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90-558: The Benham Rise , formally designated as Philippine Rise (Filipino: Talampas ng Pilipinas ) by the Philippine government , is an extinct volcanic ridge located in the Philippine Sea approximately 250 kilometers (160 mi) east of the northern coastline of Dinapigue, Isabela . The feature has long been known to the people of Catanduanes as Kalipung-awan , which literally means “loneliness from an isolated place”, since

180-564: A bill is approved by the House of Representatives, it is passed onto the Senate. A bill must first be approved by the Senate in order to be passed for the president's signature to become a law. Only the Senate can concur with treaties and try impeachment cases. The Senate is led by the President of the Senate . The current senate president is Francis Escudero . The House of Representatives of

270-644: A decade or more. Several countries have made competing territorial claims over the South China Sea. Such disputes have been regarded as Asia's most potentially dangerous point of conflict. Both the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC, commonly known as Taiwan) claim almost the entire body as their own, demarcating their claims within what is known as the " nine-dash line ", which claims overlap with virtually every other country in

360-498: A diameter of 150 kilometers was discovered by Jenny Anne Baretto, a Filipino marine geophysicist. It was named after Apolaki, a precolonial god of the sun and war. Philippine Rise is a submerged extinct volcanic ridge located at 16.5°N, 124.7°E off the coast of Luzon , with the size of about 250 km in diameter and rises over 2,000 meters (2 km.) above the sea floor, from below 5,000 meters (5 km.) below sea level to above 3,000 meters (3 km.) below sea level. Its area

450-443: A dispute over the South China Sea, India's state-run explorer, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) said that its overseas investment arm ONGC Videsh Limited had signed a three-year deal with PetroVietnam for developing long-term cooperation in the oil sector and that it had accepted Vietnam's offer of exploration in certain specified blocks in the South China Sea. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu issued

540-526: A possible solution to tensions with the United States in the South China Sea would be to sink one or two United States Navy aircraft carriers to break US morale. Also in December 2018, Chinese commentator and Senior Colonel in the People's Liberation Army Air Force , Dai Xu suggested that China's navy should ram United States Navy ships sailing in the South China Sea. The US, although not

630-490: A process that propagated to the southwest resulting in the V-shaped basin we see today. Extension ceased around 17 million years ago. Arguments have continued about the role of tectonic extrusion in forming the basin. Paul Tapponnier and colleagues have argued that as India collides with Asia it pushes Indochina to the southeast. The relative shear between Indochina and China caused the South China Sea to open. This view

720-650: A protest. The spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India responded by saying that "The Chinese had concerns but we are going by what the Vietnamese authorities have told us and have conveyed this to the Chinese." The Indo-Vietnamese deal was also denounced by the Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times . In 1999, Taiwan claimed the entirety of the South China Sea islands under

810-630: A signatory to UNCLOS , has maintained its position that its naval vessels have consistently sailed unhindered through the South China Sea and will continue to do so. At times US warships have come within the 12 nautical-mile limit of Chinese-controlled islands (such as the Paracel Islands), arousing China's ire. During the US Chief of Naval Operations' visit to China in early 2019, he and his Chinese counterpart worked out rules of engagement, whenever American warships and Chinese warships met up on

900-542: A term of six years. While the vice president may be re-elected unlimited number of times (but not consecutively ), the president is barred from seeking re-election. The incumbent president and vice president are Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte , respectively, who were elected in 2022 . The president of the Philippines is the country's chief executive, serving as the head of state and head of government . The president heads all executive departments . The heads of

990-599: A “Strict Protection Zone” reserved exclusively for scientific research, while about 3,000 square kilometers (1,200 sq mi) was designated a “Special Fisheries Management Area“. Government of the Philippines The powers of the three branches are vested by the Constitution of the Philippines in the following: Legislative power is vested in the two-chamber Congress of the Philippines —the Senate

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1080-423: Is assisted by six deputies: the overall deputy, the deputy for Luzon, the deputy for Visayas, the deputy for Mindanao, the deputy for the armed forces, and the special prosecutor. The Philippines has four main classes of elected administrative divisions , often lumped together as local government units (LGUs). They are, from the highest to the lowest division: Regions are the highest administrative division in

