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Article I
National Territory
Section I
The national territory comprises the
Philippine Archipelago, with all the islands and
water embraced therein, and all other
territories over which the Philippine has
sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its
terrestrial, fluvial, and aerial domains, including
its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the
insular shelves, and the other submarine areas.
The waters around, between and connecting the
islands of the archipelago, regardless of their
breadth and dimensions, form part of the
internal waters of the Philippines.
Purpose on the provision of the National
Territory

Fixes the area coverage and limit

defines the limit of the jurisdiction
protects the area from foreign
encroachment or intrusion.
serves us permanent home for the
people.
Coverage of the Phil.
Territory
 National Territory of the
Philippines
1. The Phil. Archipelago, with all the islands and the
water embraced therein;
2. All other territories over which the Philippines has
sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its
terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains including the
1. Its territorial sea or part of the sea extending 12 nautical miles (19
kms.) from its coastline;
2. Its sea bed or the sea floor or sea bottom under the territorial sea;
3. The sub-soil or everything beneath the surface soil;
4. Insular shelves or the submerged portions of offshore islands under
the territorial sea; and
5. Other submarine areas or all areas under the territorial; and
3. The internal or inland waters or parts of the sea
w/in the land territory considered in the same way
as rivers & lakes w/in our land territory
 Philippine Archipelago
The term archipelago is derived from the Greek word
pelagos which means “sea.” or a wide expanse of
water with several small islands.
The term, therefore, includes both sea & islands
taken together as a whole.
It is bounded in the east by the Pacific Ocean, in the
west by the South China Sea, & in the south by the
Celebes & the Sulu Seas.
It is situated in the Southeast Asia.
The northernmost islet is Y’ami about 240 kms. off
Taiwan & Saluag being the southernmost island about
24 kms. north of Borneo.
 Question About the Spratly Islands and the Sabah
Claim
 The Philippine government’s claim over the Kalayaan Islands in the
South China Sea is legally mandated pursuant to PD 1596, w/c was
signed by then Pres. Marcos on 11 June 1978 providing that the
islands shall form part of the Philippines & to be administered as a
municipality of Palawan.
 The claim over the said islands is based on historic, legal &
equitable grounds.
 By legal historic rights, the gov’t. asserts the consequences of
discovery 7 occupation by a Filipino educator & navigator Tomas
Cloma & his associates.
 It consists an area of approximately 64,800 sq. miles off
Continental Asia.
 It is composed of of approximately 53 islands, islet, cays, & banks.
 Within the internal section of the said land is a small group of
seven islets, sand cas, & banks known territorially as the Spratlys.
 inner
Pacific
outer
width of

internal
Sulu
Celebes