Category Archives: International

West Philippine Sea In (Parenthesis)?

President Donald Trump, through an Executive Order, has renamed the Gulf of Mexico “Gulf of America”. Certainly, he can change the name for official U.S. purposes, but he can’t dictate what the rest of the world calls it.

Google Maps began using “Gulf of America” for users in the U.S., saying it had a “longstanding practice” of following the U.S. government’s lead on such matters. But “Gulf of America”appears only as a parenthetical to “Gulf of Mexico.” Users in Mexico will see Gulf of Mexico, and maps will display both names for those logging in from other countries.

In 2012, President Noynoy Aquino renamed parts of the South China Sea “West Philippine Sea.” While many Filipinos now use West Philippine Sea, it is, like Gulf of America, technically for internal purposes. For Google Maps users, “West Philippine Sea” appears as a red “pin” superimposed against the vast South China Sea.

Ultimately, it is the International Hydrographic Association which has the final say in renaming bodies of water while underwater feature names are within the purview of the U.N. Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

For now, all Trump gets is the name Gulf of America in parenthesis, after Gulf of Mexico.

As for the West Philippine Sea, the name can appear on Google maps, not in parenthesis but as a red pin.

New York’s Time Square: Pastor Apollo Quiboloy Teases The FBI

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the self-proclaimed Appointed Son of God and Most Wanted Son of the FBI, has apparently decided that the key to his senatorial dreams lies in… Times Square? Yes, in a dazzling display of either supreme confidence or utter desperation, he’s put up a giant campaign billboard in New York City, hoping a few thousand eligible Filipino voters will somehow override the 67 million back home. Maybe he thinks Broadway magic can turn an arrest warrant into a Senate seat?

But let’s ask the real question: who paid for this? With his assets frozen in both the Philippines and the U.S., did this billboard descend from heaven, fully paid for in divine currency? Or is this Quiboloy’s way of trolling the FBI—like a fugitive flashing a neon “Catch Me If You Can” sign? Either way, one thing’s certain: this campaign is reaching for the heavens… or at least, for delusions of grandeur.

The Great Pacific Ocean Parceling: A Modest Proposal

In an era where naming rights are as crucial as sovereignty itself, it’s time we address the glaring issue: Why does the Pacific Ocean remain stubbornly unclaimed?

If the Philippines can rename the South China Sea (to West Philippine Sea), and Donald Trump can unilaterally rebrand the Gulf of Mexico (to Gulf of America), why shouldn’t the continents bordering the Pacific stake their rightful claims?

Let’s start with Asia, which could call its portion the Great Eastern Prosperity Waters—guaranteed to boost GDP. North America, ever fond of patriotic branding, might opt for Freedom Sea (with an exclusive defense contract). South America deserves its share—perhaps Mar Pacífico for nostalgia. And Australia? They could go with Big Wet Mate, because why not?

This strategic renaming would eliminate confusion, assert territorial dominance, and, most importantly, give world leaders something new to argue about. After all, why share a single ocean when we can divide and conquer?