1170-829: Is close to the Philippine Seamount, located at 15.8°N, 124.2°E. The precise location is somewhere near the east of the Philippine Trench and near the south of the East Luzon Trench , both of which absorb the subducting force of the Philippine Sea Plate under the Philippine Mobile Belt , a collage of large blocks of that crust that amalgamated prior to the collision of the Philippine Sea Plate with

1260-539: Is disputed by geologists who do not consider Indochina to have moved far relative to mainland Asia. Marine geophysical studies in the Gulf of Tonkin by Peter Clift has shown that the Red River Fault was active and causing basin formation at least by 37 million years ago in the northwest South China Sea, consistent with extrusion playing a part in the formation of the sea. Since opening, the South China Sea has been

1350-583: Is headed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives . The current speaker is Martin Romualdez . Judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court of the Philippines and lower courts established by law. The Supreme Court, which has a chief justice as its head and 14 associate justices , occupies the highest tier of the judiciary. The justices serve until the age of 70. The justices are appointed by

1440-643: Is responsible for examining, auditing , and settling all revenues and expenditures of public funds and properties used by the government or its attached agencies. The three branches of the Philippine government are independently monitored by the Office of the Ombudsman ( Filipino : Tanodbayan ). The ombudsman is given the mandate to investigate and prosecute any government official allegedly guilty of crimes, especially graft and corruption . The ombudsman

1530-602: Is the upper chamber and the House of Representatives is the lower chamber. Executive power is exercised by the government under the leadership of the president. Judicial power is vested in the courts, with the Supreme Court of the Philippines as the highest judicial body. The Executive Branch of government comprise the Cabinet and all executive departments , led by the president . The president and vice president are directly elected separately by national popular vote for

1620-845: The 1990 Luzon earthquake . The Philippines claimed this feature as part of its continental shelf in a claim filed with the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on April 8, 2009, and which was approved under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 2012. The rise is designated as a “protected food supply exclusive zone” by the Philippine government since May 2017. Mining and oil exploration are banned in

1710-685: The Bangsamoro Cabinet . Its legislative branch is the unicameral Bangsamoro Parliament . The region also has its own judiciary system that applies Sharia . South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean . It is bounded in the north by South China , in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula , in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luzon , Mindoro and Palawan ), and in

1800-532: The Commission on Elections , and the Commission on Audit . The Civil Service Commission is the central personnel agency of the Philippine government. It is responsible for strengthening employment and a conducive work environment in the civil service sector and overseeing the Civil Service Exam, a civil service entrance examination to assess qualifications and work integrity for employment in

1890-630: The Czech Republic , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , India , Ireland , Italy , Japan, the Netherlands , New Zealand , the Philippines, Poland , Portugal , Romania , Slovakia , South Korea , Spain , Sweden , the United Kingdom , and the United States; the governments in opposition are China, Montenegro , Pakistan , Russia, Sudan , Syria , Taiwan, and Vanuatu . The United Nations itself does not have

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1980-686: The East Sea , Biển Đông . In Malaysia , Indonesia and the Philippines , it was long called the South China Sea ( Tagalog : Dagat Timog Tsina , Malay : Laut China Selatan ), with the part within Philippine territorial waters often called the "Luzon Sea", Dagat Luzon , by the Philippines. However, following an escalation of the Spratly Islands dispute in 2011, various Philippine government agencies started using

2070-567: The Eurasian Plate . The origin of the landform, along with the nearby Urdaneta Plateau (a remnant of a mantle plume ), is identified in one study as at least five sequences of propagating rifts , probably triggered by mantle flowing away from the mantle thermal anomaly. Its presence of the landform disrupts the continuity of this region (known as the Philippine-East Luzon Trench) by continuously colliding with

2160-552: The Gulf of Tonkin are part of the South China Sea. $ 3.4 trillion of the world's $ 16 trillion maritime shipping passed through South China Sea in 2016. Oil and natural gas reserves have been found in the area. The Western Central Pacific accounted for 14% of world's commercial fishing in 2010. The South China Sea Islands , collectively comprising several archipelago clusters of mostly small uninhabited islands, islets ( cays and shoals ), reefs / atolls and seamounts numbering in

