The Philippines has officially submitted its official nautical chart of Bajo de Masinloc and its surrounding maritime zones to the United Nations, placing its established baselines and jurisdictional claims on the public international record despite continued pushback from China.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that the filing occurred on July 29 in line with Article 16 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which mandates coastal nations to publicize official charts or geographical coordinates defining their territorial sea baselines.
Philippine Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Enrique Manalo formally turned over National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) Chart No. 1567, titled “Bajo de Masinloc and Approach,” to UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea Deputy Director Alice Hicuburundi in New York.
Prepared using international hydrographic and geodetic standards, the chart details the normal baselines of Bajo de Masinloc along with the outer boundaries of its territorial sea and contiguous zone. Under the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, UNCLOS, and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, Manila asserts a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea and a 12-to-24-nautical-mile contiguous zone around the feature.
By depositing the chart, the DFA noted that the country formally notifies the global community of its baselines and applicable jurisdiction while making its official hydrographic data publicly accessible.
China swiftly rejected Manila’s territorial baselines, deeming them illegal and warning of a firm response to any perceived provocations. Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the move as a severe violation of international law and Chinese territorial sovereignty.
”China urges the Philippines to earnestly respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and refrain from any act of infringement or provocation in Huangyan Dao. Otherwise, China will respond resolutely,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated.
Beijing continues to claim the shoal as its inherent territory, rejecting both the 2016 arbitral ruling and the Philippine Maritime Zones Act.
Conversely, Manila maintains that Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of its territory. The 2016 ruling affirmed that the feature generates a territorial sea—though not an exclusive economic zone—and noted that both Filipino and Chinese fishers hold traditional fishing rights in the area, which Beijing unlawfully restricted starting in 2012.
This filing marks another step by Manila to solidify its maritime entitlements through international legal channels. The Philippines also recently presented a partial submission to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) regarding an extended continental shelf in the West Palawan Region.
These legal actions follow President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s commitment during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) to defend the 2016 Arbitral Award.
”This is not a claim that we advance alone, nor one that we will abandon,” Marcos said.
”Your government will do all that is necessary to continue upholding this Award, utilizing every peaceful and legal means available to the Republic against any attempt, foreign or domestic, to undermine this achievement,” he added.