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[1/6] Philippines Air Force Acting Commanding General Ramon Guiang, Assistant Secretary of the Office of American Affairs Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga, Philippines defence chief Carlito Galvez Jr., U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall; U.S. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezBASA AIR BASE, Philippines, March 20 (Reuters) - The United States and Philippines will announce new sites as soon as possible for an expanded Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which gives the Western power access to military bases in the Southeast Asian country. Leaders of local governments at the potential EDCA sites have backed the government's decision to allow the United States greater access to the bases, Philippines' defence chief, Carlito Galvez, said in a joint news conference with Kendall. Galvez and Kendall were leading a groundbreaking ceremony for the rehabilitation of the Basa Air Base's runway. The runway rehabilitation is part of $82 million the United States has allocated for infrastructure investments at the existing five EDCA sites.

☆ Philippines beefs up efforts to contain oil leak from sunken tanker
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows the oil spill from the sunken fuel tanker MT Princess Empress on the shores of Pola, in Oriental Mindoro province, Philippines, March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File PhotoMANILA, March 14 (Reuters) - Philippine authorities have increased efforts to contain an oil spill from a sunken fuel tanker that has affected coastal towns and was still spreading, the environment ministry said on Tuesday, as the country grapples with cleanup challenges. The vessel was carrying about 800,000 litres (211,338 gallons) of industrial fuel oil when it sank, according to the coast guard. Resorts in Oriental Mindoro, also known for world-class beaches and dive spots, have already been reeling from the impact of the oil spill, as tourists cancel reservations during what is supposed to be peak season. They also raised concerns about whether the tanker owner could file insurance claims despite questions about the ship's permit to operate.

☆ Over the South China Sea, dispute simmers via radios and rhetoric
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Eloisa Lopez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] An aerial view shows the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, in the contested Spratly Islands, South China Sea, March 9, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezABOARD PHILIPPINES COAST GUARD PLANE, South China Sea, March 10 (Reuters) - As a Philippine coast guard aircraft flew over the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea on Thursday, a message came in over the radio telling it to immediately leave "Chinese territory". "Calling China coast guard vessel. China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Beijing insists its coast guard is defending its territory. China's coast guard challenged the plane again as it flew over the shoal, located inside the Philippines 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

☆ With pails and mugs, Philippine residents clean up oil spill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

POLA, Philippines, March 7 (Reuters) - Residents of a central Philippine province affected by an oil spill from a sunken tanker endured the powerful stench of petroleum as they cleaned it up using buckets and mugs while authorities raced to contain environmental damage. Wearing personal protective equipment and masks, residents of the town of Pola in Oriental Mindoro, with the help of Philippine coast guard crew, collected debris soaked in oil and wiped thick sludge from rocks along the shore. "Here in our area the oil is really thick and the smell is strong," said 34-year-old resident Maribel Famadico while cleaning along the shore with other volunteers. "There is so much oil that we become nauseous when we are not wearing protection. [1/3] Volunteers dressed in personal protective equipment clean up the oil spill from the sunken fuel tanker MT Princess Empress, on the shore of Pola, in Oriental Mindoro province, Philippines, March 7, 2023.

☆ Turkish families shelter on a train after earthquake brought life to a standstill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Damaged buildings and local people living in tents are seen from the balcony of Sabriye and Nehir Karan's home, following the deadly earthquake in Iskenderun, Turkey, February 23, 2023. The mother and daughter visit their apartment for a couple of...moreDamaged buildings and local people living in tents are seen from the balcony of Sabriye and Nehir Karan's home, following the deadly earthquake in Iskenderun, Turkey, February 23, 2023. The mother and daughter visit their apartment for a couple of hours every other day. They move through it with caution but shower, do the laundry and take some food. "I don't know if when I come back, it will still be standing or not," she said.

☆ Turkish families shelter on a train after earthquake shatters cities
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Eloisa Lopez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Filed: March 2, 2023, 8 a.m. GMTSabriye Karan’s late husband worked for the Turkish national rail company for 32 years and her daughter Nehir grew up riding trains. After powerful earthquakes struck Turkey and damaged her home, she and Nehir moved into one. “We never imagined we would live here,” said Sabriye, who has been sharing a two-bed sleeper cabin with 13-year-old Nehir for the past 18 days. “Normally, it’s a joy to travel on the train. Survivors have been sheltering in tents, container homes, hotel resorts and even train carriages in Iskenderun, a port city in the province of Hatay, badly hit by the earthquakes.

