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☆ Philippines, U.S. to hold biggest war games in years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The Philippines and the United States will this year carry out their biggest joint military drills since 2015, Manila's army chief said on Wednesday, against a backdrop of growing tensions with China in the South China Sea. President Marcos on Tuesday summoned China's ambassador to express "serious concern" over the intensity and frequency of China's activities in the South China Sea, most of which China claims as its territory. China's use of a laser against a Philippine vessel on Feb. 6, which its foreign ministry insists was legal, has sparked expressions of concerns and support from Australia, Japan, and the United States. The Philippines has granted Washington greater access to its military bases as part of the latter's efforts to deter China's increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea and tension over self-ruled Taiwan. In 2015, more than 11,000 troops from both countries participated in the joint military exercises.

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.

☆ Philippines files protest to China over use of laser, "aggressive activities" by vessels
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The Philippines on Tuesday filed a diplomatic protest calling on Beijing to ensure its vessels cease "aggressive activities" after Manila accused China's coast guard of trying to block one of its ships in the South China Sea using a laser. The Philippine coast guard said on Monday a Chinese coast guard ship directed a "military-grade laser" at one of Manila's vessels supporting a resupply mission to troops in the disputed waterway on Feb. 6, temporarily blinding its crew on the bridge. The actions of China's coast guard vessel were a threat to Philippine sovereignty and security and the country had a prerogative to conduct legitimate activities within its exclusive economic zone, the ministry said. "We urge the Philippines to avoid such actions, and the actions of China's staff are professional and restrained," China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, told a regular briefing. The Philippines has filed 203 diplomatic notes against China since last year, foreign ministry data showed.

☆ Philippines' Marcos open to a troop pact with Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Marcos, however, also told reporters he would exercise care in pursuing a potential pact with Tokyo "because we do not want to appear provocative." The VFA provides rules for the rotation of thousands of U.S. troops in and out of the Philippines for exercises. I don't see why we should not adopt it (VFA)," Marcos told reporters before returning home on Sunday, according to an official transcript. The Philippines has a VFA with the United States, while Tokyo has VFAs with Australia and Britain, and also hosts the biggest concentration of U.S. forces abroad. Kishida said the Philippines and Japan had agreed to try and establish a framework that would "strengthen and smooth the process of holding joint exercises".

☆ Philippines urges China to halt any "provocative act" after laser aimed at vessel
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aguilar also quoted the Philippine defence chief as saying the action of the Chinese coast guard was "offensive" and unsafe." Images supplied by the PCG showed a green light emanating from a Chinese vessel with bow number 5205. China has said it was ready to manage maritime issues "cordially" with the Philippines during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's visit to Beijing in January. In February last year, Australia accused Beijing of an 'act of intimidation' after a Chinese navy vessel directed a laser at an Australian military surveillance aircraft. The VFA provides rules for the rotation of thousands of U.S. troops in and out of the Philippines for exercises.

☆ Marcos Jr.'s Japan trip is his 'most important' foreign visit yet, lecturer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMarcos Jr.'s Japan trip is his 'most important' foreign visit yet, lecturer saysRichard Heydarian of the University of the Philippines says Japan has been, by far, the Philippines' "most consequential" economic partner in the last 20 years.

☆ Japan, Philippines pledge closer security ties amid China tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (3-L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (2-R) talk at prime minister?s official residence in Tokyo, Japan, 09 February 2023. KIMIMASA MAYAMA/Pool via REUTERSTOKYO, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Japan said it was looking to strengthen joint military exercises with the Philippines as the two U.S. allies on Thursday pledged to forge closer security ties at a time of heightened tensions with China. Japan held joint military exercises with the United States and the Philippines as recently as October. The disaster relief deal with Tokyo is seen as a possible precursor to establishing a visiting forces agreement that would allow Japanese forces to deploy to the Philippines more easily. A Japanese military presence in the Philippines could help Manila counter Chinese influence in the South China Sea, much of which Beijing claims, including the territory that Manila considers its own.

"As the United States deepens its relationship with the Philippines, it's important for regional security that Japan join in," a Japanese defence ministry source with knowledge of internal discussions on national security told Reuters. At a press briefing last week, Neil Imperial, the Philippines Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs, said Marcos wanted to "facilitate closer defence, security, political, economic and people-to-people ties" while in Japan. That sentiment is shared in Tokyo, which has been deepening security ties with nations that view China with concern. Those deals provide a framework for how Marcos and Kishida could also forge deeper military ties to counter their common adversary, say experts. "The Philippines is a critical security partner for Japan," said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo.

