In the context of the Philippine archipelago, the archipelago doctrine plays a crucial role in preserving the territorial integrity of the country. Its importance lies in several aspects:
Legal Basis for Claiming Territorial Waters: The archipelago doctrine provides the legal justification for the Philippines to treat the entire chain of islands as a single entity for the purpose of territorial claims. This means that the country has full sovereignty over the waters within the archipelago, including the territorial sea, the internal waters, and the archipelagic waters. This establishes the Philippines' maritime boundaries and ensures the protection of its marine resources and territorial rights.
Inclusion of Internal Waters: The archipelago doctrine allows for the inclusion of all bodies of water enclosed by the outermost islands and baselines as internal waters. These internal waters are considered to be part of the national territory and are under the complete jurisdiction of the Philippines. This safeguards the country's sovereignty over its internal waters and enables it to exercise control and regulation of activities within these areas.
Defining Archipelagic Baselines: The archipelago doctrine permits the establishment of archipelagic baselines around the outermost islands and reefs of the archipelago. These baselines serve as the starting point for measuring the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, and the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). By establishing archipelagic baselines, the Philippines ensures that its maritime entitlements are based on a unified geographical entity, rather than individual islands or scattered rocks.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Continental Shelf Rights: The archipelago doctrine allows the Philippines to claim an EEZ and a continental shelf beyond the archipelagic baselines. The EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from the baselines, granting the country exclusive rights to explore, exploit, and conserve the marine resources within this zone. Similarly, the continental shelf entitlements are governed by the archipelago doctrine, ensuring that the Philippines' sovereign rights extend to the seabed and subsoil of the continental shelf.
Unity of the Archipelago: By adopting the archipelago doctrine, the Philippines asserts the unity and integrity of the entire archipelago. This counters any attempts to fragment or divide the country's territory, as all the islands are considered parts of a single geographical and political entity. This doctrine reinforces the notion that the Philippine archipelago is an indivisible whole and indivisible from the standpoint of international law.
In conclusion, the archipelago doctrine is of paramount importance to the territorial integrity of the Philippines. It provides the legal framework for asserting sovereignty over the entire archipelago, determining maritime boundaries, and safeguarding exclusive rights over internal waters, territorial waters, the EEZ, and the continental shelf. This doctrine ensures the protection and preservation of the Philippines' territorial integrity and maritime resources, while upholding its status as a unified nation.