https://www.scmp.com/rss/522309/feed The University of the Philippines (UP) is the Philippines’ national university, a prominent public coeducational research institution established in 1908. Headquartered in Quezon City, it operates as a system with multiple campuses across the archipelago. UP’s primary mission is to provide advanced instruction, foster research across diverse fields including sciences, arts, and health, and deliver extensive public service. Renowned for its commitment to "Honor, Excellence, Service," it has... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A Filipino singer’s Golden Buzzer moment on Britain’s Got Talent has quickly become a fresh rallying point for Southeast Asian pride under the #SEAblings banner, as audiences in the region increasingly champion one another’s artists on the global stage. Matty Juniosa, a 27-year-old from the Philippines, drew a standing ovation after performing Prince’s “Purple Rain” on the British television competition on Sunday, earning the coveted Golden Buzzer from acerbic judge Simon Cowell and a direct... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348538/filipino-singer-matty-juniosas-golden-buzzer-win-stokes-seablings-southeast-asian-pride?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348538/filipino-singer-matty-juniosas-golden-buzzer-win-stokes-seablings-southeast-asian-pride?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:31:22 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The Philippines ranks among Asia’s most gender-equal societies by several international measures. Yet ask Filipino women where they truly belong and most will still tell you: at home. A new survey has found that 83 per cent of Filipino women agree “being a housewife is just as fulfilling as working for pay”, up from 70 per cent when the same question was posed in 1994. The findings, released by independent pollster Social Weather Stations earlier in March to coincide with National Women’s Month,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346760/most-filipino-women-think-womans-place-home-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346760/most-filipino-women-think-womans-place-home-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:30:11 +0000 Alan Robles,Raissa Robles Alan Robles,Raissa Robles Public anger in the Philippines over the multibillion-peso flood-control scandal has reopened a debate that has simmered for years: will this finally force politicians to tackle a tax system many Filipinos see as unfair, inefficient and tilted against them? A Senate inquiry late last year heard that politicians and local officials had worked with contractors to siphon off at least 200 billion pesos (US$3.5 billion) earmarked for flood-control projects across the country, with some structures... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343490/anger-over-philippine-flood-fund-theft-fuels-debate-unfair-tax-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343490/anger-over-philippine-flood-fund-theft-fuels-debate-unfair-tax-system?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 09:15:48 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Filipino actress and fashion influencer Heart Evangelista’s reappearance at Paris Fashion Week following scrutiny over her lavish lifestyle in previous months has drawn sharp criticism amid “unprecedented” public outrage linked to an unfolding corruption scandal plaguing the country. Public sentiment in the Philippines has been particularly negative against influencers such as Evangelista and other “nepo babies”, a term referring to flamboyant family members of wealthy politicians, officials and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342588/outrage-philippines-socialite-heart-evangelista-nepo-babies-return-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342588/outrage-philippines-socialite-heart-evangelista-nepo-babies-return-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 05:30:09 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A proposal to update a nearly 50-year-old law requiring individuals to disclose their political activities in the interest of national security has gained steam amid allegations of the rise of “Filipino trolls” espousing pro-Beijing content. Antonio Carpio, a retired Philippine Supreme Court senior associate justice, proposed that the country update its Foreign Agents Act, a 1979 law that requires individuals to register and disclose their political activities to regulate foreign... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342309/rise-filipino-trolls-spurs-push-legal-fix-amid-chinese-influence-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342309/rise-filipino-trolls-spurs-push-legal-fix-amid-chinese-influence-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 04:30:38 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As Asean tourism leaders met this week to discuss regional matters, observers say a common visitor visa for the bloc and aligned digital connectivity will even out tourism growth and help lagging countries like the Philippines catch up. The 63rd Asean National Tourism Organisation Meeting, held in Cebu in the Philippines on Monday, was also attended by tourism chiefs from Japan, China and South Korea – countries that were instrumental in boosting tourism in the region. In 2024, 20 million... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341622/how-shared-asean-visa-could-help-philippines-find-its-travel-feet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341622/how-shared-asean-visa-could-help-philippines-find-its-travel-feet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 03:55:49 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines’ tourism chief has drawn criticism after appearing on the cover of a lifestyle magazine intended to promote the country’s destinations, reviving complaints that the department’s messaging has become overly focused on its leader at a time when visitor numbers are slipping. Christina Frasco, secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT), appeared on the cover of the December issue of Philippine Topics, pictured against a beach backdrop and alongside a story on the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339575/philippine-tourism-chiefs-magazine-cover-controversy-prompts-debate-over-branding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339575/philippine-tourism-chiefs-magazine-cover-controversy-prompts-debate-over-branding?