Summary Jan CPI at fresh 14-year high of 8.7%Faster-than-expected inflation raises odds of bigger rate hikeEconomic planning chief says inflation to moderate this yearMANILA, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Philippine annual inflation blew past expectations in January to reach a fresh 14-year high on surging food prices, raising the chance of the central bank delivering a bigger interest rate hike to tame prices when it meets this month. Given the faster-than-expected inflation in January, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) looks certain to hike interest rates by at least 25 basis points and with a bigger 50 bps likely to be on the table, ING economist Nicholas Mapa said in a Tweet. The Philippines' broader stock index (.PSI) dropped 0.4% in early trade on expectations of a larger rate hike, while the peso had slipped 0.5% at 54.73 per dollar as of 0211 GMT. The main factor behind January's red-hot inflation was the 11.2% annual rise in food inflation, the quickest pace since 2009, and compared to the previous month's 10.6%, and the 1.6% rate in the same month last year. Elevated inflation, plus the need to maintain interest rate differentials between the U.S. and the Philippines, have forced the central bank to embark on aggressive tightening, with the benchmark rate (PHCBIR=ECI) rising by a total of 350 bps last year.

☆ Philippines coast guard chief says boosts South China Sea presence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We're making sure that the presence of coast guard vessels is felt by the fishermen in the area," Admiral Artemio Abu, Commandant of the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG), said in an interview. "At a moment's notice, the coast guard vessels we will be there because they are exclusively and primarily dedicated for that purpose," said Abu. The 26,000-strong coast guard has 25 primary ships that can be used for deployment and patrols. Since 2002, the Philippines has filed 200 diplomatic notes and protests against China's actions in the South China Sea. The Pentagon also said separately the United States and the Philippines had "agreed to restart joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea to help address these challenges."

☆ U.S., Philippines agree to larger American military presence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (R) walks past military guards at Camp Aguinaldo on Feb. 2, 2023 in Quezon City, Manila, Philippines. Austin is visiting Manila for meetings with Philippine officials in an effort to boost bilateral ties between the two countries. The agreement was reached as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in the country for talks about deploying U.S. forces and weapons in more Philippine military camps. American forces were granted access to five Philippine military camps, where they could rotate indefinitely under the 2014 EDCA defense pact. In October, the U.S. sought access for a larger number of its forces and weapons in an additional five military camps, mostly in the north.

☆ Philippines grants U.S. greater access to bases amid China concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The Philippines has granted the United States expanded access to its military bases, the countries said on Thursday, amid mounting concern over China's increasing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea and tensions over self-ruled Taiwan. Statements from the defence ministries of both countries said Washington would be given access to four more locations under an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) dating back to 2014. The United States had allocated more than $82 million toward infrastructure investments at the existing five sites under the EDCA, the statements said. EDCA allows U.S. access to Philippine military bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and the building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but not a permanent presence. His visit follows a three-day trip by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to the Philippines in November which included a stop on Palawan.

☆ U.S. Pushes for Military Sites in Philippines to Counter China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | Vivian Salama | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in Seoul for talks over security issues, will meet with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. later this week. WASHINGTON—The U.S. is hoping to reach an agreement this week to open as many as four U.S. military sites at Philippine bases in Washington’s latest push to expand its strategic footprint across the region to counter threats from China, U.S. officials said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is meeting later this week with recently elected Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr . in Manila and hopes to secure the deal, which would rotate groups of U.S. forces to sites in the country, U.S. officials said.

☆ Onions are now so expensive in the Philippines that they've become a luxury item — and people have been trying to smuggle them across the border
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Onions are now a luxury item in the Philippines. The price of onions soared to $12.80 per kilogram in December, three times the price of chicken. Local authorities seized between $9 million and $11 million worth of smuggled onions in 2022. According to the country's Department of Agriculture, on January 9, onions were going for 600 pesos, or $11, per kilogram. Local authorities seized between $9 million and $11 million worth of smuggled onions in 2022, The Guardian reported.

☆ 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.

☆ Philippine President Marcos Says He Is Seeking Ways to Defuse Tensions With China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Greg Ip | Matt Murray | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos. He told The Wall Street Journal that his country walks a fine line between the U.S. and China. The Philippines is increasing cooperation with the U.S. and developing stronger mechanisms to defuse disputes with China as it walks a fine line between the two superpowers, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr . said. “I learned an African saying: When elephants fight, the only one that loses is the grass,” Mr. Marcos said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week. “We are the grass in this situation.

☆ Floods devastate Philippines as president declares 'state of calamity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Philippines has grappled with heavy rain, flooding and landslides since the beginning of January, prompting evacuations and spurring president Ferdinand Marcos Jr to declare an official "state of calamity" in the Southern Misamis Occidental province. The downpours are happening even though the Philippines is normally in its cool, dry season from December to February. Misamis Occidental, the Northern Mindanao region and the Eastern Visayas in the central Philippines are among the regions affected. The Philippines is hit with an average of 20 typhoons each year and roughly six to nine storms that make landfall annually. The country also experiences frequent landslides and floods that are partly a result of the increasing intensity of tropical cyclones.

