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☆ Philippines jeepneys: Will the loud, colorful vehicles soon disappear from the roads?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

For years, jeepney drivers have argued that the cost to transition to cleaner vehicles is out of their reach. Groups representing jeepney drivers have held protests in recent months, with the latest gathering set for Tuesday in the capital Manila. But Mar Valbuena, chairman of transport group Manibela, said police attempted to stall jeepney drivers from joining that protest. Jeepney drivers protesting the modernization plan on December 29, 2023 near Mendiola, Manila. The important thing is that the consolidation is done,” Andy Ortega, head of the Office of Transport Cooperatives, told CNN Philippines.

Persons: Virgin Mary, Mar Valbuena, ” Valbuena, Josefiel Rivera, Valbuena, jeepneys, we’d, ”, Joseph Sabado, Russet Tamayo, Teofilo Guadiz III, Jose Santos, ” Guadiz, “, ” Andy Ortega Organizations: CNN, Department of Transportation, CNN Philippines, Russet, Transportation, Transport Cooperatives Locations: Philippines, Manila, Mendiola

☆ Black Nazarene procession in Philippines draws millions of Catholic devotees to Philippine capital
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Black Nazarene statue is paraded through downtown Manila. It is also called the Traslacion, or “transfer,” referring to the relocation of the Black Nazarene to Quiapo Church. In 1620, the first confraternity dedicated to the Black Nazarene was established. People watch the procession from their homes as the Black Nazarene statue passes by in Manila. About 3 million devotees took part in the last pre-pandemic Traslacion procession in 2020, which lasted some 16 hours, according to police.

Persons: Jesus Christ, Aaron Favila, “, Rizza, Jesus, Ezra Acayan, Sta Rosa, Emilio Edgardo Quilatan, ” Quilatan Organizations: CNN, Black Nazarene, Quirino, Quiapo, Catholic, CNN Philippines, Nazarene, Getty, Cross Locations: Philippine, Manila, Philippines, Quiapo, Mexico, AFP, Mesquite

☆ Mindanao blast: Three people killed as explosion hits Sunday mass service in Philippine university gym
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Heather Chen | Alex | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —At least three people were killed and nine injured by an explosion at a Sunday mass service being held in a university gymnasium in the Philippines, according to a regional official. The blast took place in Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao on Sunday morning, according to CNN affiliate CNN Philippines. Governor of the Lanao del Sur province, Mamintal Adiong Jr., condemned what he called a “violent bombing incident” on a gymnasium at the Mindanao State University during a Sunday mass congregation. Mindanao, a province in the far south of the Philippines, sits at the borders of Malaysia and Indonesia and is home to several Islamist insurgent groups including Abu Sayyaf. The island, the second largest in the Philippines, has long been a hotbed of insurgency against the Philippine government.

Persons: Mamintal Adiong, Abu Sayyaf Organizations: CNN, CNN Philippines, Mindanao State University, ISIS Locations: Philippines, Marawi, Mindanao, Lanao del Sur province, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippine

I need to have him back, in good shape – like before he left Thailand.”Thai workers at a vineyard in southern Israel. David Silverman/Getty Images/FILE‘Palestinian workers weren’t welcome anymore’Migrant workers from Asia make up more than half of Israel’s foreign work force, often taking on jobs as caregivers and within the construction industry. Human Rights Watch called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all hostages and said that Thai workers, along with Nepalese and Filipinos, “were simply there to earn money to support their families. Migrant workers migrating to dangerous conflict zones in search of work, with little protection and legal enforcement, has been a “big issue for decades,” said British researcher and migrant worker rights specialist Andy Hall. Thailand itself is a major destination for migrant workers, mainly from poorer neighboring countries like Cambodia and Laos, as well as war-torn Myanmar.

