Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Teresa Magbanua is surrounded by several Chinese navy, coast guard, and "maritime militia" vessels in Sabina Shoal in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in  the West Philippine Sea. Philippine Coast Guard handout photo 

More than 200 Chinese vessels have been monitored by the Philippine Navy in various parts of the West Philippine Sea.

According to monitoring by the Philippine Navy, the number of Chinese vessels increased from 163 last week to 203. 

The largest number of Chinese vessels were sighted at Sabina or Escoda Shoal, with 71 Chinese vessels. These consist of 53 "maritime militia" vessels, nine Chinese navy ships, and nine Chinese coast guard vessels. 

Fifty-two ships were monitored near Pag-asa Island, and 36 at Iroquois Reef.

"This is the highest number ever monitored for this year in the entire West Philippine Sea," said Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad.

"We can attribute this to the increase attention to Escoda or Sabina Shoal in the past few weeks," he added. 

In the latest incident at Escoda Shoal, a Chinese Coast Guard ship repeatedly rammed Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua, causing damage to the Philippine ship.

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Trinidad said the number of Chinese ships "is not alarming".

"It's not alarming because its within the range of projection capability in south sea fleet, ibig sabihin its within the numbers of ships deployed the in South China Sea but we are monitoring this," he said.

Trinidad reiterated that China's presence in the Philippine exclusive economic zone is illegal.

"The AFP will not be hindered in performing its mandate. We will continue exercising our sovereignty and protecting our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea," he said. 

China and the Philippines have been locked in a years-long dispute in the South China Sea.

Beijing claims almost the entire waterway with its so-called nine-dash line, which overlaps the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The Philippines uses the West Philippine Sea name for the portion of the SCS that it claims.

In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines and invalidated China's claim in the strategic waters, but Beijing has refused to accept the ruling.

China has also become more assertive in its maritime territorial claims, leading to multiple clashes where Philippine ships have been damaged and Filipino sailors injured by water cannons.