DAVOS, Switzerland/MANILA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said his country would resist global recessionary headwinds, but warned that increasing tensions in the South China Sea were harming trade. "My belief is that as long as the unemployment rate stays low, we will be able to resist the recessionary forces," he said. He said the upskilling of his country's labour force was powering economic growth, including remittances from overseas workers. "The future of the region has to be decided by the region, not outside powers," he said. Marcos was in Davos, Switzerland this week for the World Economic Forum, accompanied by his economic team and several Philippine business executives.

☆ 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.

☆ Philippines top court voids old South China Sea energy deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Philippines Oil FollowMANILA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The Supreme Court in the Philippines on Tuesday declared the country's 2005 energy exploration agreement with Chinese and Vietnamese firms was illegal, ruling the constitution does not allow foreign entities to exploit natural resources. The decision, on an agreement that expired in 2008, could complicate efforts by China to revive oil and gas exploration talks with the Philippines in areas of the South China Sea that are not in dispute. China and the Philippines have sparred for decades over sovereignty and natural resources in the South China Sea, which led to a landmark arbitration case in 2016 won by Manila. Efforts to find a legally viable way to work together on energy exploration have repeatedly hit walls. China claims jurisdiction over almost the entire South China Sea and the risk of energy activities being disrupted have made it tricky for the Philippines to find foreign partners, despite an arbitration court clarifying what Manila's entitlements were.

☆ Philippines' Marcos picks ex-military chief and COVID tsar as defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] President of the Philippines Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. attends a news conference after the European Union (EU) and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) commemorative summit in Brussels, Belgium December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna GeronMANILA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has chosen a former military chief who led the country's fight against the coronavirus as his new defense minister, his office said on Monday. He replaces Jose Faustino, whose resignation as acting defence chief was announced by the president's office, without providing a reason. Galvez, who served as armed forces chief in 2018, will be responsible for protecting the Philippines maritime territory and its exclusive economic zone, amid tension with China over the prolonged presence in the South China Sea of fishing boats believed to be manned by militia. Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China, Philippines agree to handle disputes 'peacefully', boost cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Jan 5 (Reuters) - China and the Philippines said in a joint statement on Thursday they have agreed to set up a direct communications channel between their foreign ministries on the South China Sea to handle disputes peacefully. The Philippines has previously raised concerns over reported Chinese construction activities and the "swarming" of Beijing's vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea, an area rich in oil, gas and fishery resources. Both sides also agreed to resume talks on oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea and discuss cooperation on areas including solar, wind, electric vehicles and nuclear power. Coastguards from China and the Philippines would also meet "as soon as possible" to discuss "pragmatic cooperation". Last November, when debris from a Chinese rocket fell in the South China Sea, a Chinese coastguard ship had stopped a Philippine boat from trying to tow it away.

☆ Philippines' Marcos says tells Xi intends to pursue independent foreign policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MANILA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Thursday he had told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that his administration intends to pursue an independent foreign policy. "I emphasised to President Xi how my administration intends to pursue an independent foreign policy, that we are more than willing to cooperate whenever possible in the pursuit of regional peace and our two countries' national interest," he said in an arrival speech in Manila following a trip to Beijing. Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales Editing by Ed DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Philippine minister accuses senior police of involvement in drugs trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Efforts by Philippine authorities to crack down on drugs under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr are being hampered by the involvement of a few high-ranking police officials in the narcotics trade, the interior minister said on Wednesday. Let us start afresh," Abalos told a news conference. While only a few senior police officers were believed to have a role in the drugs trade, they held critical positions, Abalos said, without elaborating. Police have rejected allegations the killings were executions, saying the drug suspects violently resisted arrest and that authorities acted in self-defence. Since Marcos took office in June, authorities have conducted more than 24,000 sting operations, arrested around 30,000 people and killed around a dozen drug suspects, according to police data.

[1/3] Philippines' President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos are photographed with China President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Li Yuan during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, January 4, 2023. Office of the Press Secretary/Handout via REUTERSSummary Philippines, China sign 14 bilateral dealsXi pledged solution on plight of Filipino fishers -MarcosChina promised cooperation, investmentBEIJING/MANILA Jan 4 (Reuters) - China is ready to resume oil and gas talks and manage maritime issues "cordially" with the Philippines, China President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, according to Chinese state television. Xi was speaking to his Philippines counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who was on a three-day visit to Beijing. The Philippines had previously raised concerns over reported Chinese construction activities and the "swarming" of Beijing's vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea. While the Philippines is a defence ally of the United States, under previous leader Rodrigo Duterte it set aside a territorial spat over the South China Sea in exchange for Chinese investment.

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