The document discusses the Philippines' territorial claims in the South China Sea based on historical and legal foundations. It summarizes the key maps that established the earliest depictions of the archipelago, including the 1734 Murillo Velarde Map which showed Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands as part of Philippine territory. China's claims are also examined, tracing from ancient dynasties' verbal claims to the modern Nine Dash Line. The document concludes that the Philippines has a stronger historical claim established by the 1734 map in comparison to evidence from ancient Chinese maps. It also notes that a 2016 UN arbitration tribunal ruling rejected China's Nine Dash Line claims.

1. C. Philippine
Archipelago:
Geological and
Geographical Bases

3. Petrus Kaerius Map (1598)

4. Nicolas de Fer Map (1702)

5. Francois Valentin Map (1724)

6. Rene De Renneville Map (1725)

7. Isaac Tirion Map (1740)

8. George Anson Map (1748)

9. George Le Rouge Map (1748)

11. Murillo Velarde Map (1734)
• “Mother or all Philippine Maps” (Nick
Joaquin)
• 1.12 x 1.20 meters
• Ordered to produce by
Fray Pedro Murillo Velarde
• Engraved by Nicolas dela
Cruz Bagay and drawn by
Francisco Suarez

12. • “Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica
de las Islas Filipinas” ("Hydrographical
and Chorographical Chart of the
Philippine Islands")
• Bought by Mel Velarde
on Sotheby’s auction in
London (2014) with
amount of £170,500

13. Philippines’ territorial claim
• Archipelagic Doctrine of
1973 Constitution
“The national territory
comprises the Philippine
archipelago with all the
islands and waters embraced
therein and all the other territories
belonging to the Philippines.”

14. • Article 1 of 1987 Constitution
“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.”

15. Territorial Disputes

16. Philippines’ Bases China’s Bases
HISTORICAL BASIS
Murillo Velarde Map of 1734
LEGAL BASIS
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
HISTORICAL BASIS
Ancient dynasties’ claim
LEGAL BASIS
Nine Dash Line Principle

17. Philippines’ Historical Basis
• 1734 Murillo Velarde Map
Showed that Scarborough
Shoal as “Panacot” Island and Spratly
Island as
“Los Bajos de
Paragua”
were part of the
Philippine territory
since Spanish times.

19. China’s historical Basis
• Ancient dynasties’ claim
only verbal claims that their emperors
has been owned a large area od
territory outside China that became the
basis of Nine Dash Line in 1940’s

20. Official Map of
China from 690 A.D.
to 1912 stating the
end of their
territory in south
was the Hainan.

21. Philippines’ Legal Basis
• Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
area beyond and adjacent to the
territorial sea, under which the rights
and jurisdiction of the coastal State
and the rights and freedoms of other
States are governed by the relevant
provisions of this Convention.

23. China’s Legal Basis
• Nine Dash Line
undefined demarcation
line used initially by
China (1912–1949) for
their claims of the
major part of the
South China Sea.

24. Comparison of Claims
• Ancient China’s Map (690 A.D.-1912)
was earlier than Murillo Velarde Map
(1734) but the later (Murillo Velarde
Map) was the one that showed
“Panacot” and “Los Bajos de Paragua”
were belongs to Philippine territory.

25. • China’s “Nine Dash Line Principle” was
based on their historical basis. But
its essence was used only during 1947
to claim territories in South China
Sea, while the Murillo Velarde Map’s
claims has been dated back in 1734.

26. • Many Chinese maps made in Sung
Dynasty (960 A.D.) to 1932 did not
include “Panacot” as part of their
territory while Spanish-made maps of
the Philippines from 1636 to 1940
included the mentioned island as
Philippine owned territory.

27. • From 1960s to 1980s “Balikatan
Exercises” of Filipino-American
soldiers had been held in Scarborough
Shoal but China did not react. But
only the decades after 1980s, they
has been started to claim it as part
of their territory.

28. • On 12 July 2016, the Permanent
Court of Arbitration of UN Arbitrary
Tribunal ruled in favor of the
Philippines by stating:
“China has no historical rights based on
the nine-dash line map.”

29. Philippine topography and
regions
• 300,000 sq. m in size
• Part of the “Pacific Ring of
Fire”
• 5th largest island country
in the world, 72nd largest
country
• Rich in “Flora and Fauna”

47. Thank you!
Yosef Eric C. Hipolito, LPT, MA
Bachelor of Arts in History
yosefhipolito19@gmail.com