The West Philippine Sea (WPS) label on Google Maps shows the “growing acceptance” of the country’s assertion of its rights over its waters, the National Maritime Council (NMC) said.
“We look at this initiative of Google Maps as a reflection of the growing acceptance that the waters of the West Philippine Sea are within our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, and as bolstered by Republic Act 12064 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act,” NMC said in a statement on Friday.
“It is also a recognition of the practical value of our national prerogative to name our own maritime zones, which will hopefully help encourage consistency in the term’s use by the international community and facilitate the upholding of the freedom of navigation in the WPS, which is largely composed of the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone,” it added.
It was earlier reported that Google Maps has entered the WPS in its records.
A Google Maps search on the Scarborough or Panatag Shoal, a common fishing ground which lies within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, showed it is lying within the body of water identified as WPS.
Google further explained that WPS has always been on Google Maps, but the label has recently been made “easier to see.”
Google added that the use of the label in global platforms, such as Google Maps, raised awareness regarding the Philippines’ maritime entitlement over the area.
“It provides an internationally visible reference freely available to all across the globe and contributes to a stronger sense of national identity and unity among Filipinos, reinforcing pride in the country’s rights as a maritime and archipelagic nation. Its usage in other global mapping and navigation services would be most welcome,” it added.
NMC highlighted its continued goal of upholding the Philippine maritime rights and entitlements.
Beijing claims almost all of the West Philippine Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China’s claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had “no legal basis.”
China has not recognized the decision. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News
