SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez welcomed the signing into law Friday by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Law.

“The two laws enhance our efforts to protect our sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea and to preserve and exploit the resources in these waters for the benefit of our people,” the leader of the 300-plus-strong House of Representatives said.

Speaker Romualdez said protecting the disputed waters that are inside the country’s 200-mile special economic zone “is not just a matter of national pride; it is also an economic and food security, and legacy imperative.”

He said based on surveys and studies, the West Philippine Sea “holds vast marine and oil and gas resources that we should preserve for the future generation of Filipinos.”

“It is thus not surprising that our frenemy and neighbor continues to intrude into our waters and even undertakes periodic maritime surveys in this area,” he added.

Speaker Romualdez pointed out that the enactment of the two laws “signals to our neighbors, our allies, and to the whole world our steadfast commitment to protect what is rightfully and legally ours.”

“These new laws mark a historic moment in our efforts to secure and defend our maritime domain. By establishing clear boundaries and designating specific sea lanes, we strengthen our position under international law, safeguard our natural resources, and enhance our security in the West Philippine Sea and beyond,” he stressed.

The House leader thanked President Marcos Jr. for his unwavering resolve to defend the country’s interests in the contested waters.

He said the two new laws are also consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which grants the country an entitlement to a 200-mile exclusive economic zone and allows it to pass national legislation to protect its EEZ.

The Philippines and China are both UNCLOS signatories.

Speaker Romualdez said the Maritime Zones Law and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act likewise strengthen the July 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration recognizing the Philippines’ EEZ under UNCLOS and rejecting China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.

“Unfortunately, at least two sea features the arbitral tribunal had declared as belonging to us are occupied or controlled by Beijing,” he said.

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Jester P. Manalastas