PH affirms claim on extended continental shelf in South China Sea

DFA logo and building facade. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

In a statement, the DFA said it takes note of the submission made by Vietnam to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on July 17, 2023.

The DFA, however, noted that the Philippines remains firm on its claim on its extended continental shelf in the Western Palawan Region, emphasizing that it is consistent with its maritime entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

READ: PH, Vietnam urge compliance with Unclos in South China Sea

“Nevertheless, we acknowledge Vietnam’s right, as a coastal State like the Philippines, to submit information to establish the outer limits of their continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the relevant and lawful baselines from which its territorial sea is measured, as provided for under UNCLOS,” the DFA explained.

It added that it is ready to engage with Vietnam on possible ways to achieve a “mutually beneficial solution to South China Sea issues.”

READ: West Philippine Sea: PH, Vietnam resume joint activities on Pugad Island