Persons: Chumporn, Manee Jirachart, Jobs, Manee, He’d, Srettha Thavisin, ”, Phil Robertson, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, ’ Manee, “, ” Chumporn, David Silverman, Paul Castelvi, Nick, Paul, Ladizhinskaya, Kav LaOved, Israel ”, ” Ladizhinskaya, Robertson, ‘, Andy Hall, ” Hall, Martin Griffiths Organizations: Bangkok CNN, Hamas, CNN, “, Asia, Human Rights Watch, Getty, Labour, CNN Philippines, Rights, Agency, UN Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Israel, Gaza, United States, Canada, France, Asia, Palestinian Territories, Philippines, “ Thailand, AFP, Palestine, China, San Fernando, Pampanga, “, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar

☆ Pura Luka Vega: drag queen arrested after Jesus performance sparks backlash in the Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Philippines is a deeply Christian country and the Catholic Church maintains significant influence both in daily life and politics. Social media videos of drag queen Pura Luka Vega singing to a rock version of The Lord's Prayer while dressed as Jesus became a topic of debate in the Philippines. Multiple politicians, including senators, also went on Philippine television shows to criticize the drag artist’s performance, calling it blasphemous, disrespectful and offensive. ‘Denied my rights’The drag artist has previously apologized to those who “felt uncomfortable” about their performance. But Secillano stopped short of commenting whether the church viewed Pagente’s arrest as the right thing to do to defend the faith.

Persons: Jesus Christ, Amadeus Fernando Pagente, Pura Luka Vega, “, belting, revellers, Jesus, Christian Manalon, Pagente, Hijos Del, Lord Jesus, Father Jerome Secillano, ”, Secillano, Carlos Conde, Vega, –, ” Conde, Rod Singh, Singh, ” Singh Organizations: CNN, Catholic Church, Pura Luka, Catholic, Del, Black Nazarene, Nazarene, CNN Philippines, Catholic Bishops ’ Conference of, Human Rights Watch, Amazon Prime Locations: Philippines, Manila, Del Nazareno, Mexico, Quezon City, Hijos Del Nazareno, Philippine, Vatican City

☆ Mazel Paris Alegado: Nine-year-old skateboarder ‘proud’ of her Asian Games performance
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Alegado qualified as the youngest finalist for the women’s park event on Monday, where she finished seventh out of eight. Olympic dreamsAlegado lives in the US, but trained in Portugal ahead of the Asian Games, which are being held in China. “I wasn’t really nervous, I was really excited about it,” she said about preparing for such a big tournament. Alegado finished seventh in the women's park final at the Asian Games. The gold medal winner in the women’s park event at this year’s Asian Games was 15-year-old Hinano Kusaki from Japan.

Persons: CNN —, she’s, Alegado, “ I’m, I’m, ”, Sky Brown, “ Don’t Organizations: CNN, CNN — Mazel, CNN Philippines ’, Asian Games, Asian, Tokyo Olympics, Olympic Locations: CNN — Mazel Paris, Philippines, Portugal, China, ”, Japan

☆ South China Sea: Philippines accuses Chinese maritime militia of destroying coral reefs near Palawan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Philippine Coast Guard/FacebookTarriela said between August 9 and September 11, the coast guard monitored 33 Chinese vessels within the vicinity of Rozul Reef and around 15 Chinese ships near Escoda Shoal. The UP Marine Science Institute found vibrant corals in the Rozul (Iroquios) Reef in the South China Sea in May 2021. At least two foreign ambassadors in Manila have expressed alarm over reports of destruction of marine resources in the South China Sea. The grounded Philippine navy ship Sierra Madre, which Manila uses to stake its territorial claims at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea, as pictured on April 23, 2023. Under current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the country’s National Security Team began to publicize its findings about what was actually happening in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea more regularly, Powell said.

Persons: Jay Tarriela, ” Tarriela, Facebook Tarriela, Tarriela, Mao Ning, “, ”, Gerry Arances, Arances, Ray Powell, SeaLight, Powell, Philippines MaryKay Carlson, Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Rodrigo Duterte, Shoal, Ted Aljibe, Thomas Shoal, Ferdinand Marcos Jr Organizations: CNN, Philippine Coast Guard, Chinese Maritime Militia, Facebook, Philippine, Spratly Islands, Philippine coastguard, University of, Philippines Marine Science Institute, country’s National Security Council, Scientific, UP Marine Science Institute, Marine Science, CNN Philippines, Center for Energy, coastguard, National Security, Stanford University, The, United, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, Asia, Transparency Initiative, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, National Security Team, West Philippine, South China Locations: South, Philippines, China, Sabina, South China, Palawan, Beijing, Philippine, Rozul, Escoda Shoal, ” Beijing, China’s, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, The Hague, West Philippine, United States, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Manila, Sierra, Spratly, AFP, BRP Sierra, Sierra Madre, West

