The waters around the archipelago form part of the Philippines' international waters.

The waters around the archipelago form part of the Philippines' international waters.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not specified
• D. Not applicable

Answer: (A)

Archipelagic waters are the waters enclosed by baselines drawn around a country's archipelago. The Philippines, as an archipelagic state, has sovereignty over these waters and their resources, just as it does over its land territory. Foreign vessels may traverse these waters only under specific international rules, such as innocent passage or archipelagic sea lanes, but the state still holds the governing authority. Because the waters around the archipelago fall under Philippine sovereignty, they are not high seas or “international waters” in the sense of being outside national control. In exam contexts that emphasize the role of archipelagic baselines and sovereignty, this framing can lead to treating the waters as part of the Philippines’ jurisdiction in the international sense, hence the True assertion.

Archipelagic waters are the waters enclosed by baselines drawn around a country's archipelago. The Philippines, as an archipelagic state, has sovereignty over these waters and their resources, just as it does over its land territory. Foreign vessels may traverse these waters only under specific international rules, such as innocent passage or archipelagic sea lanes, but the state still holds the governing authority. Because the waters around the archipelago fall under Philippine sovereignty, they are not high seas or “international waters” in the sense of being outside national control. In exam contexts that emphasize the role of archipelagic baselines and sovereignty, this framing can lead to treating the waters as part of the Philippines’ jurisdiction in the international sense, hence the True assertion.