West Philippine Sea: On the World Map and On the Right Side of History
- museomaritimo
- 21 minutes ago
- 9 min read
March 8, 2026 – Pasig City, NCR, Philippines
An article by SM Floralde
In the latest news, “a total of 62 Chinese naval and coast guard vessels” were found roaming the West Philippine Sea. Through Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking, radio challenges, and visual verification, the Philippine Navy identified these large, grey-colored, and white-hulled ships to be owned and operated by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) and the China Coast Guard (CCG), respectively, both serving under the governance of the People’s Republic of China. What’s more alarming is that “the largest presence recorded” was “at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, where 23 ships were tracked, including 11 PLA-N vessels and 12 CCG vessels.” According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), all these Chinese ships were spotted in the highly contested body of water between February 1 and 28 of this year.
While territorial disputes between China and the Philippines started happening in the 1940s and mid-1990s, the incidents of “harassment” have escalated significantly from 2012 onwards. Since then, China’s naval and coast guard ships and Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) vessels have been illegally patrolling our seas, causing tensions in the form of “dangerous maneuvers” by blocking our ships and firing water cannons at our vessels. Just three years ago, there was a report that “a Chinese coast guard ship attacked a Philippine coast guard vessel on February 6 using a military-grade laser, which caused temporary blindness to the Filipino crew.” And last year, “three Chinese research vessels were found navigating the West Philippine Sea,” the Philippine Coast Guard reported.
The question is, why are they persistently intruding on our seas? And why are they claiming some parts of our territory in the first place? The simple answer is this —to these Chinese intruders, the disputed areas such as Scarborough Shoal, Ayungin Shoal, and Escoda Shoal, and Pag-asa Island belong to the South China Sea, China’s critical commercial gateway. And for them, the West Philippine Sea does not exist. So, is it just a figment of imagination? Or is this body of water real and truly ours?
The Term —West Philippine Sea
For the Philippine government, the West Philippine Sea is a legal and historical part of the Philippine territory. The term was originally used in the 1960s to refer to the western portion of the Philippine Sea. Due to territorial disputes with the People’s Republic of China, it was adapted in the mid-2000s to refer to the body of water surrounding the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. And to further assert its sovereign rights and challenge China’s expansive claims over the larger body of water, the Philippine government made a bold move. It officially designated this term for the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago that fall within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) starting in 2012.
Location & Geographical Details
Looking at the map, the West Philippine Sea, or WPS in short, is located on the western side of the Philippine archipelago. It covers the waters west of Luzon, Mindoro, and Palawan, and the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago, primarily defined by the 200-nautical mile EEZ, which includes the waters around the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc). Hence, this area represents the maritime territory where the Philippines has the sovereign rights to explore and utilize resources under the international law called the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Constitutional and Legal Basis
While the West Philippine Sea is not explicitly named in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, it is covered under Article 1, National Territory, which includes the territorial sea, seabed, subsoil, and other marine submarine areas over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction. On the other hand, the term “West Philippine Sea” was officially defined via Administrative Order No. 29 in 2012 to cover the maritime seas on the western side of the archipelago.
Under Republic Act No. 12064, all government agencies are directed to use the name "West Philippine Sea" in official communications, maps, and documents. Moreover, the WPS definition is in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which grants the Philippines sovereign rights to explore, exploit, and manage natural resources within this zone.
In 2016, the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague legally favored the Philippines. Using the Murillo-Velarde 1734 map and other documents, China’s nine-dash line claim on the West Philippine Sea “was debunked by a team led by then Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio at The Hague tribunal.”
On the 14th of April, 2025, Google Maps updated its system to show the "West Philippine Sea" label more prominently in the maritime area west of the Philippines. Though the label briefly vanished in late April 2025 due to a technical issue, it was restored on May 1, 2025. Dr. Chester Cabalza, founder and president of the International Development and Security Cooperation, noted that “the presence of the West Philippine Sea on Google Maps is a great manifestation that the world recognizes our UNCLOS-backed territorial claims.”
Recently, the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), the Philippines' central mapping agency, clarified that the area of the West Philippine Sea “has been consistently labeled across all its official maps since 2012.” The agency added that “its maritime boundary does not require a simple list of coordinates to be legally defined.”
Oil, Natural Gas, and Rich Biodiversity of WPS
On one occasion, the Philippine Air Force discussed the economic importance of the West Philippine Sea. This branch of service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, responsible for protecting the Philippine airspace, “highlighted the significant oil and natural gas reserves around Recto Bank or Reed Bank.” Furthermore, “The West Philippine Sea is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas reserves, which are crucial for the Philippines’ energy needs. The entire South China Sea is estimated to hold around 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, making it one of the most resource-rich regions in the world.”
According to the UP Center for the Integrative and Development Studies (UPCIDS), when it comes to biodiversity, WPS is also considered one of the richest in terms of variety of life in marine ecosystems. PhilSA or the Philippine Space Agency, also acknowledges its rich biodiversity. The agency affirmed the fact that “The West Philippine Sea (WPS) is home to a diverse marine system that comprises an estimated 30% of the coral reef in the country with its Kalayaan Group of Islands. It also contributes to around 27% of the country’s commercial fisheries production, which serves as a crucial source to support the country’s economy and food security.”
International Support for WPS
Amid the recent aggression and harassment of the Chinese Coast Guard, numerous countries and international bodies support the Philippines' sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Assistant Secretary Ma. Teresita Daza, they include "France, the) United States of America, Japan, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Denmark, (the) EU, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, among others." These key allies are providing diplomatic, maritime, and security support for the position of the Philippines in the WPS. They emphasize adherence to the 2016 Arbitral Ruling and international law (UNCLOS) against Chinese incursions.
