Philippine Rise or Talampas Ng Pilipinas
Filed on August 7, 2025, and referred to the Committees on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change and Foreign Relations; it has been pending in committee since September 10, 2025, with no recorded action since then.
The renaming of the Benham Rise is significant for national identity and international recognition.
The renaming is a matter of national identity rather than an urgent issue.
Philippine Rise or Talampas Ng Pilipinas
This bill seeks to rename the Benham Rise to 'Philippine Rise' or 'Talampas ng Pilipinas' and establish the names of its undersea features. It mandates the use of this new name in government documents and communications, and requires the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) to update official maps accordingly.
Compared with current law:
The undersea region is known as Benham Rise.
The undersea region will be officially renamed to Philippine Rise or Talampas ng Pilipinas.
Official maps do not reflect the new name.
All official maps will be updated to reflect the new name.
Government documents may not use the new name.
All government documents will be required to use the new name.
The bill renames Benham Rise to 'Philippine Rise' or 'Talampas ng Pilipinas'.
Source · full text✦ Dashed tags are AI-suggested nuance; solid tags follow the committee taxonomy.
Stalled: the bill has been pending in committee for over a month with no action since its referral on September 10, 2025.
No floor deliberations yet — this measure has not reached plenary. Its committee-stage actions appear under Legislative history above.
Pine of !!:: TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 25 AUG -7 P3:08 First Regular Session ] RECENCO E SENATE S.B. No. - 1120 Introduced by SEN. WIN GATCHALIAN AN ACT RENAMING THE BENHAM RISE AS "PHILIPPINE RISE" OR "TALAMPAS NG PILIPINAS", NAMING THE UNDERSEA FEATURES THEREIN, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Renaming of the Benham Rise. — In the exercise of the Philippines'
inherent right to designate the names of its submarine areas, the undersea region found on the east of Luzon, which was formerly known as "Benham Rise", is hereby named as "Philippine Rise" or "Talampas ng Pilipinas."
SEC. 2. Features and Coordinates of the Philippine Rise. - The twenty-two (22)
undersea features found in the Philippine Rise or Talampas ng Pilipinas shall be as follows:
Name Coordinates 126.40015 18.36249, 126.42885 18.35537, 126.43976 18.36913, 126.45732 18.36913, 126.47772 18.36889, 126.49147 18.37411, 126.49574 18.39475, 126.46348 18.41538,126.44759 18.43317, 126.45328 18.45215, Akle 126.43312 18.46733, 126.4215 18.46235, 126.40181. Seamount 18.47919, 126.40134 18.49959, 126.41154 18.5124, 126.4056118.52307, 126.37952 18.51809, 126.36315 18.52568, 126.35133 18.51777, 126.34963 18.50599, 126.30978 18.51287, 126.29721 18.50149, 126.30504 18.48299, 126.31974 18.48773, 126.33848 18.47302)) POLYGON ((124.59511 15.87461, 124.59427 15.86748, 124.59662 15.86059, 124.60073 15.85655, 124.61239 Amugis Hill 15.86319, 124.61493 15.8667, 124.61451 15.87679, 124.61282 15.88228, 124.60828 15.88295, 124.6015815.87956, 124.59511 15.87461)) POLYGON ((124.46231 15.97932, 124.45644 15.97597, 124.44597 15.96745, 124.43983 15.96158, 124.43661 Antipolo 15.94957, 124.4408 15.92947, 124.45616 15.92514, Hill 124.47069 15.92954, 124.47243 15.93491, 124.47355 15.94308, 124.46706 15.95781, 124.47083 15.96514, 124.46426 15.97143, 124.46231 15.97932)) POLYGON ((124.24981 16.39809, 124.246 16.39794, 124.23956 16.39267, 124.23092 16.37041, 124.21906 16.35327, 124.21364 16.34741, 124.21686 16.34448, Anubing 124.23282 16.34653, 124.24366 16.32998, 124.26182 Seamount 16.31563, 124.29185 16.31285, 124.32143 16.31739, 124.33051 16.33657, 124.33725 16.35635, 124.33095 16.36821, 124.28936 16.37744, 124.25684 16.38461, 124.24981 16.39809)) POLYGON ((124.1578 16.70452, 124.11307 16.68175, 124.08358 16.60326, 124.09029 16.53393, 124.09822 16.50302, 124.1395 16.46195, 124.18057 16.40379, Bayog 124.19135 16.41965, 124.18464 16.50831, 124.20945 Saddle 16.5 6707, 124.24239 16.62034, 124.23344 16.63702, 124.20497 16.67524, 124.17854 16.70005, 124.1578 16.70452)) POLYGON ((123.50595 15.67579, 123.47556 15.52431, 123.55037 15.55002, 123.6219 15.51075, 123.65697 Bicol 15.54021, 123.75235 15.54208, 123.78648 15.46166, Saddle 123.89401 15.58182, 123.81593 15.61267, 123.73177 15.61221, 123.71728 15.58789, 123.67333 15.5715306, 123.63265 15.58743, 123.59946 15.58322, 123.5513 15.61782, 123.50595 15.67579))