2250-752: The Lee Teng-hui administration. The entire subsoil, seabed and waters of the Paracels and Spratlys are claimed by Taiwan. In 2012 and 2013, Vietnam and Taiwan butted heads against each other over anti-Vietnamese military exercises by Taiwan. In May 2014, China established an oil rig near the Paracel Islands, leading to multiple incidents between Vietnamese and Chinese ships. Vietnamese analysis identifies this change in strategy generating on going incidents as occurring since 2012. In December 2018, retired Chinese admiral Luo Yuan proposed that

2340-750: The Lingga and Tambelan Archipelagos , and the North Natuna Sea located between the Natuna Islands and Cape Cà Mau on the southern tip of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. There has been no agreement between China and Indonesia on what has been called the Natuna waters dispute, with China being ambiguous as to the southern limit of its area of interest. States and territories with borders on

2430-460: The Sierra Madre mountain range of eastern portion of the island of Luzon . Though it is generally thought that the Philippine Sea Plate is being subducted under the Philippine Mobile Belt , under the rules of tectonic subduction , there appears to be a resistance to this because of the presence of the landform, and instead, the plate is being displaced into the northern portion of Luzon to

2520-595: The Southern and Northern dynasties . Usage of the current Chinese name, Nan Hai (South Sea), gradually became widespread during the Qing dynasty . In Southeast Asia it was once called the Champa Sea or Sea of Cham , after the maritime kingdom of Champa (nowadays Central Vietnam ), which flourished there before the 16th century. The majority of the sea came under Japanese naval control during World War II following

2610-706: The State of Chu's expeditions there. Nan Hai, the South Sea, was one of the Four Seas of Chinese literature. There are three other seas, one for each of the four cardinal directions. During the Eastern Han dynasty (23–220 CE), China's rulers called the sea Zhang Hai ( Chinese : 漲海 ; pinyin : Zhǎng Hǎi ; lit. 'distended sea'). Fei Hai ( Chinese : 沸海 ; pinyin : Fèi Hǎi ; lit. 'boiling sea') became popular during

2700-824: The University of the Philippines to perform a scientific survey of the Rise. In February, Duterte‘s Secretary of Agriculture Emmanuel Piñol told media the President had ordered the halting of all foreign research in the Philippine Rise; however, that conducted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences was already finished two days before the order. On February 12, 2018, the International Hydrographic Organization approved

2790-681: The precolonial era . Under the Philippine Sea lie a number of basins including the West Philippine Basin , inside of which is located the Central Basin Fault (CBF). Philippine Rise is located in the CBF and its geologic basement is probably a micro-continent . Several scientific surveys have been made on the feature to study its nature and its impact on tectonic subduction , including one about its effects on

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2880-610: The Bangka Belitung Islands to the Natuna Islands . The sea lies above a drowned continental shelf ; during recent ice ages global sea level was hundreds of metres lower, and Borneo was part of the Asian mainland. The South China Sea opened around 45 million years ago when the " Dangerous Ground " rifted away from southern China. Extension culminated in seafloor spreading around 30 million years ago,

2970-425: The Chinese government on the issue. The Palace announced the following day that government intended to give Philippine names to the features of the Philippine Rise. However, a few hours later, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque clarified that China’s renaming of sea features “was a scientific process and not a political one”, adding “Whoever made the discovery gets to decide what these are called.” On February 16,

3060-775: The East coast of Sumatra to Lucipara Point ( 3°14′S 106°05′E  /  3.233°S 106.083°E  / -3.233; 106.083 ) thence to Tanjong Nanka, the Southwest extremity of Banka Island (where it transitions as Java Sea ), through this island to Tanjong Berikat the Eastern point ( 2°34′S 106°51′E  /  2.567°S 106.850°E  / -2.567; 106.850 ), on to Tanjong Djemang ( 2°36′S 107°37′E  /  2.600°S 107.617°E  / -2.600; 107.617 ) in Billiton , along