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 08:07:32 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines as Asean chair for 2026 will have to decide how much to intervene in the Thailand-Cambodia row. However, observers warn that the bar for the bloc in conflict-resolution “is not very high”. Analysts expect flare-ups throughout the year between the Southeast Asian neighbours due to long-standing historical differences, despite attempts to establish a truce last year. These include a deal brokered by US President Donald Trump in October in Malaysia, and a meeting on December 29,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338651/why-philippines-asean-chair-may-leave-thai-cambodian-peace-problem-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338651/why-philippines-asean-chair-may-leave-thai-cambodian-peace-problem-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 23:59:55 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippine government is weighing whether a United Nations anti-corruption treaty can help track down and extradite a former lawmaker accused of being one of the masterminds behind the billion-peso flood control scandal and believed to be hiding overseas. Presidential press officer and undersecretary Claire Castro said Manila was studying a proposal by Senator Panfilo Lacson to tap the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) to help locate and extradite former congressman Zaldy Co. Co, who... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336671/philippines-weighs-using-un-anti-corruption-treaty-zaldy-cos-extradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336671/philippines-weighs-using-un-anti-corruption-treaty-zaldy-cos-extradition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:04:32 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The tarpaulin barely held against the wind, sagging under days of ceaseless rain. For the earthquake survivors of San Remigio, in the central Philippines, it was all that remained – a thin sheet of plastic above a patch of mud, standing in for the homes a 6.9-magnitude quake had reduced to rubble weeks earlier. Then, in early November, Typhoon Kalmaegi barrelled through. The storm, known locally as Tino, drenched thousands of families still huddled in their makeshift shelters. Roads vanished... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3335387/why-philippines-cant-escape-its-endless-cycle-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3335387/why-philippines-cant-escape-its-endless-cycle-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:00:15 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The new speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives has pledged to push through a long-stalled law banning political dynasties – despite hailing from one of the country’s most prominent clans and sharing the chamber with multiple relatives. Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, elected speaker in September with near-unanimous support, told lawmakers on November 11 that he would prioritise legislation to finally implement the constitution’s ban on dynasties. Observers say the move could address public... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333121/philippine-speakers-anti-dynasty-push-just-lip-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333121/philippine-speakers-anti-dynasty-push-just-lip-service?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 10:26:32 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As it prepares to assume the Asean chairmanship, the Philippines’ courting of the bloc’s newest member, East Timor, signals its intent to secure a new ally in promoting maritime security among the 11-strong grouping of nations. But analysts suggest the budding partnership is more symbolic than strategic, with the Philippines playing more of a mentor role to the newcomer. On the sidelines of a meeting of defence chiefs following the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332130/philippines-charts-new-course-asean-courting-east-timor-south-china-sea-ally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332130/philippines-charts-new-course-asean-courting-east-timor-south-china-sea-ally?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 01:29:04 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The latest deadly typhoon to tear through the Philippines has killed more than 100 people, raising fears among experts that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense, and harder to prepare for. Typhoon Kalmaegi – the most recent in a string of late-season cyclones to batter the country in recent years – left a trail of devastation across the central Visayas region this week. The storm follows a worrying pattern of high-impact tropical cyclones that have struck the Philippines... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3331826/deadly-typhoon-kalmaegi-philippines-raises-more-disaster-readiness-questions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3331826/deadly-typhoon-kalmaegi-philippines-raises-more-disaster-readiness-questions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 14:15:26 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A spate of powerful earthquakes across the Philippines has triggered widespread panic, sparked a flood of misinformation and prompted officials to take decisions that experts warn could undermine long-term disaster readiness. Analysts say the anxious public reaction – from mass hysteria in schools to viral conspiracy theories about “The Big One” – underscores a pressing need for better science communication and coordination between government agencies, especially in a country highly exposed to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3330110/big-one-coming-earthquake-mania-grips-philippines-fears-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3330110/big-one-coming-earthquake-mania-grips-philippines-fears-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 13:46:21 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As dusk settles over Angeles City, Justin Cunanan prepares for another long night. While the rest of the Philippines sleeps, he joins millions of his compatriots powering a global industry that is now facing threats from both Washington and Silicon Valley. For the next nine hours, the 33-year-old will field customer service calls for a company based in the United States. The night shift is gruelling, but for Cunanan, who previously worked in hospitality, the benefits of a business process... