Tag: philippines

‘So hot you can’t breathe’: Extreme heat hits the Philippines

By Cecil MORELLA Extreme heat scorched the Philippines on Wednesday, forcing schools in some areas to suspend in-person classes and prompting warnings for people to limit the amount of time spent outdoors. The months of March, April and May are typically the hottest and driest in the archipelago nation, but conditions this year have been exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon. “It’s so hot you can’t breathe,” said Erlin Tumaron, 60, who works at […]

US says ‘very, very concerned’ about Chinese actions in disputed sea

SYDNEY, April 9, 2024 (AFP) – The top US military officer in the Pacific on Tuesday said Washington was “very, very concerned” about Beijing’s recent “dangerous” actions in the disputed South China Sea, after confrontations with Philippine vessels. Speaking in Sydney, United States Indo-Pacific Command head Admiral John Aquilino referenced recent encounters between Chinese and Philippine boats around a remote shoal in the Spratly Islands. “I’m very concerned about what’s happening at the Second Thomas […]

China conducts ‘combat patrols’ as US holds drills with allies in disputed waters

China conducted “combat patrols” Sunday in the South China Sea, its army said, the same day the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia held their first joint drills in the disputed waters. The maritime activities took place days before US President Joe Biden was due to hold the first trilateral summit with the leaders of the Philippines and Japan, with growing tensions over the hotly contested South China Sea on the agenda. Beijing’s People’s […]

China conducts military drills in South China Sea

BEIJING, April 7, 2024 (AFP) – China conducted military “combat patrols” Sunday in the disputed South China Sea, its army said, the same day as joint drills by the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia. The announcement comes one day after defence chiefs from four countries including the Philippines — which has been engaged in several contentious maritime disputes with Beijing recently — said they would conduct joint drills Sunday in the area. Beijing’s […]

Philippines, US, Australia, Japan to hold joint drills in disputed sea

MANILA, April 6, 2024 (AFP) – The United States, Australia, Japan and the Philippines will hold joint naval and air drills in the disputed South China Sea on Sunday, their defence chiefs said in a statement, as they deepen ties to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the region. The exercise will take place in the disputed waterway — which Beijing claims almost entirely — days before US President Joe Biden is due to hold the […]

PBBM to attend ‘historic’ trilateral meeting with US, Japan in Washington next week

(Eagle News)–President Bongbong Marcos is slated to attend what the government said was a historic trilateral cooperation meeting with US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the US next week. Foreign Affairs Acting Deputy Undersecretary Hans Mohaimin Siriban said the meeting in Washington will build upon the previous meetings of the countries in Jakarta, Indonesia. “The elevation of the Philippines-Japan-US partnership into this trilateral cooperation has the peace stability and prosperity […]

Thousands of Philippine schools suspend in-person classes due to heat

By Pam CASTRO MANILA, April 5, 2024 (AFP) – Thousands of schools in the Philippines suspended in-person classes Friday, the education department said, as parts of the tropical country endured dangerously high temperatures. The months of March, April and May are typically the hottest and driest in the archipelago nation, but conditions this year have been exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon. Many schools have no air-conditioning, leaving students to swelter in crowded, poorly […]

Philippines warns of tsunami, orders evacuation of coastal areas after 7.4-magnitude quake in Taiwan

MANILA, April 3, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines warned of “high tsunami waves” and called for the evacuation of coastal areas in the country’s north on Wednesday, lowering an earlier warning after a major quake struck neighbouring Taiwan. “The people in the coastal areas of the following provinces are strongly advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move farther inland,” the state seismology institute said in an advisory. Coastal areas in the provinces of […]

Iran releases remaining Filipino crew members from seized tanker (St. Nikolas)

The Philippines said Wednesday that Iran has freed all 18 Filipino crew members of an oil tanker that was seized in the Gulf of Oman in January. Iran’s navy had boarded the Greek-owned St. Nikolas, which was carrying 19 crew, off the coast of Oman. The only Greek crew member was released the following week. Tehran began freeing the Filipino crew in batches at the end of January after a replacement crew was hired from […]

“We will not be cowed into silence,” says President Marcos after China sea clash

President Ferdinand Marcos said Thursday the Philippines will not be “cowed into silence” by Beijing after confrontations in the South China Sea that injured Filipino troops and damaged vessels. Marcos’s remarks came as China blamed the Philippines for raising tensions in the hotly contested waterway, which Beijing claims almost entirely. Beijing and Manila have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and there have been repeated confrontations between their vessels […]

Philippines says three soldiers hurt by China water cannon

MANILA, March 24, 2024 (AFP) – Three Philippine troops were injured in the latest China Coast Guard water cannon attack on a Filipino supply vessel near a South China Sea reef, Manila’s national security adviser said Sunday. The Philippine government said Saturday’s confrontation caused severe damage to the Unaizah May 4 vessel while it was on its way to deliver troops and provisions to a Philippine navy ship grounded atop the Second Thomas Shoal. China […]

Philippines accuses China of water cannon attack on supply vessel

  MANILA, March 23, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines accused the China Coast Guard of blocking and firing water cannon at a Filipino supply vessel Saturday morning off a remote and contested South China Sea reef. The Philippine military said the attack occurred off Second Thomas Shoal, where Chinese ships have unleashed water cannon and collided with Filipino vessels in similar stand-offs in recent months. The military released video clips that showed a white ship […]