3150-544: The Middle Rocks to Malaysia. In July 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for China to resolve the territorial dispute. China responded by demanding the US keep out of the issue. This came at a time when both countries had been engaging in naval exercises in a show of force to the opposing side, which increased tensions in the region. The US Department of Defense released a statement on August 18 where it opposed

3240-529: The North coast of this island to Tanjong Boeroeng Mandi ( 2°46′S 108°16′E  /  2.767°S 108.267°E  / -2.767; 108.267 ) and thence a line to Tanjong Sambar ( 3°00′S 110°19′E  /  3.000°S 110.317°E  / -3.000; 110.317 ) the Southwest extreme of Borneo . On the East. From Tanjong Sambar through the West coast of Borneo to Tanjong Sampanmangio,

3330-629: The North point, thence a line to West points of Balabac and Secam Reefs, on to the West point of Bancalan Island and to Cape Buliluyan, the Southwest point of Palawan , through this island to Cabuli Point, the Northern point thereof, thence to the Northwest point of Busuanga and to Cape Calavite in the island of Mindoro, to the Northwest point of Lubang Island and to Point Fuego (14°08'N) in Luzon Island , through this island to Cape Engano ,

3420-616: The Northeast point of Luzon, along a line joining this cape with the East point of Balintang Island (20°N) and to the East point of Y'Ami Island (21°05'N) thence to Garan Bi, the Southern point of Taiwan (Formosa), through this island to Santyo (25°N) its North Eastern Point. On the North. From Fuki Kaku the North point of Formosa to Kiushan Tao (Turnabout Island) on to the South point of Haitan Tao (25°25'N) and thence Westward on

3510-466: The Palawan Trench. Now completely submerged, with a depth of 20 metres (66 ft), it was an island until it was covered about 7,000 years ago by increasing sea levels after the last ice age . With an area of 8,866 square kilometres (3,423 sq mi), it is one of the largest submerged atoll structures in the world. The South China Sea has historically been an important trade route between northeast Asia, China, southeast Asia, and going to India and

3600-510: The Parties" but concluded that China had not historically exercised exclusive control within the nine-dash line, hence has "no legal basis" to claim "historic rights" over the resources. It also concluded that China's historic rights claims over the maritime areas (as opposed to land masses and territorial waters) inside the nine-dash line would have no lawful effect outside of what's entitled to under UNCLOS. It criticized China's land reclamation projects and its construction of artificial islands in

3690-461: The Philippine Plateau is still displacing the Central Luzon and the Philippine Fault System to the west, which may have been a factor in such a catastrophic earthquake. The 20- to 50-second wave of the 1990 quake that developed a new east–west sub-fault was so strong that it terminated disastrously in the city of Baguio in Benguet , Cordillera . Several scientific surveys, conducted between 2004 and 2008, collected hydrographic data that determined

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3780-460: The Philippine government announced they have sent military personnel into the Cagayan Valley to guard the Rise. Two days later, it was revealed that China intended to name a total of 142 features. On February 26, the Department of Foreign Affairs stated during a Senate investigation that China actually surveyed the Rise in 2017 without any Philippine-issued permit, citing the lack of capability to detect illegal entry. The world’s largest caldera with

3870-467: The Philippines is the lower house of the Congress. The House consists of district and sectoral representatives elected for a term of three years and may be re-elected for three consecutive terms. Each bill has to be approved by the House, after which it is sent to the Senate. Furthermore, all franchise and money bills must originate from the House. The House of Representatives also has the power to impeach certain officials. The House of Representatives

3960-400: The Philippines , the deputy chief executive, is the first in line for succession if the president resigns, is removed after impeachment, is permanently incapacitated, or dies. The vice president is usually, though not always, a member of the president's cabinet and may be appointed without the approval of the Commission of Appointments. If there is a vacancy in the position of vice president,

4050-478: The Philippines, primarily used to coordinate planning and organize national services. Administrative regions are not local government units themselves but instead consist of several local government units. Meanwhile, autonomous regions are regions that have control over their governance, culture, and economy. The 1987 Constitution only allows for the creation of two autonomous regions, one in the Cordilleras of Luzon and another in Muslim Mindanao ; at present, only

