West Philippine Sea/South China Sea Dispute: Philippine Claims Over the Spratly Group of Islands or “Kalayaan Group of Islands”
West Philippine Sea/South China Sea Dispute: Philippine Claims Over the
Spratly Group of Islands or “Kalayaan Group of Islands
ALFONSO G. PARUNGAO IV
“We owned the West Philippines Sea”. – Philippines.
Even China is a signatory in these and they even agree with this together with the United Nations. South China Sea or West Philippine Sea as the Filipinos named it is composed of several contested archipelagos or groups of islands. One of the groups of islands currently disputed is the Spratly Group of Islands or Kalayaan Group of Islands as, again Philippine has names it. There are numerous countries claiming and owning the islands making it as one of the most controversial territorial and boundary disputes in the world. Six Asian-countries are part of the dispute including the Philippines, who claims only parts of the group of islands along with, Brunei and Malaysia while the entire Spratly Islands is being claimed by China (PRC), Taiwan (ROC), and Vietnam. Spratly/Kalayaan Group of Islands is a group of more or less 800 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands. It contains less than four square kilometers of land area spread over more than 64,976 square kilometers of sea. Palawan is about 220 miles east and 450 nautical miles of Manila. Philippines claim the islands in west part of the Spratly Islands or the Kalayaan Group of Islands. The islands, reefs and cays being claimed by the Philippines more or less 50, 7 islands and 3 reefs of this group of islands are already occupied by the Philippines and held it under its sovereignty. Other features claimed by the Philippines were either occupied by Vietnam, China, Taiwan or Malaysia or unoccupied by any other countries.
These are the islands, reefs and cays claimed by the Philippines. Occupied area
International name Local name
Flast Islands Patag
Nanshan Island Lawak
Lankiam Cay Panata
Loaita Island Kota
Northesat Cay Parola
Tithu Island Pagasa
West York Island
Spratly Group of Islands or “Kalayaan Group of Islands
ALFONSO G. PARUNGAO IV
“We owned the West Philippines Sea”. – Philippines.
Even China is a signatory in these and they even agree with this together with the United Nations. South China Sea or West Philippine Sea as the Filipinos named it is composed of several contested archipelagos or groups of islands. One of the groups of islands currently disputed is the Spratly Group of Islands or Kalayaan Group of Islands as, again Philippine has names it. There are numerous countries claiming and owning the islands making it as one of the most controversial territorial and boundary disputes in the world. Six Asian-countries are part of the dispute including the Philippines, who claims only parts of the group of islands along with, Brunei and Malaysia while the entire Spratly Islands is being claimed by China (PRC), Taiwan (ROC), and Vietnam. Spratly/Kalayaan Group of Islands is a group of more or less 800 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands. It contains less than four square kilometers of land area spread over more than 64,976 square kilometers of sea. Palawan is about 220 miles east and 450 nautical miles of Manila. Philippines claim the islands in west part of the Spratly Islands or the Kalayaan Group of Islands. The islands, reefs and cays being claimed by the Philippines more or less 50, 7 islands and 3 reefs of this group of islands are already occupied by the Philippines and held it under its sovereignty. Other features claimed by the Philippines were either occupied by Vietnam, China, Taiwan or Malaysia or unoccupied by any other countries.
These are the islands, reefs and cays claimed by the Philippines. Occupied area
International name Local name
Flast Islands Patag
Nanshan Island Lawak
Lankiam Cay Panata
Loaita Island Kota
Northesat Cay Parola
Tithu Island Pagasa
West York Island