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Mr. President:

Your Committee on Territorial Delimitation, composed of Delegates Nepomuceno (J.), Castillo, Divinagracia, Villamor, Pio, Bonto, Alonto, Tulawi, and the undersigned, has the honor to inform the Convention that after careful consideration of the data on hand, it has found an error of vital importance in the present delimitation of our territory.

Art. III of the Treaty of Paris, of December 10, 1898, under which Spain ceded its former colony known as the Philippine Archipelago to the U.S., describes the boundaries of the Philippine Islands as follows:

"A line running from west to east along or near the twentieth parallel of north latitude, and through the middle of the navigable Channel of Bachi, from the one hundred and eighteenth to the one hundred and twenty-seventh degree meridian of longitude east of Greenwich, etc." According to this delimitation, the beautiful Batanea Islands, which since time immemorial have been an integral part of the Philippine Islands, are not included in our territory.

It is true that in speaking of the line running from west to east near the 20th parallel of the north longitude, mention is also made of the navigable Channel of Bashi (Bachi), which is the real boundary through which said line passes, and according to this, the Batanes Islands are within our territory; but it is no less true that said Channel does not and cannot coincide with the 20th parallel of the north latitude but with that of 21° 25'N. Hence a line running from west to east near the 20th parallel of the north latitude would pass not through the Bashi Channel but through the Balintang Channel.

This erroneous description appearing in the Treaty of Paris was no doubt taken from the data then on file in the archives of the Spanish government and it is to be supposed that this error in the degree dates back to the Spanish regime.

In order to correct that error and avoid all possibility of confusion in the future regarding the real boundaries of our territory towards the north, your Committee has changed the erroneous 20th parallel of north latitude to 21° 25' V.. making it coincide perfectly with the Bashi Channel, which is the real boundary.

A great change has likewise been made in the southern boundaries of the Islands to bring in the recent addition to our territory of the Turtle Islands, by virtue of the Treaty concluded between the United States and England on January 2, 1933.

With the abovementioned changes made by your Committee, and after a careful consideration of the Constitutional precepts referred to it, our Committee has adopted the attached territorial delimitaion for submission to the Committee on Submission, and recommends that the same be inserted in the Constitution.



The Honorable
The President
Constitutional Convention
Manila


Sec. ........ The Territory of the Philippine Islands shall comprise the former Spanish colonies known as the Philippine Archipelago, the boundaries whereof are as follows:

"A line running from west to east along or near the parallel of 21°25' north latitude, and through the middle of the navigable Channel of Bashi, from the 118th to the 127th meridian east longitude, thence south along the latter meridian (4°45') north latitude, thence west along the parallel last mentioned to the 120th meridian east longitude; thence south along the one hundred and twentieth meridian of longitude (120°) east of Greenwich to its intersection with the parallel of four degrees twentythree minutes (4°23') north latitude to its intersection with the meridian of longitude one hundred and nineteen degrees (119°0') east of Greenwich, thence north along the meridian of Greenwich, thence to its intersection with the parallel of four degrees and forty-two minutes (4°42') north latitude, thence by a direct line of aproximately forty-five degrees and fifty-four minutes (N 45°54'E) north latitude; thence by a direct line of approximately forty-five degrees and fifty-four minutes (N 45°54' N) to the intersection of the parallel of five degrees and sixteen minutes (5°16') north latitude and the meridian of longitude one hundred and nineteen degrees and thirty-five minutes (119°35') east of Greenwich, thence by a direct line of approximately 314°19' (N 45°41'0) to tne intersection of the parallel of the six degrees (6°0) of north latitude to its intersection with the meridian of longitude one hundred and eighteen degrees and fifty minutes (118°50') east of Greenwich, thence west along the parallel of 6°0' north latitude to its intersection with the meridian of longitude one hundred and eighteen degrees and twenty minutes (118°20') east of Greenwich, thence by a line of approximately 307°40' (N 52°20'), passing between the Islands of Little Sakkungan and Great Balddngan, to the intersection of the parallel of six degrees and seventeen minutes (6°17') north latitude and the meridian of longitude one hundred and seventeen degrees and fifty-eight minutes (117°58') east of Greenwich, thence north along the meridian of longitude one hundred and seventeen degrees and fifty eight minute? (117°58') east of Greenwich to its intersection with the parallel of six degrees and fifty-two minutes (6°52') north latitude, thence by a direct line of approximately 316°16' (N 44°44' W) to the intersection with parallel of seven degrees twenty-four minutes and forty-five seconds (7°24'45") north latitude with the meridian of longitude one hundred and seventeen degrees, twenty-five minutes and thirty seconds (117°25'30") east of Greenwich, thence by a direct line approximately 300°56' (N69° 94') to the Mangsi Channel between the Mangsi Great Reef and the Mangsi Islands, to the intersection of the parallel of seven degrees and forty minutes (7°40') north latitude and the meridian of longitude one hundred seventeen degrees (117°0') east of Greenwich, thence east along that parallel to the meridian of 116° east longitude, thence by a direct line to the intersection of the parallel of 100 north latitude to the meridian of 118° east longitude, thence north along that meridian to the point of beginning.

Sec. Other territories maybe added to the country by law if the inhabitants thereof, exercising the right of self determination, shall so desire.