4140-536: The South Atlantic and West Gulf Blockading Squadrons during the American Civil War . There has been speculation in the scientific community about the nature of the landform. Following the major July 16 1990 Luzon earthquake , scientists reconsidered their fault models and decided it likely that Philippine Plateau has similarly displaced the Philippine Fault System to the west. After analyzing older models such as that of Pinet and Stephan (1989), scientists reconsidered their fault models. They thought it highly likely that

4230-428: The South China Sea as the North Natuna Sea , which is located north of the Indonesian Natuna Islands , bordering southern Vietnam exclusive economic zone , corresponding to southern end of South China Sea. The Natuna Sea is located south of Natuna Island within Indonesian territorial waters. Therefore, Indonesia has named two seas that are portions of South China Sea; the Natuna Sea located between Natuna Islands and

4320-448: The Spratly Islands, saying that it had caused "severe harm to the coral reef environment". Finally, it characterized Taiping Island and other features of the Spratly Islands as "rocks" under UNCLOS, and therefore are not entitled to a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone . The arbitral tribunal decision was ruled as final and non-appealable by either country. China rejected the ruling, calling it "ill-founded". China's response

4410-407: The United States territory of Guam also makes gives it strategic geopolitical importance. In May 2017, the feature was designated by the Philippines as a “protected food supply exclusive zone”, prohibiting mining and oil exploration. To commemorate the first anniversary of the Philippine government’s renaming of the feature, 500 square kilometers (190 sq mi) of the feature was declared

4500-434: The Western Central Pacific (excluding the northernmost reaches of the South China Sea closest to the PRC coast) accounted for 14% of the total world catch from commercial fishing of 11.7 million tonnes. This was up from less than 4 million tonnes in 1970. China announced in May 2017 a breakthrough for mining methane clathrates , when they extracted methane from hydrates in the South China Sea, but commercial adoption may take

4590-400: The area as it is protected. The feature was renamed as "Philippine Rise" by Executive Order No. 25 on May 16, 2017 and by The Philippine Maritime Zones Act on November 8, 2024. The landform was presumably named after Admiral Andrew Ellicot Kennedy Benham (1832–1905) by American surveyors who probably studied the geological feature. He was a United States Navy officer, who served with both

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4680-416: The bending of the Philippine Fault . The active basins in Central Luzon , which trace an asymmetrical V shape, is the best place to observe recent tectonic evolution of the fault system. The Benham Bank is the shallowest point of the Philippine Rise. The Philippine Rise has long been part of Filipino culture, particularly of people native to Catanduanes who have explored and fished the area long before

4770-409: The central peaks of the Philippine Rise undersea geological province. The Chinese naming of the features was met public protests in the Philippines. Malacañang Palace announced it objection, and non-recognition of the Chinese names, adding it will appeal for their rejection with the International Hydrographic Organization. The Philippine government also said their embassy in Beijing will coordinate with

4860-425: The claim. It asserted that, according to scientific data based on seismic, magnetic, other geological features, the Philippine Rise is an extension of the Philippines’ continental shelf. The claim is only a partial claim since the law that allows the Philippines to expand its territorial boundaries also includes islands in the South China Sea . The Philippines filed its claim for Benham Rise in 2008 in compliance with

4950-455: The colonial era. Called Kalipung-awan (roughly translated from the Bikol languages as “loneliness in an isolated place”) is celebrated in Catandunganons literature, and a large portion of fish caught in the region come from the waters covering the Philippine Rise. Its poetic name come from fisherfolk who spend days in the vast and lonely waters seldom visited by other ethnic groups. Its location east of Luzon , southeast of Taiwan , and west of

5040-404: The consent of both chambers before being passed for the President's signature. The Senate is located in Pasay , while the House of Representatives is located in Quezon City , both of which are in Metro Manila . The Senate of the Philippines is the upper house of Congress. Senators are elected for a term of six years; they can be re-elected but may not run for a third consecutive term. Once