☆ Maria Ressa: Philippine Nobel laureate acquitted of last tax evasion charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong CNN —Philippine Nobel Peace laureate Maria Ressa was acquitted of tax evasion Tuesday, according to her news site Rappler, in the latest legal victory for the veteran journalist. Ressa and Rappler are now cleared of all five tax-related charges filed during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, according to CNN affiliate CNN Philippines. “This is really a win not just for Maria … but a win for the Philippines,” Ressa’s lawyer Francis Lim told supporters outside Regional Trial Court in Pasig city. The ruling comes eight months after Ressa was cleared of four earlier counts of tax violations filed in 2018 by Duterte’s government. She won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, for her efforts to safeguard freedom of expression in the Philippines.

Persons: Maria Ressa, Ressa, Rodrigo Duterte, Maria …, ”, Francis Lim, Dmitry Muratov Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, CNN, CNN Philippines Locations: Hong Kong, Hong Kong CNN — Philippine, Philippines, Pasig city, “, Russian

CNN —At least 15 people were killed after a fire broke out at a house that was being used as a factory in the Metro Manila area on Thursday, CNN affiliate CNN Philippines reported, citing local authorities. Marcelo Ragundiaz, fire brigade chief for Barangay Tandang Sora district, said the homeowner’s child, whose age was not specified, was among those who died in the blaze in Quezon City. CNN is unable to verify the details of the incident independently, as calls to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BNF), BFP NCR Fire District 5 Quezon City, and emails to the local authorities of Quezon City were not answered. The Quezon City government will investigate whether the homeowner violated building and fire codes, and if they had permits to use the property as a commercial building, CNN Philippines reported. It comes just days after 10 people suffered burns and cuts resulting from a fire in a residential area of Quezon City on Sunday, according to CNN Philippines.

Persons: Marcelo Ragundiaz, Ragundiaz Organizations: CNN, CNN Philippines, Tandang, of Fire Locations: Metro Manila, Tandang Sora, Quezon City, CNN Philippines

Images from the Philippine Coast Guard also showed the Chinese ship moving dangerously close in front of the Philippine Coast Guard vessels as they escorted the resupply boats. Manila’s claims are backed by the international Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, which ruled in 2016 that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea. “Two Filipino supply vessels and two coast guard vessels illegally intruded into the waters adjacent to Renai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands,” Gan Yu, spokesman for the China Coast Guard, said according to the statement published on its website Sunday. Gan reasserted Chinese territorial claims on the islands and the South China Sea and vowed to continue law-enforcement activity within the region. And on Monday, China’s coast guard, in a statement, accused Manila of trying to “permanently occupy” Chinese sovereign territory.

Persons: Thomas, Renai, Matthew Miller, Ottawa “ unreservedly, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Thomas Shoal, Collin Koh, ”, Koh, Philippine Sen, Alan Peter Cayetano, Gan Yu, Gan, Jeffrey Ordaniel, Blake Herzinger, Lloyd Austin, Gilberto Teodoro Jr, Jonathan Malaya, ” Koh, Ordaniel Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, South China, Philippines Mutual Defense, US State Department, Canadian Embassy, Ottawa, Chinese Coast Guard, Philippines Coast Guard Philippine, Philippine Foreign Ministry, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Court, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, CNN Philippines, China Coast Guard, Facebook, Pacific Forum, Tokyo International University, United States Studies Center, US, Philippine, Monday’s, National Security Council Locations: China, Philippine, South, United States, Philippines, Washington, Manila, Australia, Japan, Germany, South China, Beijing, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, BRP Sierra, Hague, Singapore, China’s Nansha, China’s, “, Malaya

☆ Typhoon Doksuri (Egay) lashes China's Fujian province after leaving 39 dead in the Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in China’s southeastern coast on Friday, state weather agencies said, after the storm battered parts of the Philippines and killed at least 39 people, including dozens on an overcrowded boat that capsized in strong winds. The typhoon slammed into the coastal county of Jinjiang in Fujian province at 9:55 a.m. local time, the National Meteorological Center said. The winds around the time of landfall were approaching 175 kilometers per hour (108 mph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center but the storm’s interaction with land has likely lowered the wind speeds slightly. Another 13 people were killed elsewhere in the country from Typhoon Doksuri, known as Egay in the Philippines, the the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Friday. The storm brought floods to five regions and triggered more than a dozen rain-induced landslides, the agency added.