Name Coordinates POLYGON ((122.74621 15.3576, 122.71738 14.86041, 122.95517 14.75233, 123.7833114.7127, 124.0288 14.41727, 124.5476 13.90927, 124.57642 13.66068, 124.27379 13.4301, 124.36746 13.17791, 124.89707 Bicol Slope 13.05181, 125.24654 13.25357, 125.23213 13.65348, 125.02317 14.03537, 124.77097 14.52175, 124.48275 14.93967, 124.27379 15.12702, 123.84145 15.44046, 123.56404 15.56656, 123.09568 15.53413, 122.74621 15.3576)) POLYGON ((122.50232 15.67898, 122.82273 15.48532, 123.28853 15.54916, 123.16887 15.78853, 123.00043 15.82548, 122.91165 15.94017, 123.25093 16.93462, East Luzon Trough 123.52632 17.32731, 123.69195 17.3984, 123.85118 17.7518, 123.5683 17.82659, 123.45799 17.50203, 123.11414 17.04287, 122.93655 17.01346, 122.50232 15.67898)) POLYGON ((125.49385 16.87911, 125.48602528398 16.8117410016766, 125.512537747291 16.7517619863167, 125.564258782275 16.743069375395, 125.599898487054 16. 7926172576488, 125.630757255826 Ipil Hill 16.8599849922922, 125.627714842004 16.914313810553, 125.609025728522 16.9564729735233, 125.567301196098 16.9803776535581, 125.535573166234 16.9686426288137, 125.520795727667 16.9073597218156, 125.49385 16.87911)) POLYGON ((123.40526 17.67204, 123.4113 17.60116, 123.41006 17.52553, 123.36441 17.4898, 123.37364 Isabela 17.44946, 123.41544 17.47347, 123.45683 17.53449, Ridge 123.47109 17.61005, 123.50286 17.6815, 123.5519 17.79038, 123.53016 17.80854, 123.49935 17.80902, 123.47762 17.78737, 123.40526 17.67204)) Kalantas POINT (124.39312 15.76329) Seamount POLYGON ((124.90724 16.69051, 124.89447 16.68993, 124.89005 16.67883, 124.89145 16.67192, 124.88913 Malabatino Hill 16.6696, 124.88837 16.66321, 124.89383 16.66083, 124.90591 16.66135, 124.90963 16.66565, 124.9141 16.67779, 124.90724 16.69051)) Mangkono POLYGON ((127.29233 16.9857, 127.28132 16.95893, Seamount 127.29319 16.92741, 127.33486 16.91273, 127.36746
Name Coordinates 16.92525, 127.3802 16.96778, 127.3992 16.99153, 127.4264 16.99801, 127.4223 17.01247, 127.39315 17.02953,127.35904 17.02457, 127.34609 17.01183, 127.31284 17.00233, 127.29233 16.9857)) POLYGON ((126.36253 16.08516, 126.35749 15.87181, 126.60443 15.99276, 126.5154 15.74246, 126.66323 15.53919, 126.85474 15.41488, 127.06472 15.52239, Molave 127.27135 15.58623, 127.49477 15.62655, 127.77364 15.66182, 128.23224 15.64838, 128.1768115.79118, Rise 127.93826 15.87013, 128.05586 15.89701, 127.9937 16.05156, 127.69468 16.11203, 127.55525 16.23467, 127.1168 16.55048, 126.83122 16.47825, 126.74555 16.33882, 126.51876 16.07172, 126.36253 16.08516)) POLYGON ((126.33945 16.05579, 126.3529 16.01117, 126.3529 15.9861, 126.32722 15.9586, 126.30338 15.9103, Molave 126.30094 15.87607, 126.38285 15.88157, 126.37674 Gap 15.90358, 126.38224 15.92008, 126.36207 15.9482, 126.37307 15.9751, 126.39447 15.99955, 126.40241 16.01728, 126.40669 16.03623, 126.40853 16.06374, 126.33945 16.05579)) POLYGON ((124.68663 16.57244, 124.69638 16.47406, Narig 124.72402 16.44642, 124.77646 16.44276, 124.82687 Seamount 16.49805, 124.84598 16.56512, 124.78012 16.64358, 124.73703 16.64276, 124.72728 16.60008, 124.68663 16.57244)) POLYGON ((125.47458 17.54654, 126.05975 17.03722, 126.20716 17.71323, 126.55493 18.30067, 126.90694 18.40245, 127.03417 18.56361, 127.12323 18.82232, Narra Spur 126.96207 18.82656, 126.54645 18.68236, 126.05024 18.61026, 126.12658 18.41093, 126.05461 18.21519, 125.90091 18.02896, 125.47458 17.54664)) POLYGON ((123.08189 17.38776, 123.03401 17.34207, Palanan 123.00414 17.2507, 122.98613 17.19008, 122.97251 17.;483, 123.02215 17.11804, 123.07794 17.11584, Seamount 123.14427 17.12902, 123.16052 17.18305, 123.14339 17.26959, 123.11044 17.35657, 123.08189 17.38776)) POLYGON ((124.9481 16.46351, 124.94441 16.44899, 124.93985 16.44825, 124.93998 16.4448, 124.94687 Palosapis 16.4357, 124.95191 16.4304, 124.94945 16.42253, Hill 124.9551116.4117, 124.95819 16.41096, 124.96963 16.41071, 124.98034 16.41354, 124.99339 16.42671, 124.99659 16.43557, 124.99191 16.44382, 124.98994