☆ Turkey's last Armenian village fears for its future after quake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Ece Toksabay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] A view of the damaged altar at the church in Vakifli, the last Armenian village in Turkey, in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, in Samandag, Turkey, February 24, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezVAKIFLI, Turkey, Feb 25 (Reuters) - In Turkey's only remaining ethnic Armenian village, Vakifli, the elderly population thank God that not one of them died during the devastating earthquakes that struck the region. They gather at the tea house for shelter and warmth. "Vakifli is all we have, the only Armenian village in Turkey. Now our house is uninhabitable and we live half the time in the tea house and half the time in the tent."

[1/3] A man carries a sofa out of a destroyed apartment building in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake in Antakya, Hatay province, Turkey, February 20, 2023. More than 160,000 buildings, containing 520,000 apartments, collapsed or were severely damaged in Turkey in the earthquakes. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to rebuild homes within a year, although experts have said the authorities should put safety before speed. Many survivors have left the region of southern Turkey that was hit or have been settled in tents, container homes and other government-sponsored accommodation. Additional reporting by Mehmet Dinar; Editing by Michael Georgy and Edmund BlairOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkey investigates building contractors as quake toll rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Eloisa LopezhISTANBUL, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Turkey will widen an investigation into building contractors suspected of violating safety standards following its devastating earthquake, the interior minister said, as the country stepped up housing plans for victims. "Our cities will be built in the right places, our children will live in stronger cities. The number of people killed in Turkey in this month's devastating earthquakes has risen to 43,556, Soylu said overnight. Urbanisation Minister Murat Kurum said 164,000 buildings with more than 530,000 apartments were destroyed or severely damaged by the earthquake. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 6 damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of buildings and left millions homeless.

When a fresh quake shook the southern city again on Monday, local media reported that at least three people were killed while retrieving belongings. But because we survived, we are trying to get out whatever is left," said the 28-year-old natural gas pipe welder. Bayrakci and six relatives returned to help their brother retrieve belongings from his apartment. TELEVISIONS AND TOILET PAPERIn another Antakya neighbourhood, Kinan al-Masri hoped to retrieve some savings, passports and birth certificates from his apartment. He had hoped to retrieve some possessions before the authorities demolished the building, he said, but it was too dangerous to enter.

Elected last June, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has struggled to fulfil campaign promises to bring down inflation, which hit 8.7% in January, driven by an 11.2% jump in food prices, the biggest since 2009. Imported onions, bought mostly from India and China, require sanitary and phytosanitary permits for quarantine and biosecurity purposes. Steep price rises for eggs and sugar have also whacked up the cost of putting food on the table. Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics'UNSOLVED' SUPPLY PROBLEMSOfficials say the high inflation was transitory and should ease once supply issues are addressed. Philippines' onion demand and supply($1 = 54.52 Philippine pesos)Additional reporting by Karen Lema and Eloisa Lopez; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Love of sea turtles turns Philippine poachers into protectors
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

CURMA's operations director Carlos Tamayo, 44, helps fisherman and turtle patroller Jessie Cabagbag, 40, hold a mother turtle before it goes back to the sea, at Bacnotan, La Union, Philippines, December 21, 2022. Jessie is one of the volunteers for CURMA, or Coastal Underwater Resource Management Actions, which has turned sea turtle poachers into its allies by offering them incentives and training, allowing it to save thousands of turtles and their eggs. "I stopped poaching when we underwent training and were taught that what we have been doing was illegal and that these species of turtles are endangered," he said. "I am overwhelmed with joy when the eggs hatch... REUTERS/Eloisa LopezClose

☆ Protesters mark Myanmar coup anniversary, junta due to make statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Filipino activists stage a protest in solidarity with Myanmar citizens, two years since Myanmar's military coup, outside the Embassy of Myanmar in Makati City, Philippines, February 1, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezFeb 1 (Reuters) - Protesters marked the two-year anniversary of Myanmar's military coup with a "silent strike" in major cities and rallies overseas on Wednesday, as exiled civilian leaders vowed to end what they called the army's "illegal power grab". Myanmar's military took power after complaining of fraud in a November 2020 general election won by Suu Kyi's party. PROTESTS IN BANGKOKIn the main commercial cities of Yangon and Mandalay, images on social media showed deserted streets in what coup opponents said was a silent protest against the junta. State media recently announced tough requirements for parties to contest, a move that critics say could sideline the military's opponents and cement its grip on politics.

