Philippines and the Spratly Islands – this article discusses the policies, activities and history of the Republic of the Philippines in the Spratly Islands from the Philippine perspective. Non-Philippine viewpoints regarding Philippine occupation of several islands are currently not included in this article.

This article often uses the Philippine names of the maritime features, rather than the international names.

Overview

The Philippines, along with Vietnam, the People's Republic of China (PRC), the Republic of China (ROC), Malaysia and Brunei, is a claimant country in the disputed Spratly Islands of the South China Sea.

, the Philippines are occupying and/or controlling eleven features (eight islands, three reefs), as detailed in the following table: Philippine name Int'l nameAreaNotes Pagasa Thitu Island 37.2 ha. (2nd largest) pag-asa means hope Likas West York Island 18.6 ha. (3rd largest) líkas means natural or evacuate Parola Northeast Cay 12.7 ha. (5th largest) parola means lighthouse Lawak Nanshan Island 7.93 ha. (8th largest) lawak means vastness Kota island Loaita Island 6.45 ha. (10th largest) kota means fortress Patag Flat Island 0.57 ha. (14th largest) patag means flat Panata Loaita Cay 0.53 ha. (15th largest) panata means oath Kota Cay Lankiam Cay 0.44 ha. (16th largest) Rizal Commodore Reef Dr. José P. Rizal is a national hero of the Philippines Balagtas Irving Reef Francisco Balagtas is a famous Filipino poet Ayungin Second Thomas Shoal Ayungín is Leiopotherapon plumbeus, a fish species

By comparison, within the Spratly Islands: Vietnam occupies and/or controls six islands, seventeen reefs and three banks, ROC occupies and/or controls one island and one reef, Malaysia occupies and/or controls one artificial island and five reefs, and PRC occupies and/or controls eight reefs.

Also, the Philippines has some features that are "virtually occupied". These are features that lie in very close proximity to Philippine-occupied features, and can be seen within the horizon. (A 15 meter-height vision gives about of horizon distance). These include: North Reef, Sandy Cay, Loaita Nan and Loaita Cay.

Also, most features that lie to the east of the 116°E Meridian of longitude, though not necessarily occupied, are largely controlled by the Philippines.

Unoccupied features + Unoccupied but Largely Controlled by the Philippines Int'l Name Philippine Name Description Amy Douglas Bank / Reef Del Rio Lies north of Palawan Passage. Awash at low tide. Boxall Reef Rajah Sulayman Several rocks are exposed at low tide. Surrounds a lagoon. Carnatic Shoal Sikatuna Director Shoal / Reef Tamban First Thomas Shoal Bulig - SE of Mischief Reef A few rocks are permanently above sea level. Much of the reef is above water at low tide. Encloses a lagoon. Ganges Reef Palma Half Moon Shoal Hasa-hasa Several rocks on the eastern side rise one to two feet above high tide. Encloses a lagoon. Reports in February 2016 indicate the Philippine control of the reef might have ended.China takes another fishing ground near Palawan . Retrieved 2016-03-02. Hardy Reef Sakay/Hubo Naturally above water only at low tide. Surrounds a narrow strip of sand. Hopkins Reef Dumara Investigator Northeast Shoal Dalagang Bukid Lies only a few miles west of Palawan. Naturally above water at low tide. Iroquois Reef Rozul Lies east of both Philippine-occupied Nanshan Island and Flat Island. Above water only at low tide. Leslie Bank Urduja Lord Auckland Shoal Lapu-Lapu Lys Shoal Bisugo Northeast Shea Reef Ponce Lies only a few miles north of Commodore Reef. Above water only at low tide. Pennsylvania North Reef Del Pilar Pennsylvania South Reef Anota Reed Tablemount (including Nares Bank and Marie Louise Bank) Recto Shallowest natural depth is 9 m. About in area. The Philippines occupied this feature in 1971 and a Philippine-Sweden joint oil-exploration followed afterwards. However, China protested this act of the Philippines saying that this tablemount which center lies from the Philippines is part of China's territories. After that, the Philippines tried asking China for a joint effort but China declined, arguing that the Philippines has no right in this feature. Presently, this feature is largely controlled by the Philippines. Royal Captain Shoal Kanduli A few rocks are above water at low tide. Surrounds a lagoon. Sabina Shoal Escoda It encloses two lagoons, naturally above water at low tide. Lies east of the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Reef. Sandy Shoal Mabuhangin Seahorse Shoal / Seashore Shoal / Routh Bank Baybayin Dagat Lies north of Palawan Passage Stag Shoal Panday Pira Southern Bank / Reef Katimugan A group of features located south of Reed Tablemount. The reef includes: Magat Salamat, Tagpi, Hubo Reef, and Katimugan Banks/Reef. The area is largely controlled and used for fishing by the Philippines due to its proximity to Flat Island and Nanshan Island. Templar Bank Dalag Trident Shoal Tatlong-tulis Viper North Shoal Maya-maya Viper Shoal Tomas Claudio Others Royal Charlotte Reef Being claimed by Malaysia

