Philippines to rename disputed South China Sea islands

The Philippines said Tuesday it will rename more than 100 island features in a bid to reinforce its "sovereignty" in the disputed South China Sea, including areas claimed by China.

The features to be renamed under President Ferdinand Marcos's executive order belong to the Spratly archipelago, site of repeated confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels.

Beijing claims the South China Sea in nearly in its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Manila most prominently used the renaming mechanism in 2012 under the Benigno Aquino administration, when it dubbed areas of the crucial waterway nearest its coast the West Philippine Sea.

"More than 100 Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) features will have Philippine names ... which strengthens administration and governance, as well as sovereignty, in Palawan and the West Philippine Sea," the presidential palace said in a Tuesday statement.

The executive order directs all government agencies as well as schools to begin using the new names, which have yet to be revealed.

It also orders the country's mapping agency to publish updated charts and maps for the area.

The Philippines and China, along with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims to areas of the South China Sea, most importantly the Spratlys, which are believed to sit on vast oil and gas resources. 

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.