EO 111: Standard Philippine Names for the Kalayaan Island Group
Legal question
Why is the Philippines formally naming features in the West Philippine Sea?
Applicable laws and rules to discuss
- Executive Order No. 111, adopting standard names for Kalayaan Island Group features
- Republic Act No. 12064, the Philippine Maritime Zones Act
- Republic Act No. 9522, the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law
Why this matters
Formally naming maritime features is both an administrative and a sovereignty-assertion act. It gives Philippine government agencies, cartographers, and international bodies a consistent, official reference set for features the Philippines maintains claims over, complementing the Maritime Zones Act's declaration of baselines and zones.
The legal frame
The Order operates alongside RA 12064 (Maritime Zones Act) and RA 9522 (baselines law), giving official Philippine names to 131 identified features as part of the broader legal architecture asserting Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights consistent with UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral award.
Who this affects
Government mapping agencies (NAMRIA), maritime law researchers, and anyone producing official Philippine maps or navigational charts should use the newly adopted names going forward.
Practical discussion points
Readers can ask PHLaw.AI how the Maritime Zones Act and this naming Order relate to the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award.
Ask PHLaw.AI
Try: "How does Executive Order No. 111 relate to the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the West Philippine Sea?"