Name Coordinates 16.45243, 124.98366 16.45871, 124.9743116.46363, 124.96459 16.46462, 124.9481 16.46351)) POLYGON ((124.97196 16.12906, 124.96104 16.1295, 124.95143 16.11858, 124.93659 16.064, 124.98942 16.03692, 125.04095 15.99893, 125.08069 15.97317, Pili Ridge 125.11606 15.97361, 125.11999 16.0081, 125.08462 16.04915, 125.06846 16.07535, 125.04051 16.095, 125.02567 16.11596, 125.00907 16.1129, 124.98637 16.12164, 124.97196 16.12906)) POLYGON ((125.84045 17.84893, 125.75722 17.77524, 125.67664 17.70632, 125.67452 17.66709, 125.69149 17.65013, 125.76306 17.63475, 125.82773 17.58651, Toog Seamount 125.89347 17.56001, 125.92899 17.55364, 126.0101 17.60878, 126.03024 17.66179, 126.02388 17.75244, 126.02123 17.80811, 125.97819 17.83408, 125.92262 17.85794, 125.88499 17.86271, 125.84045 17.84893)) Yakal POINT (126.28086 18.23918) Seamount
SEC. 3. Designation in Official Philippine Maps. - Pursuant to this Act, all official
maps and charts of the Philippines to be produced and published by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) shall refer to the abovementioned undersea region as Philippine Rise or Talampas ng Pilipinas.
SEC. 4. Deposit of Instrument Obligation. - The Philippine Government,
through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in consultation with NAMRIA and other relevant government agencies, shall deposit a copy of this Act and other relevant documents, in compliance with the deposit obligations pursuant to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and notify accordingly all relevant international and intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations Statistical Commission, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographic Names (UNGEGN), and the International Hydrographic Organization 17 (IHO), among others.
SEC. 5. Mandatory Use of the "Philippine Rise" in all Government Documents
and Communications. - All departments, subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Government are hereby directed to use and employ the name Philippine Rise or Talampas ng Pilipinas in all communications, messages, and public documents, and to popularize the use of such name with the general public, both domestically and internationally. All departments, subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Government are enjoined to use the official Philippine maps produced and published by NAMRIA in accordance with this Act: Provided, That, the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education shall cause the distribution of said official Philippine maps to all schools, colleges, and universities, both public and private, as reference material for teaching geography and other related disciplines.
SEC. 6. Mandatory Use of the "Philippine Rise" in the Communications of All
Juridical Entities Operating Within the Philippines. - All private institutions, organizations, and establishments organized under the laws of the Philippines, or operating within the Philippines, are hereby directed to employ the name Philippine Rise or Talampas ng Pilipinas and the names adopted in this Act for its undersea 18 features in all communications, announcements, and messages, both domestically and 19 internationally.
SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
memoranda, rules, and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full force and effect.
SEC. 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the
Reproduced from the Senate document. The official PDF is the authoritative version.