Two recent events in the West Philippine Sea have been cause for celebration in the Philippines. The first and most important was the ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration stating that the court has jurisdiction to hear the Philippine maritime claims filed against China over disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea. Two days before the court ruling, an American warship sailed very close to one of the artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea where China had built an airfield.

Cruz, E. S. (2015, November 5). Triumph in West Phil Sea. The Philippine Star, p. 9.