🌊 West Philippine Sea

West Philippine Sea is the designation by the government of the Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country's exclusive economic zone. The term was originally used in the 1960s to refer to the body of water off the eastern coast of the Philippines. The name was later repurposed in the mid-2000s by the Philippines to refer to the body of water to its west surrounding the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal due to territorial disputes with the People's Republic of China. The Philippine government officially mandated the use of West Philippine Sea in 2012.