By Simon Lewis and Karen Lema MANILA (Reuters) -The United States on Tuesday pledged funding of $500 million for the Philippines‘ military and coast guard in a big show of support for Manila as it faces Chinese actions in disputed waters in the South China Sea. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met their Philippine counterparts in Manila to reaffirm Washington’s unwavering commitment to its oldest treaty ally in Asia. “This […]
Tag: philippines
Philippines says China ‘mischaracterised’ South China Sea resupply mission deal
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines’ foreign ministry accused China on Sunday of ‘mischaracterising’ an arrangement between them that allowed the unimpeded resupply of Filipino troops stationed on a beached naval vessel in the South China Sea. After repeated clashes in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, the two countries reached a “provisional arrangement” earlier this month on resupply missions to soldiers stationed at the Sierra Madre, a naval vessel Manila deliberately grounded in 1999 to […]
Blinken chides Beijing’s ‘escalating actions’ at sea, concerned over Taiwan
VIENTIANE (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticised Beijing’s “escalating and unlawful actions” in the South China Sea at a summit on Saturday, while his Russian counterpart said Washington has stoked anxiety with its plan for a nuclear deterrence with ally Seoul for the Korean peninsula. Blinken singled out China over its coast guard’s hostile actions against U.S. defence treaty ally the Philippines in the South China Sea. But he also lauded the two […]
China’s foreign minister warns Philippines over US missile deployment
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned the Philippines over the U.S. intermediate-range missile deployment, saying such a move could fuel regional tensions and spark an arms race. The United States deployed its Typhon missile system to the Philippines as part of joint military drills earlier this year. It was not fired during the exercises, a Philippine military official later said, without giving details on how long it would stay in the […]
Philippine Coast Guard to deploy floating barriers to contain oil spill
By Faith Brown with Pam Castro in Manila LIMAY, Philippines, July 26, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippine Coast Guard planned Friday to deploy oil dispersant and floating barriers a day after a tanker carrying 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel sank off Manila. AFP journalists at the Port of Limay in Bataan province watched coast guard personnel preparing equipment for a boat to be used against the slick in Manila Bay. The MT Terra Nova […]
Philippines says tanker carrying 1.4 million litres of oil capsizes in Manila Bay
MANILA, July 25, 2024 (AFP) – A Philippine-flagged tanker carrying 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel oil capsized and sank off Manila on Thursday, authorities said, as they sought to contain a spill stretching several kilometres. The MT Terra Nova had been heading for the central city of Iloilo when it sank in Manila Bay, nearly seven kilometres (4.3 miles) off Limay municipality in Bataan province, near the capital, in the early hours. Strong winds […]
President Marcos urges swift relief as Typhoon Carina and monsoon batter the Philippines
Manila, July 24, 2024 – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has urged government agencies to prioritize assistance to isolated areas affected by Typhoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) and the intensified southwest monsoon, known locally as “habagat,” which continue to bring heavy rains to parts of the country. In a briefing held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Marcos commended the government’s response efforts thus far. He instructed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) […]
Streets turned into rivers as Typhoon Gaemi hits Philippines
MANILA, July 24, 2024 (AFP) – Relentless rain drenched the northern Philippines on Wednesday, triggering flooding in Manila and landslides in mountainous regions as Typhoon Gaemi (local name: Carina) intensified the seasonal monsoon. In the densely populated capital, rescuers were deployed across the city to help evacuate people from low-lying homes after downpours turned streets into rivers. People clutched flimsy umbrellas as they waded through thigh-deep murky water or used small boats and shopping […]
Malacañang suspends work and classes in Metro Manila due to typhoon Carina
(EAGLE NEWS) Malacañang Palace has ordered the suspension of work in government offices and classes at all levels in Metro Manila on Wednesday, July [Date] due to heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon, or habagat, enhanced by Typhoon Carina. The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced the cancellation, citing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) recommendation. However, government agencies responsible for basic and health services, disaster response, and other vital operations will […]
Philippines ‘to assert our rights’ after China sea deal
MANILA, July 22, 2024 (AFP) – Manila insisted Monday it will continue to “assert our rights” over a hotspot South China Sea reef, after reaching a deal with Beijing for resupplying Filipino troops stationed on a grounded warship. The Philippine foreign ministry also rejected suggestions by China that the “provisional arrangement” announced Sunday required Manila to give Beijing “prior notification” and verification of deliveries to the BRP Sierra Madre on Second Thomas Shoal. China claims […]
Philippines and China de-escalate tensions with resupply “arrangement”
By Pam CASTRO MANILA (AFP) – The Philippines and China have agreed on an “arrangement” for resupplying Filipino troops stationed on a South China Sea reef, Manila said Sunday, after a series of escalating confrontations in the disputed waters. A remote outpost on Second Thomas Shoal has been a focus of clashes between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to almost the entire South China […]
Sacked hotel worker arrested over killings of two Australians, Filipina
MANILA, July 17, 2024 (AFP) – A disgruntled former hotel employee has been arrested over the killings of two Australians and a Filipina in the Philipines, a government official and police said Wednesday. The bodies of a man and two women were found in a hotel room in Tagaytay city, south of Manila, on July 10, with their hands and feet bound and packaging tape over their mouths. The suspect was identified from CCTV footage […]





