Page 8 - Philippines

US, Japan, Philippines meet to bolster ties amid rising security woes

On Thursday, he will become only the second Japanese leader to address a joint meeting of Congress after his assassinated predecessor Shinzo Abe gave a speech in 2015

Philippines President thanks India for rescuing Filipino crew members

The Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday expressed his gratitude to India for its swift and decisive action in rescuing Filipino crew members of a merchant ship attacked by Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden this month. The Indian Navy's medical team rescued all the crew members of MV Confidence and provided them critical care after the merchant ship sustained an attack by a Houthi missile strike while sailing the Gulf of Aden on March 6. Three crew members, including two Filipinos, were killed. All the Filipino crew members who survived the attack have been repatriated, the Philippine News Agency reported. Marcos, extending his gratitude to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is visiting the Philippines, said: I express my profound gratitude to the Indian government for their swift and decisive action in rescuing Filipino seafarers involved in the MV True Confidence incident. I look forward to further strengthening our bilateral relations for the mutual

India supports Philippines in upholding its national sovereignty: EAM

India firmly supports the Philippines in upholding its national sovereignty and wants to explore new areas of cooperation, including in defence and security, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, amid the Southeast Asian nation's maritime dispute with China in the South China Sea. Jaishankar's remarks came as he held a very good discussion with his counterpart Enrique Manalo in Manila. "Warm and productive meeting with @SecManalo of Philippines. Wide-ranging discussion on advancing ties in political, defence, security & maritime cooperation, trade & investment, infrastructure, development cooperation, education, digital, technology, culture and consular domains," Jaishankar posted on X. They also exchanged views on global, regional and multilateral issues including the Indo-Pacific, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), West Asia, Ukraine, Non-Aligned Movement and the UN. "As two democracies committed to a rules-based order, look forward to ...

India supports Philippines in upholding its national sovereignty: EAM

India firmly supports the Philippines in upholding its national sovereignty, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, amid the Southeast Asian nation's maritime dispute with China in the South China Sea. Addressing a news conference here, Jaishankar said he held a very good discussion with his counterpart Enrique Manalo in Manila. "I take this opportunity to firmly reiterate India's support to the Philippines for upholding its national sovereignty," Jaishankar said. As the world changes, it is essential that India and the Philippines cooperate more closely to shape the emerging model, he said. Every country has the right to uphold and enforce its national sovereignty, he said in response to a question. "That is something that we have also discussed," he added. There has been very perceptible growth in bilateral ties between India and the Philippines recently, the minister said.

Blinken to highlight support for Philippines as it clashes with China

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will underscore Washington's ironclad commitment to its alliance with the Philippines on Tuesday, as clashes between Chinese and Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea turn more hostile, the U.S. State Department said. Blinken, the latest high-level official to visit the U.S. treaty ally, met his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo Tuesday, before planned meetings with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other top officials in Manila. Next month, President Joe Biden will host Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a White House summit amid growing concerns over increasingly aggressive Chinese actions in the South China Sea and North Korea's nuclear program. The Chinese coast guard blocked and used water cannons against Philippine vessels in a confrontation two weeks ago that slightly injured a Filipino admiral and four of his sailors near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. The March 5 faceoff in the high seas also

White House to host trilateral summit with Philippines, Japan on April 11

US President Joe Biden will host a trilateral summit with his Filipino counterpart Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan on April 11 at the White House, a presidential spokesperson has said. During the first-ever trilateral summit between these countries, the leaders will advance a partnership built on deep historical ties of friendship, robust and growing economic relations, a proud and resolute commitment to shared democratic values, and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "The leaders will also reaffirm the ironclad alliances between the United States and the Philippines, and the United States and Japan. At the summit, the three leaders will discuss trilateral cooperation to promote inclusive economic growth and emerging technologies, advance clean energy supply chains and climate cooperation, and further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and around the world," she said. "In ...

