PH affirms claim on extended continental shelf in South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government affirmed its claim to its extended continental shelf in the Western Palawan Region on Thursday afternoon, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

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).

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“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.”

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