The Philippines has formally endorsed Filipino names for 131 previously unnamed reefs, sandbars, and other maritime features in the West Philippine Sea, particularly within the contested Kalayaan Island Group. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that outgoing Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo signed National Maritime Council (NMC) Resolution No. 002, which puts forward a standardized list of Philippine names for features located in the Spratly archipelago—an area long subject to overlapping claims, most notably from China.

Dantes, C., & Espiritu, R. (2025, June 29). Gov’t names reefs, sandbars in WPS. Manila Standard, p. A2.