Moreover, these nations advocate for safe maritime activities, condemning the use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers by Chinese vessels. They align with the Philippines in upholding the 2016 arbitral ruling, which invalidates expansive Chinese claims in the region.
Philippine Government on WPS
Since 2012, when territorial disputes with China started to intensify, the Philippine government has addressed the issue surrounding the West Philippine Sea. During the Aquino administration (2010-2016), President Benigno S. Aquino III challenged China's maritime claims by initiating the historic 2013 arbitration case at The Hague, securing a major 2016 victory for Philippine sovereignty. However, in the Duterte regime (2016-2022), the political tide had turned. In a completely different scenario, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte adopted a policy of appeasement toward China when the leader “insisted he won’t go to war that would result in the destruction of the armed forces of the country amid China’s show of military force in the disputed West Philippine Sea.”
In the incumbent administration, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. reverses the policy of his predecessor and stands firm on Philippine sovereignty as he condemns China’s “dangerous and provocative actions” against our coast guard and military patrolling over our shoals in the West Philippine Sea. And to further strengthen the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected China’s expansive claims, the president signed two Republic Acts —RA 12064 (Philippine Maritime Zones Act) and RA 12065 (Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act). These laws define the country’s maritime zones, align domestic laws with UNCLOS, and bolster rights against foreign intrusion.
Voices for WPS
Last year, We Protect Our Seas Foundation, a non-government, nonprofit, and nonpartisan volunteer-based organization, commissioned a survey from Pulse Asia to ask Filipinos about “China’s coercive actions in the West Philippine Sea.” According to the survey results, “an overwhelming 94% of Filipinos believe that the Philippines should continue its transparency policy and persist in publicly exposing China’s coercive behavior toward Filipino vessels and fishermen in the WPS.”
Retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, a leading Philippine expert on international law and the primary defender of the country’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), consistently upholds the 2016 Arbitral Award that invalidated China’s 9-dash line. He advocates using international law, historical mapping, and diplomatic protest to defend Philippine sovereignty. Carpio argues that China is illegally grabbing 80% of the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
From the Philippine Star, “Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela assured Filipinos that he will ‘never waver’ in fighting for the country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.” As one of the most outspoken officials in the Philippine government in its maritime dispute with China, Commodore Jay Tarriela has been promoted from spokesperson to rear admiral in the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). In light of China’s ongoing intrusion into the WPS, he said, “There would be no ‘toning down’ of the government’s stand on upholding the country’s maritime rights.”
From ABS-CBN News, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said, "In line with national policy, the AFP remains committed to safeguarding national territory, sovereignty, and sovereign rights while upholding international law and contributing to regional peace and stability."
The Future for WPS
As numerous skirmishes and illegal maritime activities are continuously being reported, it is clear that the intrusion into our waters and aggressive tactics by Chinese ships will always be a threat to our nation’s sovereignty and countrymen’s livelihood. However, with the commitment of the Philippine government and other public servants in protecting our sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, Filipinos are reassured that our nation’s territorial rights will be defended. And the Filipino people, whose lives depend on the resources of our seas, will always be protected in the name of the laws of our land and of the sea.
References:
1. Bianca Dava (2026, March 03). 62 Chinese naval, coast guard ships spotted in West PH Sea in February. ABS-CBN News.
2. Gabryelle Dumalag (2026, March 03). West PH Sea: Navy monitors over 60 Chinese vessels in February. INQUIRER.net.
3. John Eric Mendoza. (2023, December 28). A look back at rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea. Philippine Daily Inquirer.
4. Gabryelle Dumalag (2026, March 01). PCG’s Tarriela, fierce China critic, promoted to rear admiral. Philippine Daily Inquirer
5. Cristina Chi (2026, February 18). NAMRIA: West Philippine Sea has been on official maps since 2012. Philstar.com
6. Florin T. Hilbay (2016, October 26). The Constitution and the West Philippine Sea. Inquirer.net.
7. Ian Paul H. Daug (2026, March 3). Accurate reporting key to countering misinformation on WPS —Coast Guard. pia.gov.ph.
8. Office of the President of the Philippines. Presidential Communications Office (2024, March 25). PH gets overwhelming support from different countries after China’s aggressive, dangerous actions in WPS. PCO.gov.ph.
9. Janvic Mateo (2024, June 6). Phl Should Use Legal, Moral Leverage In West Philippine Sea – Expert. OneNews.ph.
10. Office of the President of the Philippines. Presidential Communications Office (2023, December 11). International support pours in for PH over China’s aggression, harassment in West Philippine Sea. PCO.gov.ph.
11. Philippine News Agency. Jelly Musico (2018, May 22). Duterte to Navy: I won’t go to war over West Philippine Sea. PNA.gov.ph.
12. Faith Argosino (2024, August 11). West PH Sea: Marcos condemns China’s ‘dangerous’ actions vs PH military plane. INQUIRER.net.
13. Joviland Rita, GMA Integrated News (2025, October 15). 94% of Filipinos support WPS transparency policy vs China —Pulse Asia survey. GMANetwork.com.
14. GMA Integrated News. JOVILAND RITA (2024, May 1). PH says China Coast Guard elevating tensions in WPS. GMANetwork.com.
15. Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star (2025, August 1). PCG detects 3 Chinese research ships in West Philippine Sea. PhilStar.com.
16. INQUIRER.net (2023, Feb 13). China harasses Philippine Coast Guard vessel with laser. YouTube.
17. Lisa Guerrero Nakpil - The Philippine Star (2026, February 7). Mini Murillo maps further debunk China’s claim. PhilStar.com.
18. Faith Argosino - (2025, April 30). West Philippine Sea no longer visible on Google Maps. INQUIRER.net.
19. Bianca Dava (2025, April 14). West Philippine Sea is now on Google Maps. ABS-CBN News.
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