Persons: Doksuri, –, Armand Balilo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Meteorological Center, Typhoon, Philippine Coast Guard, AP, coastguard, PNP, Philippine National Police, CNN, CNN Philippines, Management Locations: Hong Kong, Philippines, Jinjiang, Fujian province, Taiwan, Luzon, Talim, Manila

☆ Typhoon Doksuri: Egay makes landfall in Philippines as country braces for impact
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A powerful typhoon made landfall in the northern Philippines early Wednesday, bringing the potentially deadly threat of tidal surges, flash floods and landslides to parts of the country’s main island, authorities said. Typhoon Doksuri, known as Egay in the Philippines, made landfall at 3:10 a.m. local time (3:10 p.m. Pagasa warned that violent and life-threatening conditions are expected in some areas of Luzon, the Philippines’ largest and most populous island, as torrential rains rains swept the country. Communities in the typhoon’s path are braced for the impact of expected winds of up to 200 kph (124 mph). Strong winds knock down a tree in the northern Cagayan provice in the Philippines on July 25, 2023.

Persons: Doksuri, Pasgasa, “, Cagayan Manuel Mamba Organizations: CNN, Pagasa, Typhoon, Authorities, Tuesday, CNN Philippines Taiwan, Weather Bureau, National Meteorological Center Locations: Philippines, Philippine, Luzon, Cagayan province, Cagayan, Cagayan provice, CNN Philippines, Taiwan, China, Fujian, Guangdong

☆ ‘Love the Philippines:’ Ad agency apologizes for using footage of other countries in tourism video
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A Filipino ad agency has come under fire for using footage of other countries in a promotional video for the country’s new tourism campaign, “Love the Philippines.”Days after the campaign launched on June 27, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said it was investigating allegations that the video contained several shots of countries other than the Philippines. On Sunday, DDB Philippines issued a statement “profusely” apologizing for the “highly inappropriate” use of foreign stock footage in the video, which has since been taken down. The use of foreign stock footage in a campaign promoting the Philippines is highly inappropriate, and contradictory to the DOT’s objectives,” DDB Philippines said, according to the CNN Philippines report. Last year, tourism represented 17% of the country’s GDP, the World Travel and Tourism Council reported in June, according to CNN Philippines. Otherwise, I have a duty to ask questions,” Salceda said, according to CNN Philippines.

Persons: “, ”, Ina Zara, Loyola, ” Zara, Christina Frasco, Frasco, it’s, Joey Salceda, ” Salceda Organizations: CNN, Department of Tourism, Philippines, DDB Philippines, CNN Philippines, Tourism Council Locations: Filipino, Philippines, CNN Philippines, Philippine

CNN —The Philippines’ most active volcano began spewing lava and sulfuric gas Sunday, prompting the evacuation of nearly 13,000 residents in the southeast of the country’s main island, authorities said. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recommended everyone within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius or “danger zone” of the Mount Mayon volcano be evacuated due to the danger of rockfalls, landslides and ballistic fragments. Within the past 24 hours, the Mayon Volcano Network recorded 21 weak volcanic earthquakes, and 260 rockfalls, as well as lava flow activity from the crater, according to Phivolcs. Albay province was placed under a state of calamity on Friday allowing the government to release response funds to support affected residents, CNN affiliate CNN Philippines reported. “Lava flows are slow moving and effusive eruptions are generally less violent and produce less ash and volcanic gases than explosive eruptions,” he told CNN Philippines.

