(Eagle News)– President Rodrigo Duterte has signed Executive Order No. 325 renaming Benham Rise to Philippine Rise, stressing the country’s rights over the 13-million hectare undersea area off Aurora province.
Duterte signedEO No. 25 last May 16 after Chinese vessels were spotted in the region, particularly on the other side of the disputed West Philippine Sea.
Duterte said in the EO that from now on, Benham Rise would be referred to as Philippine Rise in local and international maps and charts, particularly those produced by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA)
Duterte also ordered all government bodies to use the term “Philippine Rise” in all official documents when they refer to Benham Rise.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is expected to notify concerned international organizations of the change in the name of the undersea region.
The United Nations Commission on Limits of the Continental Shelf approved the Philippines’ claim for the extended continental shelf of Benham Rise in 2012.
