President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed the Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act into law on Friday, Nov. 8.

Republic Act No. 12064 or the Maritime Zones Act was authored by former Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez of the 3rd District of Negros Occidental.

Benitez, who is now director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, thanked the president for signing his bill into law as it defines the country’s maritime zones today.

“This is a milestone for all Filipinos, a crucial step in safeguarding our national interests and asserting our maritime entitlements and jurisdiction,” Benitez said in a post on his Facebook page.

“We worked hard on this bill in the House, as author and member of the Bicameral Conference Committee,” Benitez said.

This new law is very important to regulate entry and activities in the country’s internal waters, territorial sea, Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf, Benitez said.

“Along with the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, this is our way of ensuring our maritime entitlements are firmly grounded in international standards set by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)”, Benitez added.*