THE Philippines could extend its territorial waters by at least 153 nautical miles should the United Nations give a favorable decision to the country’s claim on a region off the coast of Aurora and Isabela, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Wednesday.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said that besides 13.3 million hectares of new territory, the Philippines could also extend its exclusive economic zone by at least 153 nautical miles from the uncontested Benham rise region (BRR).

The DENR chief explained that the BRR is attached to the Philippine continental shelf, which is the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea up to 200 nautical miles from which the territorial seas is measured—as long as there are no overlapping boundaries with other territories.

“Under Article 76, which gives the legal definition of continental shelf of coastal countries, we can definitely file for an extension of our exclusive economic zone starting from the BRR, which is about 153 miles,” Paje said.

Once approved, the Philippines will have full control of all economic resources within its exclusive economic zone—including mining, oil exploration, and fishing.

The BRR, also known as the Benham plateau, lies east of the country off the coastal provinces of Aurora and Isabela, covering an undersea area of 13.3 million hectares or roughly equivalent to the size of Luzon, Samar and Leyte islands combined.

“It is almost half of the 30 million hectare land area of the country,” Paje said.

Based on bathymetric surveys conducted by the DENR, the undersea region has shown the presence of solid methane in nodule form. Solid methane can be used as fuel for mechanical and electrical energy generation.

Paje said that these mineral resources could turn the Philippines into a natural gas exporter.

In 2009, the government filed a claim on the BRR with the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). To date, the maritime boundaries and the country’s claim remained undisputed especially with the lack of neighboring states in the area.

Paje said that by end of August 2011, the government will send an official delegation to the UN CLCS to pursue its claim to sovereign rights to the natural resources of the extended continental shelf in the BRR.

“This action demonstrates the country’s strong determination, capability, and political will to assert its right under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to pursue its national interest by securing for itself resources for the future,” Paje said.

With no other claimants to the area, so far, the country is expecting a resolution to be released by the UNCLOS by mid-2012 that would formally approve the country’s claim to the Benham rise region, Paje said.

The DENR chief added that with the approval, the government and the private sector can enter into exploration agreements for gas and mineral deposits in the region.

“Should the volume prove to be substantive, the country is looking forward to being a potential gas exporter in the future,” Paje said.