Asserting its claim, PHL officially names the West Philippine Sea

The Philippines is officially renaming areas in the South China Sea to clarify the territories it is claiming, said Malacañang on Wednesday.

Administrative Order No. 29, signed September 5, declares: "The maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago are hereby named the West Philippine Sea. These areas include the Luzon Sea as well as the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo De Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal."

The move was in response to confusion over the varying names ascribed to the waters. “[Ang] tawag natin West Philippine Sea; may parte nito tawag nila East Sea. Kanya-kanyang tawag e. I-klaro lang natin alin ba dito ang inaangkin natin,” President Benigno Aquino told reporters on the sidelines of the Bakas Parangal Awarding at Camp Aguinaldo.

He added that the official announcement reinforces the country's claim that Panatag Shoal, or Bajo de Masinloc, is within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ.

A.O. No. 29 cites Republic Act No. 9522, which defines the country's baselines consistent with the guidelines of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and declares that the Philippines has sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Kalayaan Islands and Bajo de Masinloc.

The administrative order came on the heels of the failure of China and the Philippines to hold a bilateral meeting at the recently concluded Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Russia. Despite the talks falling through, Aquino said he remained hopeful for future meetings.

“I am still hoping na magkakaroon kami ng dialogue kung saan pwedeng magkaroon ng heart-to-heart talk,” Aquino said.

In future talks, Aquino added that he hoped for "total honesty and openness.”

“So that seems to be... the way forward to settle all of these things,” he added.

Aquino also said China is a “little less cold” now, compared to the past, but stopped short of describing Philippines-China relations as “warm.”

“Hindi ko naman masasabing warmed up relations already, ano, pero a little less cold than what it was,” he said.
 
In the administrative order, the president ordered the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) to produce and publish charts and maps of the Philippines reflecting the official name.

He also instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to provide a copy of the order enclosing an official map reflecting the West Philippines Sea to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and other relevant international organizations. — BM/YA, GMA News