Persons: Phivolcs, Teresito Bacolcol, Bacolcol, Mayon Organizations: CNN, Philippine Institute of, Philippine Provincial Information Office, CNN Philippines Locations: Philippines, Luzon, Manila, Mayon, Albay

☆ Philippines: Inferno tears through Manila's historic Central Post Office
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong CNN —A massive fire broke out at the historic Manila Central Post Office in the Philippine capital late Sunday, with teams of fire fighters battling for more than seven hours through the night before it was finally brought under control. The building sits within the historic old Manila town near other tourist landmarks along the Pasig River that flows through the capital. The post office was first built in 1926 and designed by Filipino architects Juan M. Arellano and Tomás Mapúa. Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)/FacebookIt was declared an “important cultural property” in 2018, meaning the country’s oldest post office was of “exceptional cultural, artistic, and historical significance to the Philippines,” according to CNN affiliate CNN Philippines. Mark Laurente, chief of staff of the postmaster general, said that national identification cards were spared from the fire as those were stored in another city, CNN Philippines reported Monday morning.

☆ Joint Philippines-U.S. patrols in South China Sea may begin by third quarter - envoy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, May 8 (Reuters) - Joint patrols between the Philippines and the United States in the South China Sea may begin later this year, a top diplomat said on Monday, just days after Washington clarified its commitment to defend Manila from an attack at sea. Discussions were continuing on the joint maritime patrols, which were announced in February, said Philippine ambassador to the United States, Jose Manuel Romualdez. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced in February he and his Philippine counterpart, Carlito Galvez, have agreed to restart joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea, which former President Rodrigo Duterte, who sought warmer ties with China, had suspended after he took office in 2016. But Philippine Defense Secretary Galvez told reporters on Monday there were no formal discussions on the joint patrols with the United States and Australia. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $3 trillion of world trade is shipped every year.

☆ NAIA power outage: Philippines to shut airspace on May 17 in bid to tackle recent outages
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

But getting there is not always a smooth journey, as anyone unfortunate enough to be at Manila’s airport during two crippling power outages this year discovered. Those outages, on Labor Day and New Year’s Day, caused widespread chaos with hundreds of flight cancellations affecting tens of thousands of passengers. In a bid to solve that issue, the Philippines will close the whole country’s airspace for 6 hours on May 17 to replace malfunctioning electrical equipment. “It’s the entire Philippine airspace that will be shut down,” Bryan Co, senior assistant general manager at the Manila International Airport Authority, said in a press briefing on Tuesday. The airport handled 48 million passengers in 2019, despite being designed to handle 31.5 million, it said, and the revamp is expected to cost $1.8 billion (100 billion Philippine pesos).

It suspended its probe in November 2021 at the request of the Philippines after Manila said it was carrying out its own investigations. The ICC investigation was reopened in January 2023 and on March 27 the ICC rejected Manila's request to suspend it pending an appeal questioning the court's jurisdiction and authority. It is not clear even among some government officials what cutting contact meant or whether the Philippines will completely drop its appeal against the ICC investigation. Police say they killed 6,200 suspects during anti-drug operations that ended in shootouts but reject accusations by human rights groups of systematic executions and cover-ups. There doesn't seem to be any political will within the Philippine government to seriously investigate," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told CNN Philippines.

☆ Philippines, U.S. discuss joint coast guard patrols in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The Philippines and the United States are discussing conducting joint coast guard patrols, including in the South China Sea, a Manila official said on Monday. Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) spokesperson on South China Sea issues, told CNN Philippines that talks with the United States have advanced beyond the infancy stage and the likelihood of carrying out joint patrols is high. "There is also a possibility that it will be conducted in the South China Sea in support of the freedom of navigation of the United States government," he said. The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the joint patrols. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr last week summoned China's ambassador to relay his concern over the frequency and intensity of China's actions in the South China Sea.

☆ Philippines: Onions so expensive they're being smuggled into the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The price surge comes after a spate of super typhoons hit the Philippines last year, damaging tens of billions of pesos worth of crops. Ombudsman Samuel Martires was quoted this week by CNN affiliate CNN Philippines as saying he was looking into the possibility of price manipulation. Smuggling onionsOnions have become such a hot commodity that they’re being smuggled into the country. Two days earlier, $364,000 worth of red onions from China found hidden in pastry boxes were also seized by Customs. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he hoped to find a way to sell the smuggled onions to “reduce the supply problems” the country was facing.

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