According to Jonathan Malaya, Assistant Director General of the National Security Council (NSC), the inclusion of "West Philippine Sea" on Google Maps is a great victory for the Philippines. He hopes that this will send a signal to Beijing that it is not just the Philippine government that claims these waters, but also private companies.
Malaya thanked companies like Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze for using the West Philippine Sea terminology, and emphasized its importance in upholding international law. He said this step is important in upholding international order and protecting Philippine law.
Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard also thanked Google for this move, saying "I'm happy" because now people can see the West Philippine Sea on Google and Apple Maps. He also admitted that Google's move is a symbol of recognition from the business sectors and not just from the government.
Google said that the West Philippine Sea has been a long-standing label on Google Maps, and they recently improved its visibility at higher zoom levels.
The term West Philippine Sea was first used in 2011 under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III to refer to the waters in the western part of the Philippines, including part of the country's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
