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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.
Newly elected Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian presides over a special plenary session on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Rodrigo Duterte

Philippine Senate leadership shift leaves Sara Duterte exposed ahead of trial

Sherwin Gatchalian, an ally of President Marcos, beat Duterte backer Alan Peter Cayetano to the Senate president post.

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Asean

Aid and diplomacy: US Navy’s renewed bid for Southeast Asian influence

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Asean

Iran war ‘stark wake-up call’ for fossil fuel-dependent Southeast Asia: IEA

South China Sea

‘Not a single inch’: Philippines vows to block structures at Scarborough Shoal

Observers say Beijing could be using its ‘old playbook’ of deploying scientific activities to boost military presence in the South China Sea.

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A ship identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as Chinese maritime militia is seen near Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on Monday. Photo: AFP
Earthquakes

‘We’re still not ready’: why buildings fell in a survivable Philippine quake

As politicians stall on updating a 50-year-old building code, experts warn the devastation in Mindanao is just a preview of a worse disaster.

US, Israel war on Iran

Relief and wariness: Asia watches US-Iran deal for real impact

While the deal may ease some economic pressure on Asian governments, the ‘real test’ is whether it will hold, analysts say.

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Cybersecurity

Wave of Philippine government website hacks raises alarm over weak cybersecurity

Analysts warned that repeated breaches of high-profile state websites could erode trust even if no sensitive data were stolen.

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The National Bureau of Investigation office in Manila. The agency’s website was among three Philippine government sites compromised in less than a week. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
South China Sea

What is Marcos’ diplomatic end game? Inside Philippines’ South China Sea shift

By making undersea cables and fisheries the issue, analysts say Manila is trying to give all Asean members ‘skin in the game’.

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Science

Did volcanic eruptions ruin China’s Ming dynasty and undermine the Qing?

New study upends conventional thinking that has blamed Ming’s fall on eunuch dictatorship, factionalism, peasant uprising and rise of Manchus.

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Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

New shelter for Filipino helpers in Hong Kong awaits government green light

Philippine minister says Tai Po villa is bigger and more comfortable than previous shelter, while advocates for domestic helpers welcome facility.

Domestic helpers gather in Central on their day off. A three-year lease for a new shelter for helpers in distress has been signed after the earlier site – a small three-bedroom flat in Kennedy Town – reached the end of its term. Photo: Karma Lo
Natural disasters

On This Day | Thousands flee as Philippines’ Mount Pinatubo erupts in 1991 – SCMP archive

On this day 35 years ago, Mount Pinatubo’s eruption stranded dozens of tourists in Philippines, with special flights for Hongkongers.

A giant mushroom cloud from Mount Pinatubo’s eruption is seen towering over a deserted Clark Air Base in Pampanga, then operated by the United States, on June 12, 1991. File photo: AFP
Semiconductors

How massive AI-driven demand for MLCCs triggered a supply bottleneck

Power-hungry data centres fuel demand for MLCCs, which are crucial components for modern innovations including smartphones and electric cars.

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Banking & finance

Open Questions | AIIB head Zou Jiayi on multilateralism as ‘infrastructure of global trust’

As the Beijing-based development bank marks its 10th anniversary, its president says institutions like hers ‘create certainty amid uncertainty’.

Taiwan

The quiet escalation unfolding around Taiwan’s remote outposts

Taipei says it is the first time mainland Chinese government vessels have entered waters near Taiping.

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Taiping is the largest naturally formed island in the vicinity of Mischief, Subi and Fiery Cross reefs in the southern part of the contested Spratly Islands. Photo: AFP
Earthquakes

Deadly Mindanao quake raised seabed, causing marine die-off

The 7.8-magnitude tremor on Monday killed at least 61 people in the Philippines and left at least 40 people missing.

A responder carries a rescue dog while conducting search and rescue operations in a collapsed building after the Mindanao 7.8 magnitude earthquake, in General Santos City on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong’s domestic helpers need safe places to work and play

As climate change intensifies and urban space dwindles, migrant workers’ needs must be prioritised.

Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

‘Number of missing rising’: Filipino helpers in Hong Kong rally for aid after quake

Community groups are seeking to raise HK$20,000 to supply victims in Philippines with food, water and medicine.

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Athletes

How drowning of 2 athletes exposes gaps in Philippine collegiate sports safety

The tragedy shows how young players could be pushed into risky training situations as universities compete for prestige, sports experts say.

A candlelight service was held in honour of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili at Ateneo de Manila University’s chapel on Saturday. Photo: Facebook/ateneobasketball
Japan

Japan adds Indonesia to its ‘network of navies’ after Australia, Philippines

By exporting warships, analysts say Tokyo is sidestepping military pacts to bind partners through shared hardware.

China-Asean relations

Dear You – the Chinese migration film igniting a propaganda debate in Southeast Asia

Some are worried that the Teochew-language drama represents a new, softer era of propaganda targeting the diaspora.

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Rodrigo Duterte

Philippines’ Duterte to undergo another health check to decide fitness for trial

The ex-president’s team requested the procedure after saying last month that the 81-year-old’s ‘condition continues to deteriorate’.

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Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is sworn in during a senate inquiry on the”war on drugs” during his administration in Manila on October 28, 2024. Photo: AP
Asean

Asean at 60: peace, prosperity and polite paralysis

Non-interference bought decades of stability, but now breeds inaction. Is Asean due an overhaul?

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Illustration: Huy Truong
South China Sea

Opinion | Philippines’ belligerence towards China out of step with Asean trend

Manila’s security-first approach and alignment with extra-regional powers is at odds with the pragmatic direction of China-Asean relations.

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South China Sea

China’s ban on Philippine defence chief, family seen as warning shot to Manila

Analysts say Beijing may be trying to ‘kill the chicken to warn the monkeys’, as Manila faces calls for a tit-for-tat response.

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Diplomacy

Why US and China are watching Philippines’ Marcos at Russia-Asean talks

The visit comes amid expanded military ties with the US but is unlikely to signal a shift in Philippine foreign policy, analysts say.

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr will head to Kazan from June 17 to 18 for the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

Will Marcos’ shipbuilding push deliver lasting capacity for Philippines?

The expansion of the West Cebu Industrial Park aims to strengthen the Philippines’ defence and economy, and cement dominance in shipbuilding.

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The West Cebu Industrial Park in Balamban town, Cebu, the Philippines. Photo: Handout
Taiwan

What’s behind Beijing’s seabed mapping east of Taiwan?

Expert says knowledge of the waters and seabed could allow ‘more effective submarine and anti-submarine operations’.

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Rodrigo Duterte

Hacking of Philippine Senate’s website spotlights widening political crisis

In earlier messages seen on the hacked website, which has been restored, a group demanded accountability and slammed ‘corrupt networks’.

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