EAM S Jaishankar to pay 5-day visit to Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay a five-day visit to Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia beginning March 23 with an aim to boost bilateral ties and discuss regional issues of "mutual concern". Jaishankar's first destination is expected to be Singapore. "External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, at the invitation of his counterparts, will be on an official visit to Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia from March 23 to 27," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a brief statement on Saturday. "The visit will focus on enhancing bilateral relations with the three countries, and would provide an opportunity for engagement on regional issues of mutual concern," it said. The overall situation in the strategic waters, including the South China Sea and Red Sea, are likely to figure in Jaishankar's talks with his counterparts in the three countries. There have been growing global concerns over China's sweeping claims of sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a

Chinese coast guard blocks vessels off South China Sea shoal: Philippines

Chinese coast guard ships blocked Philippine vessels from a disputed South China Sea shoal on Tuesday, causing a minor collision, Philippine officials said. The Chinese vessels executed dangerous maneuvers against two Philippine ships that resulted in the collision between a Philippine coast guard vessel and a Chinese coast guard ship, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said. The Philippine boat had minor structural damage, though no more details were available. Tarriela did not say where the confrontation took place but the military earlier said navy personnel would deliver supplies and fresh troops to the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal, the site of several skirmishes between the rival claimant nations last year. The territorial disputes in the South China Sea were expected to be high on the agenda of a summit of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their Australian counterpart this week. Ahead of Wednesday's summit, Philippin

Philippine minister urges neighbours to stand together in South China Sea

Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo urged regional neighbours on Monday to stand together more strongly in upholding the rule of law in the South China Sea, where China is forcefully pursuing territorial claims in conflict with other nations. Manalo spoke at a forum on maritime cooperation on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian leaders' summit in the Australian city of Melbourne at which increasingly assertive moves by China is high on the agenda. Manalo referred to the Philippines' victory over China in a 2016 arbitration ruling in The Hague, Netherlands, that invalidated Beijing's vast territorial claims in the South China Sea. China did not accept the ruling. Manalo said the Philippines pursued the case to uphold the rule of law and to promote the peaceful settlement of such disputes. The shared stewardship of the seas and oceans in the region behooves us to unite in preserving the primacy of international law so we can ensure equitable and sustainable outcomes for all, he

54 people dead in landslide in gold-mining village in south Philippines

The death toll from a massive landslide that hit a gold-mining village in the southern Philippines has risen to 54 with 63 people still missing, authorities said Sunday. The landslide hit the mountain village of Masara in Davao de Oro province on Tuesday night after weeks of torrential rains. Davao de Oro's provincial government said in a Facebook post that 54 bodies had been recovered. At least 32 residents survived with injuries but 63 remained missing, it said. Among those missing were gold miners who had been waiting in two buses to be driven home when the landslide struck and buried them. The search operation has been hampered by poor weather and fears of more landslides. More than 1,100 families have been moved to evacuation centres for their safety, disaster response officials said. The area has been swamped by heavy rains in the weeks before the landslide struck. Earthquakes also damaged houses and buildings in the region in recent months, officials said.

Singapore looking to recruit APOs from India, China, Philippines & Myanmar

Singapore is considering hiring auxiliary police officers (APOs) from India, China, the Philippines and Myanmar, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam told parliament on Wednesday. The city-State is looking to expand the jurisdictions from which it recruits APOs as the number from Taiwan has fallen in recent few years, As a result, the home affairs ministry has been considering expanding the jurisdictions where auxiliary police officers (APOs) can be recruited from. These potentially include Asian ones such as China, India, the Philippines and Myanmar, according to a Channel News Asia report. "We need to allow the Auxiliary Police Forces to recruit foreign APOs, to meet the increasing demand for security services," the Today newspaper also quoted the minister as saying. "(The Auxiliary Police Forces) face challenges in sustaining an adequate pool of APOs, given the shrinking local workforce, requirements such as physical fitness, and the job options Singaporeans have." He was

Philippines attracts four bids for main airport's $3 billion upgrade

Firms that submitted bids were the Manila International Airport Consortium, Asian Airport Consortium, GMR Airports Consortium, and SMC SAP & Co Consortium

China to keep up military pressure against Philippines as disputes escalate

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the country will maintain military pressure on the Philippines amid a dispute over sovereignty in the South China Sea that could involve US forces defending their treaty partner. In a phone conversation on Wednesday with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique A. Manalo, Wang warned that if the Philippine side misjudges the situation, goes its own way, or even colludes with ill-intentioned external forces to continue to stir up troubles, China will defend its rights in accordance with law and respond resolutely, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Wang's comments follow China's mobilization of its coast guard and maritime militia to block Philippine supply missions to support its soldiers and fishermen. China claims sovereignty over virtually the entire South China Sea, one of the world's most crucial waterways for shipping, putting it at odds with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei, who all maintain claims over islands, ree

