The Philippines assigned Filipino names to 131 features in the Kalayaan Island Group (West Philippine Sea), while their internationally known names continue to be used.
The list below shows some of the names publicly mentioned in available sources. The complete list of 131 features is found in the annex of Executive Order No. 111.
MAIN FEATURES
• Pag-asa Island (Thitu Island)
• Likas Island (West York Island)
• Parola Island (Northeast Cay)
• Kota Island (Loaita Island)
• Lawak Island (Nanshan Island)
• Panata Island (Lankiam Cay)
• Patag Island (Flat Island)
• Rizal Reef (Commodore Reef)
KEY REEFS
• Zamora Reef (Subi Reef)
• Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef)
• Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef)
• Mabini Reef (Johnson South Reef)
• Burgos Reef (Gaven Reef)
• Calderon Reef (Cuarteron Reef)
• Gabriela Silang Reef (Fiery Cross Reef)
• Bonifacio Reef (Eldad Reef)
• Luna Reef (McKennan Reef)
• Del Pilar Reef (Namyit Reef)
• Aguinaldo Reef (Half Moon Shoal)
SHOALS AND BANKS
• Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal)
• Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal)
• Escoda Shoal (Sabina Shoal)
• Recto Bank (Reed Bank)
• Buliluyan Shoal (Iroquois Reef)
• Balagtas Reef (Irving Reef)
• Roxas Reef (Investigator Shoal)
• Quezon Shoal (Royal Captain Shoal)
Other names mentioned
• Silang Shoal
• Katipunan Reef
• Kalayaan Bank
• Mabuhay Reef
• Diwata Reef
• Lapu-Lapu Reef
• Malaya Shoal
• Bagani Reef
• Bantay Reef
• Dagat Shoal
• Silangan Reef
• Kanluran Reef
• Hilaga Shoal
• Timog Reef
These names do something simple but important. They bring consistency to maps and official use, give agencies and schools a shared reference, and make each reef, shoal, and bank easier to identify. They also support coordination in mapping, patrol, and research. They also come at a time when these waters are being questioned and challenged. Giving them Filipino names is a quiet but firm way of expressing Philippine presence. It puts a clear identity on places that might otherwise be seen as distant or disputed. It is not loud, but it is deliberate. In a situation where presence matters, even a name carries weight. And once a place is named, it is no longer distant. It becomes something that belongs—and something worth standing for.
ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ
