INTRODUCTION:

The West Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and northeast of the Philippines occupying an
estimated surface area of 5 million square kilometers (2 million square miles). The Philippine Sea Plate
forms the floor of the sea, which forms a portion of the western North Pacific Ocean. The first European
to navigate the Philippine Sea was Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, who named it Mar Filipinas when he and
his men were in the Mariana Islands prior to the exploration of the Philippines. Later it was discovered
by other Spanish explorers from 1522 to 1565 and the site of the famous galleon trade route.

The South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea, benefits the Philippines
tremendously. Our politicians should be aware of this fact, and should include the beneficial values of
the West Philippine Sea in their assessment of its significance to the country. This is the reason why we
are in favour of temporarily suspending territorial claims, and establishing the concept of the Peace
Park, which is defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “trans boundary
protected areas that are formally dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity,
and of natural and associated cultural resources, and to the promotion of peace and cooperation.”

SUMMMARY:

West Philippine Sea has many resources, that’s why many countries have claimed the islands
that near their territories and it also included in South china sea, including Philippines, Vietnam,
Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and lastly China. The dispute Centers on collection of largely inhabited
islands are, Paracels in Northwest, The Spratly Island in Southwest, and the Macclesfield in Northwest
(known in China as the Xisha, Nansha, Zongsha Island) but because China had other plans that created
disputes to other countries. China adopted the nine-dash line map by the koumintong government in
China in December 1947. The said country is claiming the territories that included in the nine-dash line
that enclose 85.7 percent of the entire South China Sea. Other countries resist China's claim about the
nine-dash line as it inch on their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZs).

In 2013, Philippines filed a tribunal case against China before the Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague,
Whether the Philippines rights to its EEZ under United Nation Convention of the law of the sea (UNCLOS)
were infringed by China. However, When the Tribunal issued on 2016 and in favor of Philippines and
accurately China violated the Philippine sovereign rights. China however, refused to recognize the case
and was absent throughout the proceedings. The said country still persist their rights by the nine-dash
line. The Tribunal contains: “that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources
within the sea areas falling within the nine-dash line... Having found that none of the features found that
it could, without delimiting boundary, declare that certain sea areas are within the exclusive economic
zone of the Philippines, because those areas are not overlapped by any possible entitlement of China.
CONCLUSION:

The researchers conclude that the decision of Tribunal issued in 2016 that the Philippines wins
the arbitration case vs. China over West Philippine Sea/South China Sea. However, China didn't accept
and respect the decision of UN. In fact, they continue claiming the said sea. Although, Philippines has
the right in the West Philippine Sea, the country didn't think of arguing to China. Filipinos know that
they don't have the power because China is a powerful country. China have weapons and high
technologies that Filipinos doesn't have. So, the President of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte,
think of a solution on that case. The solution to have a world peace is to make a treaty that contains an
agreement in sharing on territory and natural resources of West Philippine Sea.

REFERENCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Sea

http://dumaguetemetropost.com/the-environment-and-marine-resources-of-the-west-philippine-sea-
p8284-98.htm

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Sea