At least 16 dead, 12 injured as bus falls off ravine in central Philippines

A passenger bus lost control while negotiating a downhill curve in a central Philippine mountain village and plunged into a deep ravine, killing at least 16 people and injuring 12 others, officials said Wednesday. Eight of the wounded in the accident, which happened Tuesday afternoon in Hamtic town in the province of Antique, were in critical condition at a local hospital, officials said. The air-conditioned bus, which came from the nearby Iloilo province, was maneuvering through the accident-prone mountain road when the driver, who was among those killed, lost control. The bus smashed onto a concrete railing then fell into the ravine, officials said. The driver was repeatedly sounding his horn because he had apparently lost control of the bus before it plummeted into the ravine, Ronniel Pabustan, an Antique provincial crisis responder, told The Associated Press by telephone, citing accounts by some of the passengers. Dozens of rescuers, including police, army troops and provincial

Earthquake of magnitude 6.8 jolts Philippines, no casualties reported

An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 on the Richter Scale struck the Philippines on Monday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported.The quake occurred on Sunday night at 01:19:42 IST at a depth of 82 km in Mindanao.The NCS posted from its official handle on X, "Earthquake of Magnitude:6.8, Occurred on 04-12-2023, 01:19:42 IST, Lat: 9.03 & Long: 126.70, Depth: 82 Km ,Location: Mindanao, Philippines."No casualties were reported in the incident till the filing of this report and more details are awaited.Earlier, on Saturday, a strong earthquake in the southern Philippines claimed at least one life as thousands were ordered to evacuate, including in Japan, after tsunami warnings that were later lifted, Al Jazeera reported.The earthquake, measuring a magnitude of 7.6 according to the US Geological Survey (USGS) and 7.5 according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre, struck off the coast of Mindanao island at a depth of 32km. It was followed by four major aftershocks

Suspected bomb blast kills 3 Christian worshippers in southern Philippines

A powerful explosion believed caused by a bomb ripped through a Catholic Mass and killed at least three people and wounded several others Sunday in a predominantly Muslim city in the southern Philippines, officials said. The morning Mass was underway in a gymnasium at the state-run Marawi State University in Marawi city when the explosion happened, causing panic among dozens of worshippers and leaving the victims bloodied and sprawled on the ground, said Taha Mandangan, the security chief of the sprawling state-run campus. At least two of the wounded were fighting for their lives, Mandangan said. "This is clearly an act of terrorism. It's not a simple feud between two people. A bomb will kill everybody around, Mandangan told The Associated Press by telephone. Army troops and police immediately cordoned off the area and were conducting an initial investigation and checking security cameras for any indication of who may have been responsible for the attack. Security checkpoints were

Tsunami warning after 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes Philippines

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck on Saturday off the cost of the Philippines island of Mindanao. A tsunami warning was issued. The quake struck at 10:37 p.m. and was measured at a moderate depth of 32 kilometers (20 miles). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said based on the magnitude and location it expected tsunami waves to hit the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau and Malaysia.

US, Philippines sign nuclear cooperation pact to bolster power supply

The United States and the Philippines have signed a nuclear cooperation pact under which U.S. investment and technologies are to help the Southeast Asian nation transition to cleaner energy and bolster its power supply. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing of the deal by his energy secretary and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco. "We see nuclear energy becoming a part of the Philippines' energy mix by 2032 and we are more than happy to pursue this path with the United States as one of our partners, Marcos said at the signing ceremony. He said the pact, known as a Section 123 agreement, would support the development of reliable, affordable and sustainable power in the Philippines. It will also open doors for U.S. companies to invest and participate in nuclear power projects, he said. Blinken said negotiations with the Philippines were completed within

Record 7.5 million people globally diagnosed with TB in 2022: WHO

A total of 7.5 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis in 2022, the highest recorded since WHO began global TB monitoring in 1995, according to a report featuring data from 192 countries and areas. The World Health Organization (WHO) 2023 Global tuberculosis (TB) report also shows that globally, an estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with TB in 2022, up from 10.3 million in 2021. The report underscores a significant worldwide recovery in the scale-up of TB diagnosis and treatment services in 2022. It shows an encouraging trend starting to reverse the detrimental effects of COVID- 19 disruptions on TB services. The increase in diagnosis is attributed to good recovery in access to and provision of health services in many countries, WHO said. India, Indonesia and the Philippines, which together accounted for over 60 per cent of the global reductions in the number of people newly diagnosed with TB in 2020 and 2021, all recovered to beyond 2019 levels in 2022, it said. "For

India offers 7 helicopters to Philippine Coast Guard for rescue operations

"The discussion is going on very well. The Coast Guard is very interested - they've flown the helicopter...," Kumaran told President Marcos