+Not occupied by any country These are unoccupied features which have been given Philippine names. Some sources say that some of these features are occupied by Vietnam or China, but most sources say that they are not occupied. "Occupation" is possibly confused because the said reefs are very close to other occupied features. There are many unoccupied features in the Spratly chain. The current Code of Conduct prohibits any country from acquiring new features. Many of these features are actually in between and/or near two or more occupied features of different countries. Thus, they serve like buffer zones. Int'l Name Philippine Name Description Alicia Annie Reef Arellano A sand "cay", 1.2 m high. Many rocks above high tide line. Reef encloses a lagoon. Deane Reef Macapagal Above water only at low tide. Part of Jackson Atoll (Quirino Atoll). Dickinson Reef Aquinaldo Above water only at low tide. Part of Jackson Atoll (Quirino Atoll). Discovery Small Reef Burgos Above water only at low tide. Eldad Reef Malvar Above water only at low tide. Part of Tizard Bank (Bayani Bank). Hampson Reef Garcia Above water only at low tide. Part of Jackson Atoll (Quirino Atoll). Hoare Reef Laurel Above water only at low tide. Part of Jackson Atoll (Quirino Atoll). Hopps Reef Diego Silang Above water only at low tide. Part of Southampton Reefs (Bonifacio Reefs). Livock Reef (NE part) Jacinto(SW part) Bonifacio Above water only at low tide. Some rocks still visible at high tide. Part of Southampton Reefs (Bonifacio Reefs). Loaita Nan Kota Magbanua Above water only at low tide. Part of Loaita Bank (Kota Bank). Menzies Reef Rajah Lakandula Awash at low tide. Part of Loaita Bank (Kota Bank). North Reef Hilagang Peligro Above water only at low tide. Part of North Danger Reef (Peligro Bank). Petch Reef Aquino Above water only at low tide. Part of Jackson Atoll (Quirino Atoll). Third Thomas Shoal Payao - NE of Flat Island (Patag Island) A few rocks are permanently above sea level. Much of the reef is above water at low tide. Encloses a lagoon. Whitsun Reef Julian Felipe The reef is V-shaped with an area of about 10 km2 (3.9 sq mi), above the water only during low tide. Part of Union Banks (Pagkakaisa Bank).

+Claimed features by the Philippines but occupied by another country The PRC, the ROC and Vietnam claim all of the Spratly Island Chain, including some features that are just 50 km from other countries like the Philippines and Malaysia. The Philippines have claims on parts of the area. Here are the islands claimed but are not occupied by the Philippines:Int'l Name Occupied by & Name Philippine Name Description Taiping Island / 太平島 Ligaw - Part of Tizard Banks. The largest of the Spratly islands, located about south-southwest of Philippine-occupied Loaita (Kota) Island and about west of Vietnam-occupied Sand Cay. Covered with shrubs, coconut, mangroves, guano deposits and fringing reef. Pineapple was once cultivated here. In August 1993, plans were announced for a 2 km-long airstrip and a fishing port. The now only 1150-meters-long airstrip was completed in January 2008. Occupied since September 1956, four months after Filipino Tomas Cloma claimed the islands. Cuarteron Reef 华阳礁 Huayang Jiao Calderon - Part of London Reefs. Coral rocks only. Highest are 1.5 m high, on the north. Occupied by PRC since 1988. Fiery Cross Reef / Reef 永暑礁 Yongshu Jiao Kagitingan - West of Union Banks Rocks up to 1 m high. says all below high tide, but guano deposits disagree. Occupied by PRC since 1988. "Marine observation station" built by PRC in 1988. Designated as PRC's main command headquarters in the South China Sea.DJ Sta. Ana, China builds more Spratly outposts , May 24, 2011, The Philippine Star. Gaven Reefs 南薰礁 Nanxun Jiao (Northern reef) / (Southern reef) Burgos - Part of Tizard Banks. A sand dune, 2 m high. Has fringing reef plus a reef to the south, both covered at high tide. Southern reef was occupied by PRC on 7/4/92. Occupied since 1988. Hughes Reef 東門礁 Dongmen Jiao Burunyugan 4 - Part of Union Banks. Naturally above water only at low tide, but many rocks above water at high tide. Occupied since 1988. Johnson South Reef 赤瓜礁 Chigua Jiao Mabini - Part of Union Banks. Contiguous with Vietnam-occupied Collins Reef which lies away northwest. Naturally above water only at low tide, but many rocks above water at high tide. Site of 1988 PRC/Vietnam clash. Occupied since 1988. Mischief Reef 美济礁 Meiji Jiao Panganiban - East of the centre of Dangerous Ground. Some rocks above water at low tide. Has a large lagoon. In February 1995, PRC had built a wooden complex on stilts here, starting its formal occupation of the feature. In 1999, the Philippines protested over the expanded structures claiming that it is a military outpost and it poses danger to Philippine security and national defense, being from Palawan. PRC claimed it was a shelter for fishermen. Subi (Zhubi) Reef 渚碧礁 Zhubi Dao Zamora - West of Thitu Reefs. Lies southwest of Philippine-occupied Thitu Island (Pagasa Island). Naturally above water only at low tide. Surrounds a lagoon. , PRC has built a permanent reef fortress and supply platform that can house 160 troops. Amboyna Cay Đảo An Bang Datu Kalantiaw The thirteenth largest Spratly island. 2m high. Two parts: East part consists of sand and coral, west part is covered with guano. Has fringing reef. An obelisk, about 2.7 m high, stands on the SW corner. Little vegetation. Lighthouse operational since May 1995. Namyit Island Đảo Nam Yết Binago The twelfth largest Spratly island. Covered with small trees, bushes and grass. Has a fringing reef and is inhabited by sea birds. The island is inhabited by an unknown number of Vietnamese soldiers and in the deep waters fronting the south side it is said that a submarine base is situated. Occupied since 1975.Part of Tizard Banks. Sand Cay Đảo Sơn Ca Bailan The ninth largest Spratly island. Lies to the east of Taiwan-occupied Taiping Island. Covered with trees and bushes. Fringing reef partly above water at low tide. This feature is commonly confused with Sandy Cay. Occupied since 1974. Part of Tizard Banks. Sin Cowe Island Đảo Sinh Tồn Rurok The seventh largest. Has fringing reef which is above water at low tide. Occupied since 1974. Part of Union Banks. Southwest Cay Đảo Song Tử Tây Pugad