☆ Philippines defiant, says won't cooperate with ICC investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jesus Crispin Remulla said the ICC should not impose on the Philippines, which is no longer a signatory to the international tribunal. The ICC, which had suspended the investigation in November 2021 at Manila's request, said in a statement it was "not satisfied that the Philippines is undertaking relevant investigations that would warrant a deferral of the investigation." Current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and the vice president, who is Duterte's daughter, did not comment on the latest ICC decision. Human Rights Watch said the ICC investigation was the only credible path to justice for victims and their families. Families of many drug war victims are still seeking justice in long, drawn-out cases.

☆ Philippines' Nobel laureate Ressa cleared of tax evasion, calls verdict win for justice
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Rappler CEO and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa speaks to the press after a Manila court acquitted her from a tax evasion case, outside the Court of Tax Appeals in Quezon City, Philippines, January 18, 2023. The tax evasion case stemmed from accusations by the state revenue agency that Rappler had omitted from its tax returns the proceeds of a 2015 sale of depositary receipts to foreign investors, which later became the securities regulator's basis to revoke its licence. The Philippine's justice department said it respected the decision of the court. Ressa, 59 is currently on bail as she appeals a six-year prison sentence handed down in 2020 for a libel conviction. Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Ed Davies, Jacqueline Wong and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Philippines main airport scrambles to restore normalcy after power cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A passenger wearing a face mask and face shield for protection against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) walks towards a counter in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Paranaque, Metro Manila, Philippines, January 14, 2021. The ageing Ninoy Aquino international airport was early on Monday handling a maximum 15 arrivals per hour compared to 20 during normal operations, said Cesar Chiong, general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority. The outage was the result of the unprecedented failure of both primary and secondary power supplies, he said. Chiong said the airport had introduced its own power system in 2018 but on Sunday, both the main and backup systems failed. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport has previously been ranked among the world's worst international gateways, with flight delays a regular occurrence, and a history of upgrades being delayed or abandoned due to disputes between the airport and contractors.

☆ Philippine artist creates paintings using his own blood
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Adrian Portugal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Filipino artist Elito Circa, 52, paints with his own blood in his studio in Nueva Ecija province, Philippines November 29, 2022. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezMANILA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Philippine artist Elito Circa has blood on his hands, literally - but only to create art with. Using blood taken from his own veins, the 52-year old produces canvas paintings that have drawn both praise and criticism because of his unusual choice of medium. Born in a low-income household with little access to school supplies and art materials, Circa explored different mediums, including plums and tomatoes, but it was when he scraped himself as a young boy that his fascination with using blood began. "Every time I got scraped, I would use my own blood since bloodstains are also hard to remove," said Circa, while dabbing a white canvass using a paint brush dipped in blood.

☆ Philippine family allowed to correct death certificate of son killed in drugs war
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Rodrigo Baylon's son, Lenin, was killed by stray bullets on Dec. 2, 2016, in Caloocan City in a shooting that also killed two women, according to a police report. But Lenin's death certificate had said he died from bronchopneumonia. Lenin was not the only victim whose death certificate did not accurately reflect the violent manner in which police and family members said they died, a Reuters investigation found. Baylon had sought to correct his son's death certificate but a lower court rejected his request in 2019, forcing him to file an appeal. IDEALS said Lenin's case forms part of submissions to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has been asked by a prosecutor to resume its investigation into the drug war killings.