5130-441: The departments, which make up the cabinet , are appointed by the president subject to the approval of the Commission on Appointments . The president also supervises all local government units. The president may also give executive issuances , grant pardons , and exercise the power of eminent domain . Aside from having the power to veto any bill, the president also sets the legislative agenda for Congress. The vice president of

5220-506: The first Chinese name for South China Sea as Nanfang Hai (Chinese: 南方海 ; pinyin: Nánfāng Hǎi ; lit. 'Southern Sea'), claiming that barbarians from that sea gave tributes of hawksbill sea turtles to the Zhou rulers. The Classic of Poetry , Zuo Zhuan , and Guoyu classics of the Spring and Autumn period (771–476 BCE) also referred to the sea, but by the name Nan Hai (Chinese: 南海 ; pinyin: Nán Hǎi ; lit. 'South Sea') in reference to

5310-422: The high seas. On 26 June 2020, the 36th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit was held virtually. Vietnam, as the Chairman of the Summit, released the Chairman's Statement. The statement said the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is "the basis for determining maritime entitlements, sovereign rights, jurisdiction and legitimate interests over maritime zones, and the 1982 UNCLOS sets out

5400-400: The hundreds, are subject to competing claims of sovereignty by several countries. These claims are also reflected in the variety of names used for the islands and the sea. South China Sea is the dominant term used in English for the sea, and the name in most European languages is equivalent. This name is a result of early European interest in the sea as a route from Europe and South Asia to

5490-400: The largest being Taiping Island (Itu Aba) at just over 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) long and with its highest elevation at 3.8 metres (12 ft). The largest singular feature in the area of the Spratly Islands is a 100 kilometres (62 mi) wide seamount called Reed Tablemount , also known as Reed Bank, in the northeast of the group, separated from Palawan Island of the Philippines by

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5580-410: The latter exists, with the former remaining an administrative division. The Bangsamoro is an autonomous region located in Mindanao. Established in 2019, the region replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . The region has a regional parliamentary system separate from the national presidential system. Its executive branch is led by the regional chief minister , the Council of Leaders , and

5670-573: The legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out." In January 2013, the Philippines initiated arbitration proceedings against China (PRC) over issues surrounding the nine-dash line , characterization of maritime features, and EEZ. China did not participate in the arbitration. On 12 July 2016, an arbitral tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines on most of its submissions. It clarified that it would not "rule on any question of sovereignty over land territory and would not delimit any maritime boundary between

5760-653: The limits of South China Sea as follows: On the South. The Eastern and Southern limits of Singapore and Malacca Straits [A line joining Tanjong Datok, the Southeast point of Johore ( 1°22′N 104°17′E  /  1.367°N 104.283°E  / 1.367; 104.283 ) through Horsburgh Reef to Pulo Koko, the Northeastern extreme of Bintan Island ( 1°13.5′N 104°35′E  /  1.2250°N 104.583°E  / 1.2250; 104.583 ). The Northeastern coast of Sumatra ] as far West as Tanjong Kedabu ( 1°06′N 102°58′E  /  1.100°N 102.967°E  / 1.100; 102.967 ) down

5850-400: The military acquisition of many surrounding South East Asian territories in 1941. Japan calls the sea Minami Shina Kai "South China Sea". This was written 南支那海 until 2004, when the Japanese Foreign Ministry and other departments switched the spelling to 南シナ海 , which has become the standard usage in Japan. In China, it is called the South Sea , ( 南海 ; Nánhǎi ), and in Vietnam

5940-412: The morphology of the seabed in the region. Despite its proximity to the archipelago, the plateau was previously not included in charted territory of the country. On April 8, 2009, the Republic of the Philippines lodged a partial territorial waters claim with the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in relation to the continental shelf in the region of the Philippine Rise. It

6030-409: The much larger China and that because many countries claim the same territory only multilateral talks could effectively resolve the competing claims. The overlapping claims over Pedra Branca or Pulau Batu Putih including the neighbouring Middle Rocks by both Singapore and Malaysia were settled in 2008 by the International Court of Justice , awarding Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh to Singapore and

6120-416: The name West Philippine Sea . A Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) spokesperson said that the sea to the east of the Philippines will continue to be called the Philippine Sea . In September 2012, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III signed Administrative Order No. 29, mandating that all government agencies use the name West Philippine Sea to refer to

