The United States has expressed its support for the Philippines following the enactment of the Maritime Zones Act, signed into law by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on 8 November, 2024. According to a statement from the North American nation, the act aligns Philippine domestic law with both the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling on the West Philippine Sea, called the South China Sea internationally.
The Maritime Zones Act clearly defines the Philippines' internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf. The newly signed law is in line with similar maritime legislation enacted by other countries, including Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, to further clarify their own maritime jurisdictions.
The US underscored the importance of the Philippines’ leadership in upholding international law, especially in the West Philippine Sea, and urged all states to align their maritime claims with UNCLOS principles. The statement noted the act as a “routine matter” but emphasized the law’s role in strengthening Philippine maritime governance.