Malacañang on Monday expressed elation over the inclusion of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Google Maps.
”Definitely po, masaya po ito, nakakatuwa po ito,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said in a briefing.
(Definitely, this is good news and we are happy about it.)
”Masaya na makilala ang West Philippine Sea kahit na ang iba ay sinasabing gawa-gawa lamang daw ang West Philippine Sea,” she added.
(We are happy that West Philippine Sea has been recognized even if there are some who are saying that the West Philippine Sea is just our creation.)
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had welcomed the inclusion of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Google Maps, noting that it affirmed international recognition of the country’s sovereign rights in the region.
As defenders of national sovereignty, the Philippine military sees this as a valuable contribution to truthful representation and public awareness.
Last week, it was learned that Google Maps has entered 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 miles exclusive economic zone, showed it is lying within the body of water identified as WPS.
In 2012, the Philippines, during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, officially named areas on the western side of the archipelago as West Philippine Sea.
Administrative Order No. 29, signed on September 5, 2012 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.”
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China’s claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had “no legal basis.”
The PCA also ruled that the Ayungin Shoal, the Spratly Islands, Panganiban or Mischief Reef, and Recto or Reed Bank are within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
China, however, refused to recognize the court ruling. —KG, GMA Integrated News
