The inclusion of West Philippine Sea (WPS) in Google Maps reflects the "growing acceptance" of the country's "sovereign rights and jurisdiction" over its waters, National Maritime Council (NMC) said.

In a statement, the NMC welcomes the inclusion of the “West Philippine Sea" in a global platform, such as Google Maps noting that "raises domestic and international public awareness regarding the Philippines' lawful maritime entitlements".

"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," it stated.

"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 West Philippine Sea, which is largely composed of the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)," it added.

The NMC stressed that the use of the term West Philippine Sea in other global mapping and navigation services would be most welcome.

It can be recalled that the term West Philippine Sea was first adopted by the Government in 2012 and has since been widely used by Filipinos across the country and around the world.

"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," the council said.

The NMC also "reaffirms its commitment to protect and uphold the country's maritime rights and entitlements, in accordance with international and domestic law, and urges continued unity in promoting the national interest, especially in the West Philippine Sea." Robina Asido/DMS