The label “West Philippine Sea” reappeared on Google Maps as of Thursday morning after its temporary disappearance on Wednesday.
By 7:20 a.m., the label could once again be seen on the popular navigation app, identifying the waters west of Luzon.
On Wednesday, the label had been missing, though zooming into the area still displayed “Scarborough Shoal,” a fishing ground located within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
Just two weeks prior, a Google spokesperson stated that the label had always been present, responding to local media reports highlighting its appearance.
“The West Philippine Sea has always been labeled on Google Maps. We recently made this label easier to see at additional zoom levels,” the spokesperson said.
The Philippines officially named areas on the archipelago’s western side as the West Philippine Sea through an administrative order (AO) by then President Benigno Aquino III in 2012.
“The maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago are hereby named the West Philippine Sea. These areas include the Luzon Sea as well as the waters around, within, and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo De Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal,” the AO read.
