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The Philippines
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The Philippines

The Philippines
The Philippines
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on the Philippines, covering politics, economy, society, and Manila’s relationships with China and its Southeast Asian neighbours.
Illustration: Craig Stephens
South China Sea

Opinion | Without restraint, Beijing and Manila can’t deliver the South China Sea code

Much hinges on how China and the Philippines manage the distrust between their frontline maritime forces.

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Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

Philippines corruption scandal suspect Zaldy Co caught in Prague, Marcos says

Taiwan

What does Japan’s role in a US-Philippine military drill mean for Taiwan?

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Japan

Why Japan will remain the most trusted power in Asean despite military push

A survey by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute shows respondents trusted Japan more as a power than the EU, the US, China and India.

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Japan’s National Defence Academy students participate in a parade in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture on April 5. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Desperate times, drastic measures? Filipinos call for fuel caps as crisis bites

The Philippines is one of the worst hit by the oil crisis, but its deregulation law prevents the government from capping fuel prices.

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Asean

Why Southeast Asian nations are skipping major US-Philippine Balikatan drills

Given the rivalry between Washington and Beijing, joining the annual military exercise may risk being seen as picking the US, analysts say.

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Japan

Japan to provide US$10 billion support to help Asia secure oil

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says the support will be equivalent to as much as 1.2 billion ⁠barrels of oil.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives to a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

Video | Marcos Jnr does star jumps to debunk health rumours

Speculation about the leader’s health emerged after he disappeared from public view in January.

Singapore

Malaysian man jailed in Singapore for raping, robbing Filipino helper

Harvin Velanggany also saw an Indian man, whose case is pending before the courts, allegedly assault the victim previously.

Rodrigo Duterte

Jailed witness reveals Duterte plotted to oust Philippines’ Marcos

Ramil Madriaga claims Duterte had considered ‘assassinations or armed hits of several government officials’ to cause unrest and stage a coup.

Rodrigo Duterte (left) and Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in 2022. Photo: AP
China energy security

Which countries are most vulnerable as US imposes Persian Gulf blockade?

Nomura says more than 90 per cent of the crude oil imported by Japan and the Philippines comes from the Middle East.

A customer at a petrol station in London on Monday. Photo: EPA
US-China relations

Russian and Chinese envoys meet in Beijing to discuss Iran, Ukraine and Taiwan

Chinese readout warns of rising turmoil in veiled swipe at Washington and Trump as Beijing strengthens ties with Moscow.

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South China Sea

Philippines rejects China’s claim it ‘staged’ cyanide evidence at disputed shoal

Manila said tests found cyanide in bottles seized near the Second Thomas Shoal, rejecting Beijing’s claim that the evidence was manufactured.

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Defence

US-Philippines ties enter ‘more mature’ phase with planned fuel depot

The facility in Davao signals that defence ties are now focusing on sustainment, endurance and operational continuity, analysts say.

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Soldiers fire a howitzer during the annual joint “Balikatan” military exercises between the US and Philippine troops in Aparri, Cagayan province, in May 2025. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

UN warns 8 million in Asia-Pacific risk poverty if Iran war drags on

A new UNDP report has forecast job losses, crippling inflation and food insecurity, with the poorest nations brutally exposed to the oil shock.

A farmer sprinkles fertiliser on crops in a field on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, on April 9. Experts have warned that the fertiliser crunch across Asia-Pacific may have lasting effects. Photo: AFP
SCMP Highlights

Japan’s sakura season rift, Singapore’s Hormuz stance: 7 Asia highlights

From Japan’s sakura season rift to a defamation hearing, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s Anwar douses row over diesel supplied to Philippines

The prime minister denied Petronas involvement, saying Malaysia was a transit point for foreign deals.

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Asia travel

Lack of fuel reserves forces Southeast Asian flight cuts amid Hormuz crisis

Airlines are cutting flights, as dependence on Middle Eastern fuel hits operators from Pakistan to New Zealand.

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A Vietjet Airline airplane in front of a Vietnam Airlines airplane, at Noi Bai International Airport, in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Malaysian bust spotlights shadow fleet oil trade in Southeast Asia

Two tankers were intercepted in waters off Penang on Saturday during an alleged illegal transfer of more than 700,000 litres of diesel.

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Malaysia

Malaysia foils illegal ship-to-ship fuel transfer in waters off Penang

Malaysia has been cracking down on fuel smuggling amid mounting shortages and ‌supply disruptions caused by the Iran war.

Singapore

Manila vs Hong Kong: the 2 sides of Asia’s housing affordability crisis

Asia is home to 60 per cent of the world’s slum dwellers and some of the planet’s most expensive real estate.

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Children walk through a flooded area in Baseco, one of the biggest slums in Manila, the Philippines. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

‘We let the soup get cold’: Filipino street food in a stew over LPG price shock

Manila’s street food stalls forced to raise prices and serve colder meals as they grapple with soaring fuel costs.

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People eat braised beef stew locally known as “pares” at a stall in Manila, the Philippines, on April 7. Photo: AFP
Renewable energy

Opinion | Hormuz crisis a chance to spur Asia’s shift to clean, secure energy

The US war on Iran should be a catalyst for governments and industries to accelerate the transition to renewables.

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South China Sea

‘A big deal’: military drills show Tokyo’s growing focus on deterring China

Combat-ready Japanese troops are being deployed in the Philippines for the first time since Japan’s occupation of the country during World War II.

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Food and agriculture

Asia’s ‘panicked farmers’ brace for a looming rice crisis post-Iran war

Shortages of imported fertilisers and fuel could not have come at a worse time for many Southeast Asian rice farmers.

A woman harvests rice in Kandal province, Cambodia. Spiking fuel and fertiliser costs are rattling major rice-growing regions. Photo: EPA-EFE
South Korea

In South Korea, you can order online deliveries for almost anything – even drugs

The number of teenagers arrested for drug-related crimes in the country has surged from just 30 in 2005 to 1,477 in 2023.

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A delivery man makes his way on motorbike through Seoul’s busy Hongdae neighbourhood. Photo: Shutterstock
Rodrigo Duterte

Sara Duterte faces impeachment, but leads Philippine presidential survey. Why?

New polling shows the vice-president with a clear lead, even as impeachment proceedings against her are ongoing.

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Rodrigo Duterte

Will Philippine ex-president Duterte stand trial at the ICC, and for how long?

Judges are set to decide by late April whether to send Duterte’s case to trial, with any proceedings expected to move at a ‘glacial pace’.

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