones discussed in the script, and what are their significances?

The maritime zones discussed are the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, and the EEZ. The territorial sea is under Philippine sovereignty, the contiguous zone allows control to prevent infringement of customs and other laws, and the EEZ permits free navigation but allows the Philippines to manage resources.