President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered the adoption of Philippine names for 131 maritime features in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in Palawan and the West Philippine Sea, in a move aimed at reinforcing the country’s sovereignty and improving governance in contested waters.
The directive, contained in Executive Order No. 111 signed on March 26, follows recommendations from the National Maritime Council to standardize local names for geographic features in the KIG, a cluster of islands, reefs and shoals in the disputed South China Sea.
The council said adopting a uniform set of Philippine names is “imperative” to ensure efficient administration of the area and to assert the country’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, the portion of the South China Sea claimed by Manila.
The order builds on existing maritime laws, including Republic Act No. 12064, which designates the waters west of the Philippine archipelago, including the Luzon Sea, Bajo de Masinloc and the maritime features of the KIG, collectively as the West Philippine Sea.
Under the directive, the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority has been tasked to produce and publish updated charts and maps reflecting the newly adopted names.
All government agencies, including state-run corporations and financial institutions, are required to use the official names in communications and documents. Educational institutions have also been instructed to incorporate the standardized names in research, textbooks and instructional materials.
The administration said the move is part of broader efforts to strengthen governance mechanisms and reaffirm the Philippines’ territorial claims in the strategically important and resource-rich waters, where tensions with other claimant countries, particularly China, have persisted.