6210-413: The names proposed by China for five features in the Philippine Rise after China had submitted its findings to the organization. The names given by China were all in Chinese, namely, Jinghao Seamount (some 70 nautical miles east of Cagayan), Tianbao Seamount (some 70 nautical miles east of Cagayan), Haidonquing Seamount (east at 190 nautical miles), Cuiqiao Hill, and Jujiu Seamount, the last two form

6300-399: The parallel of 25°24' North to the coast of Fukien . On the West. The Mainland, the Southern limit of the Gulf of Thailand and the East coast of the Malay Peninsula . However, in a revised draft edition of Limits of Oceans and Seas , 4th edition (1986), the International Hydrographic Organization recognized the Natuna Sea. Thus the southern limit of South China Sea would be revised from

6390-430: The parts of South China Sea within the Philippines exclusive economic zone , including the Luzon Sea as well as the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc , and tasked the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority to use the name in official maps. In July 2017, to assert its sovereignty, Indonesia renamed the northern reaches of its exclusive economic zone in

6480-548: The plateau be renamed to emphasize Philippine sovereignty over the area. Soon after, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced plans to come up with a new name. In May 2017, the Philippine government officially adopted the name “Philippine Rise” for the feature and designated the area as a “protected food supply exclusive zone” and prohibited mining and oil exploration in the Philippine Plateau, angering China in

6570-543: The president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council of the Philippines. The sitting chief justice is Alexander Gesmundo , the 27th to serve in that position. Other types of courts, of varying jurisdiction around the archipelago, are the following: Article 9 of the Constitution of the Philippines establishes three independent constitutional commissions: the Civil Service Commission ,

6660-590: The president will appoint any member of Congress (usually a party member) as the new vice president. The appointment must then be validated by a three-fourths vote of the Congress. The legislative power is vested in the Congress of the Philippines . The Congress is bicameral , consisting of the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives . The two chambers have roughly equal powers, and every bill or resolution that has to go through both houses needs

6750-564: The process. China maintained that the Philippines has no sovereign rights or sovereignty over the Philippine Rise despite a UN-backed international ruling in 2012 that says otherwise. In January 2018, Filipino Congressman Gary Alejano revealed that the Department of Foreign Affairs had approved the Chinese Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences together with the Marine Science Institute of

6840-746: The region. Competing claims include: China and Vietnam have both been vigorous in prosecuting their claims. China (various governments) and South Vietnam each controlled part of the Paracel Islands before 1974 . A brief conflict in 1974 resulted in 18 Chinese and 53 Vietnamese deaths, and China has controlled the whole of Paracel since then. The Spratly Islands have been the site of a naval clash, in which over 70 Vietnamese sailors were killed just south of Chigua Reef in March 1988. Disputing claimants regularly report clashes between naval vessels, and these now also include airspace incidents. ASEAN in general, and Malaysia in particular, have been keen to ensure that

6930-594: The repository of large sediment volumes delivered by the Mekong River, Red River and Pearl River. Several of these deltas are rich in oil and gas deposits. The South China Sea contains over 250 small islands , atolls , cays , shoals , reefs , and sandbars , most of which have no indigenous people, many of which are naturally under water at high tide, and some of which are permanently submerged. The features are: The Spratly Islands spread over an 810 by 900 km area covering some 175 identified insular features,

7020-512: The requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas . The UN officially approved the claim in April 2012 under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III . It was the first claim of the Philippines approved by an international body since the colonial era. After Chinese survey ships were spotted in the region in 2017, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte suggested that

7110-533: The sea (clockwise from north) include: the People's Republic of China , the Republic of China (Taiwan) , the Philippines , Malaysia , Brunei , Indonesia and Vietnam . Major rivers that flow into South China Sea include the Pearl , Min , Jiulong , Red , Mekong , Menam , Rajang , Baram , Kapuas , Batang Hari , Musi , Kampar , Indragiri , Pahang , Agno , Pampanga and Pasig Rivers. The IHO in its Limits of Oceans and Seas , 3rd edition (1953), defines