☆ Philippines town gives taxis a lift as floods become norm
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Motorcycle taxis, modified to cope with flooding, ride at coastal town of Hagonoy, Bulacan province, Philippines, October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezHAGONOY, Philippines, Oct 18 (Reuters) - In a town in northern Philippines where floods have become a perennial problem, motorcycle taxi drivers have modified their vehicles to keep passengers dry and high above the floodwaters. Motorcycle taxis, a popular form of transport in rural Philippines, have had steel tubes added to the forks of the vehicles, boosting them by a few extra feet to allow them to operate in the worst kinds of floods. One of the town's problems, according to officials, is the rapid rise in informal dwellings along a nearby river and lack of adequate waste management solutions. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Adrian Portugal; Editing by Martin Petty and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ship captains held by Indonesian navy decry bribes and betrayal
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Joe Brock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Most of the captains were freed after a few weeks once ship owners made unofficial payments to navy intermediaries of between $300,000 and $400,000, the people said. The Indonesian navy has said it never requests or receives money to release vessels. Ledoux, 57, questioned why more wasn't being done by ship owners and governments to raise awareness of the issue. An Indonesian navy spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. Reuters has not seen what evidence was presented at the trial to prove the ship was in Indonesian waters.

☆ What It Costs to Get an Abortion Now
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Allison Mccann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

Abortion Fund Northwest Abortion Access Fund Hoosier Abortion Fund Midwest Access Coalition WMF Wisconsin New Orleans Abortion Fund 2021 total N.M. Abortion Fund Northwest Abortion Access Fund Hoosier Abortion Fund Midwest Access Coalition WMF Wisconsin 2021 total New Orleans Abortion Fund New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Florida Access Network North Dakota WIN FundSince the court’s decision, abortion has been banned in large parts of the Midwest and the South. Abortion Fund Chicago Abortion Fund $1,000 $500 $297 $255 $200 $175 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD Hoosier Abortion Fund WMF Wisconsin $1,000 $500 $253 $256 $238 $242 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Midwest Access Coalition $1,000 $500 $346 $338 $185 $182 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD Northwest Abortion Access Fund New Orleans Abortion Fund North Dakota WIN Fund $1,100 $1,000 $729 $700 $658 $500 $308 $242 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD Chicago Abortion Fund Florida Access Network D.C. Abortion Fund $1,000 $500 $300 $297 $255 $200 $225 $175 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD Hoosier Abortion Fund WMF Wisconsin $1,000 $500 $253 $256 $238 $242 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Midwest Access Coalition $1,000 $500 $346 $338 $185 $182 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD Northwest Abortion Access Fund New Orleans Abortion Fund North Dakota WIN Fund Florida Access Network D.C. Abortion Fund Northwest Abortion Access Fund Chicago Abortion Fund New Orleans Abortion Fund Midwest Access Coalition Hoosier Abortion Fund WMF Wisconsin 2021 total North Dakota WIN Fund N.M.

Residents who evacuated from their flooded homes sit on a roadside after Super Typhoon Noru, in San Ildefonso, Bulacan province, Philippines, September 26, 2022. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezHANOI, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Vietnam urged more people on Tuesday to evacuate as an intensifying Typhoon Noru barrelled towards the southeast Asian nation, after causing at least eight deaths and widespread flooding in the Philippines. The typhoon forced airports in Vietnam to close, causing travel disruption, while thousands were forced to evacuate their homes, according to official statements. Typhoon Noru, the strongest storm to hit the Philippines this year, also damaged 1.53 billion pesos ($26 million) worth of crops, government data showed. read more"There are still areas with floods," Daniel Fernando, governor of Bulacan province north of the capital, told DZRH.

☆ Philippines' Marcos orders aid for typhoon-struck areas, five reported dead
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BULACAN, Philippines, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Philippine authorities rushed on Monday to distribute aid to thousands of evacuees after typhoon Noru made landfall in the capital and northern provinces, leaving at least five dead and many areas flooded. President Ferdinand Marcos ordered supplies be airlifted and clean-up equipment be provided to most-affected communities. "Many homes were destroyed but all roads are passable and there were no landslides," Quezon province Governor Helen Tan told DZRH radio station. The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, sees an average of 20 tropical storms yearly. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded, killed 6,300 people.

☆ 'Never forget': Filipino activists mark 50th anniversary of martial law declaration
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Candles are lit as part of an art installation during an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of martial law declaration by late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, father of the current president, at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City, Philippines, September 21, 2022. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterMANILA, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Filipino activists on Wednesday took to the streets to mark the 50th anniversary of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr's declaration of martial law. Activists chanted "never forget" and held banners condemning the crimes allegedly committed by the regime during martial law including extra-judicial killings, human rights abuses and forced disappearances. His son and namesake, current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has defended the decision to impose martial law at that time, claiming it was done to protect the country from communist rebels and insurgents. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Jay Ereno; Writing by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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