Activity in the West Philippine Sea: June 26, 2025

By Cliff Potts, WPS News

In the past 25 hours, the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a critical maritime region within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), has seen a range of activities involving maritime operations, environmental developments, and military engagements. This report synthesizes recent events based on credible sources, focusing on operational and factual updates without speculative framing.

Maritime Operations and Coast Guard Activities

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has been active in asserting the country’s maritime rights. On June 25, 2025, the PCG’s BRP Teresa Magbanua returned to Manila after participating in joint coast guard drills with the United States and Japan off Kagoshima waters. The exercise, involving 123 PCG personnel, aimed to enhance interoperability and maritime security capabilities (Inquirer.net, 2025). The PCG also monitored over 50 Chinese maritime militia vessels near Rozul Reef, approximately 130 nautical miles off Palawan, within the Philippines’ EEZ. Two PCG vessels and a surveillance aircraft were deployed to challenge these vessels, urging them to leave Philippine waters (The Manila Times, 2025). Additionally, a PCG Cessna Caravan aircraft conducted a maritime domain awareness flight, identifying 25 Chinese maritime militia boats, two China Coast Guard vessels, and two Chinese research ships near Pag-asa Island (ABSCBNNews, 2025).

Environmental and Scientific Developments

A recent study highlighted the ecological significance of the WPS, noting that its soft corals are among the world’s most diverse. Conducted by the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UPCIDS), the research underscores the region’s biodiversity, with potential for medicinal compounds and tourism value. Dr. Jue Lalas, a co-author, emphasized the need for further exploration of Philippine waters’ ecological diversity (The Manila Times, 2025). This underscores the WPS’s role not only in geopolitics but also in global marine conservation.

Military and International Engagements

The Philippines has bolstered its maritime presence through international cooperation. Following the ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan, Philippine and Japanese warships, including BRP Miguel Malvar and JS Takanami, conducted a Maritime Cooperative Activity on June 14, 2025, which included anti-submarine warfare drills (Philstar.com, 2025). Additionally, Sea Machines deployed a SELKIE Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) at Subic Bay to support military and commercial services, leveraging the area’s strategic location near key WPS maritime corridors (Naval News, 2025). The United States is also planning to construct facilities to support USV operations at a Philippine Navy base in Western Palawan (Naval News, 2025).

Seismic Activity

On June 25, 2025, a magnitude 2.6 earthquake occurred in the Philippine Sea near the WPS coast at 3:55 p.m. local time, followed by a magnitude 4.3 quake at 5:28 a.m. Neither was reported felt, reflecting the region’s high seismic activity, with approximately 13,000 quakes annually (VolcanoDiscovery, 2025).

Conclusion

The WPS remains a dynamic region with active maritime patrols, international military cooperation, and significant ecological findings. The Philippines continues to assert its sovereignty through operational and diplomatic means while fostering partnerships to enhance maritime security.

References

ABSCBNNews. (2025, June 20). PCG monitors Chinese vessels near Pag-asa Island. https://t.co/75YLFc77Zn

Inquirer.net. (2025, June 25). West PH Sea: US-PH-Japan sea drills concluded. https://www.inquirer.net

Naval News. (2025, June 25). Sea Machines deploys SELKIE USV to the Philippines. https://www.navalnews.com

Philstar.com. (2025, June 15). Philippines, Japan hold anti-submarine drills in West Philippine Sea. https://www.philstar.com

The Manila Times. (2025, June 19). 50 Chinese ships swarm in PH waters. https://www.manilatimes.net

The Manila Times. (2025, June 24). Soft corals in WPS world’s most diverse. https://www.manilatimes.net

VolcanoDiscovery. (2025, June 25). Latest earthquakes in the Philippines. https://www.volcanodiscovery.com