7200-635: The sea carries trade equivalent to 5 per cent of global GDP. In 2012–2013, the United States Energy Information Administration estimates very little oil and natural gas in contested areas such as the Paracel and the Spratly Islands. Most of the proved or probable 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the South China Sea exist near undisputed shorelines. In 2010,

7290-428: The sector. The Commission on Elections enforces and administers all laws and regulations related to conducting elections, plebiscites , initiatives , referendums, and recalls . It decides on all decisions surrounding election protests and contests and has the right to deputize and take control of law enforcement and state security forces to ensure the free and orderly conduct of elections. The Commission on Audit

7380-735: The ship was entering Chinese waters. The spokesperson for the Indian Navy clarified that as no ship or aircraft was visible from INS Airavat it proceeded on her onward journey as scheduled. The Indian Navy further clarified that "[t]here was no confrontation involving the INS Airavat. India supports freedom of navigation in international waters, including in the South China Sea, and the right of passage in accordance with accepted principles of international law. These principles should be respected by all." In September 2011, shortly after China and Vietnam had signed an agreement seeking to contain

7470-828: The south by Borneo , eastern Sumatra and the Bangka Belitung Islands , encompassing an area of around 3,500,000 km (1,400,000 sq mi). It communicates with the East China Sea via the Taiwan Strait , the Philippine Sea via the Luzon Strait , the Sulu Sea via the straits around Palawan , and the Java Sea via the Karimata and Bangka Straits . The Gulf of Thailand and

7560-539: The territorial disputes within the South China Sea do not escalate into armed conflict. As such, joint development authorities have been set up in areas of overlapping claims to jointly develop the area and divide the profits equally without settling the issue of sovereignty over the area. This is true particularly in the Gulf of Thailand. Generally, China has preferred to resolve competing claims bilaterally, while some ASEAN countries prefer multilateral talks, believing that they are disadvantaged in bilateral negotiations with

7650-526: The trading opportunities of China. In the 16th century, Portuguese sailors called it the China Sea ( Mare da China ); later needs to differentiate it from nearby bodies of water led to calling it South China Sea. The International Hydrographic Organization refers to the sea as "South China Sea (Nan Hai)". The Yizhoushu , which was a chronicle of the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BCE), gives

7740-550: The use of force to resolve the dispute, and accused China of assertive behaviour. On July 22, 2011, one of India's amphibious assault vessels, the INS Airavat which was on a friendly visit to Vietnam, was reportedly contacted at a distance of 45 nautical miles (83 km) from the Vietnamese coast in the disputed South China Sea on an open radio channel by a vessel identifying itself as the Chinese Navy and stating that

7830-420: The west. The number of shipwrecks of trading ships that lie on the ocean's floor attest to a thriving trade going back centuries. Nine historic trade ships carrying ceramics dating back to the 10th century until the 19th century were excavated under Swedish engineer Sten Sjöstrand . $ 3.4 trillion of the world's $ 16 trillion maritime shipping passed through South China Sea in 2016. The 2019 data shows that

7920-468: The west. The geophysical features of the plateau may have been the result of an early Miocene collision event between the Philippine Rise and the eastern margin of Luzon, which may have also allowed the inception of the NW striking strand of the Philippine fault. These forces may have impacted the shape of the island of Luzon because of the basaltic sea floor resisting the subduction that may have also cause

8010-557: Was submitted as part of petition expanding the archipelago's baselines and exclusive economic zone through a law that also included other claims involving disputed territories of the Kalayaan Islands ( Spratly Islands ) and Scarborough Shoal . Congress then enacted the bill of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago , now known as Republic Act No. 9522, or the Archipelagic Baselines Law, as the basis of

8100-470: Was to ignore the arbitration result and to continue pursuing bilateral discussions with the Philippines. Taiwan, which currently administers Taiping Island, the largest of the Spratly Islands, also rejected the ruling. As of November 2023 , 26 governments support the ruling, 17 issued generally positive statements noting the ruling but not called for compliance, and eight rejected it. The governments in support are Australia , Austria , Belgium , Canada ,

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