National Territory

The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and waters embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and 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.
Section I, Article I of the 1987 Philippine Constitution

Agencies
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS)
a legal order for the seas and oceans which will facilitate international communication, and will promote the peaceful uses of the seas and oceans, the equitable and efficient utilization of their resources, the conservation of their living resources, and the study, protection and preservation of the marine environment
Source: un.org

Agencies
International Tribunal For the Law of the Sea
an independent judicial body established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Convention. The Tribunal is composed of 21 independent members, elected from among persons enjoying the highest reputation for fairness and integrity and of recognized competence in the field of the law of the sea.
source: itlos.org

Territorial Disputes
West Philippine Sea/South China Sea dispute Sabah(Malaysia and Philippines)

South China Sea

South China Sea

Claimants
China- Nine-dashed line(9 reefs) Taiwan-Nine-dashed line (1 island, 1 reef) Vietnam- Spratly and Paracel Island (6 islands, 16 reefs, 6 banks) Malaysia-Southern Spratly Island (1 artificial island, 5 reefs, 1 shoal) Philippines- Spratly Islands(7 islands, 3 reef) Brunei- two islands in Spratly Islands

Why Bother?
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, ownership of habitable islands can extend the exclusive access of a country to surrounding energy resources.

Potential Drivers of Conflict

Energy: Hydrocarbons/Oil/Natural Gas Fisheries

Energy
Role of energy in growth and development

DATA
2007 Average Crude Price (in USD/Barrel) Total consumption (in MMT) Total Production (in MMT) Energy Per Capita
(TOE/person)

2008 93.6

2009 61.7

2010 78.0

AAGR (2000 to 2010) 11.6%

68.4

13,740 3,737

12,243 3,977

13,025 5,176

13,268 7,337 18.4%

0.49

0.50

0.49

0.49

-1.4%

Production
Fossil Fuel>Coal>Renewable Energy>Biomass

Consumption

Fisheries
Fishing boats from these countries are venturing further afield as stocks in their respective waters become depleted Economic importance; share in GDP and share in the labor Force

The Benham Rise/Plateau

confirmed to be part of the extended continental shelf(ECF) of the Philippines by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on April 12, 2012 13 million hectares

The Potential
Rich mineral and gas deposits. Solidified methane was found during mapping activities and the "probability is extremely very high" there are massive oil deposits. Benham Rise, which is wider than the entire Luzon, Samar, and Leyte combined.

Harvesting the Potential

The DOE is looking to bid out portions of Benham Rise in the PECR (Philippine Energy Contracting Round) Partnerships with the private sector Surveying