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3329438/us-call-centre-act-threatens-philippines-us30-billion-outsourcing-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3329438/us-call-centre-act-threatens-philippines-us30-billion-outsourcing-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2025 05:30:08 +0000 Annemarie Evans Annemarie Evans I WAS BORN in 1967 in Caloocan, just north of Manila, in the Philippines. I have three siblings. I’m the eldest. My father had a much bigger clan, 10 siblings. Imagine the reunions we have on my father’s side! My family went into different kinds of businesses: textiles, poultry, restaurants. At one time we were an egg distributor, so we gathered them from nearby provinces wholesale and retailed them in the city. Whenever my dad had a new venture, I’d be there observing and sometimes I’d be the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3328771/noel-de-guzman-painting-fire-and-silent-power-smile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3328771/noel-de-guzman-painting-fire-and-silent-power-smile?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 10:15:08 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A group of lawmakers in the Philippines have urged their government to take a firmer stance on the crisis in Myanmar, filing a resolution that calls for stronger support for the country’s pro-democracy movement and greater pressure on its ruling military junta. The push comes as the Philippines prepares to assume the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) next year, raising expectations over how it will handle one of the bloc’s most divisive issues. Analysts say the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328390/will-philippine-push-bolder-action-myanmar-strain-asean-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328390/will-philippine-push-bolder-action-myanmar-strain-asean-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 09:57:04 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The Philippines’ “biggest corruption scandal” in history continues to rivet Filipinos as whistle-blowers implicate a slew of top officials, with the unfolding saga threatening to drag even the president into its 545 billion peso (US$9.4 billion) embrace. On Thursday, Filipinos in Metro Manila – from taxi drivers to building lobby receptionists and security guards – were spotted with their mobile phones tuned in to the Senate’s eight-hour hearing on the so-called ghost flood projects. In one... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326927/could-philippines-flood-control-corruption-scandal-engulf-president-marcos-too?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326927/could-philippines-flood-control-corruption-scandal-engulf-president-marcos-too?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 03:36:27 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As the strongest storm of the year hits the Philippines, all eyes are on President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, whose government is facing a torrent of public scrutiny on disaster risk management in the wake of corruption-linked flood control projects. Super Typhoon Ragasa, known locally as Nando, made landfall on Monday, just a day after the country witnessed protests across cities in which thousands marched to voice outrage at trillions of pesos spent on “ghost” flood control projects and widespread... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3326477/super-typhoon-ragasas-fury-adds-philippine-president-marcos-flood-woes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3326477/super-typhoon-ragasas-fury-adds-philippine-president-marcos-flood-woes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 04:05:31 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Mass protests swept across the Philippines as Super Typhoon Ragasa approached, with citizens from all walks of life venting outrage at deepening corruption, particularly over the alleged plunder of funds from flood control projects meant to shield communities from disasters. The demonstrations in cities across the country that took place on Sunday – loosely organised through social media, university groups, churches and word of mouth – marked perhaps the country’s largest protests in years... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3326439/philippine-protests-voices-mark-moral-outrage-dangerous-hopeful-period?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3326439/philippine-protests-voices-mark-moral-outrage-dangerous-hopeful-period?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:50:40 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines must move decisively beyond routine diplomatic protests in the face of China’s latest assertion of control over Scarborough Shoal, a retired Supreme Court justice has warned, as Beijing’s declaration of a vast marine nature reserve in contested waters deepens fears over regional stability and Philippine sovereignty. “China’s declaration raises the issue of what state has sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc – the Philippines or China,” Antonio Carpio, an ex-Supreme Court senior... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325842/philippines-urged-act-china-cements-control-over-scarborough-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325842/philippines-urged-act-china-cements-control-over-scarborough-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 07:57:05 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A growing wave of anger in the Philippines over corruption-tainted flood control projects is spurring activism among university students and other Filipinos that observers say evokes the spirit of past political uprisings. At the University of the Philippines’ main campus in Quezon City, over 3,000 students and lecturers left their classrooms to rally on Friday against what they described as systemic corruption. The university has long been a cradle of student activism and political dissent. Its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325392/chilling-corruption-over-flood-projects-philippines-fuels-campus-activism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325392/chilling-corruption-over-flood-projects-philippines-fuels-campus-activism?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 07:30:08 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The waters of Lake Taal have long captivated visitors with serene vistas and storied myths. But this idyllic image of the Philippines’ third-largest lake has since been darkened by a chilling discovery. Since July, divers have uncovered hundreds of skeletal fragments from its depths – and with them, an extraordinary story of gambling scams, alleged police pay-offs and men who never came home. Investigators believe the ribs, skulls and other bones found may belong to at least 35 sabungeros, or... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3325365/philippines-hidden-horrors-emerge-lake-taals-murky-depths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3325365/philippines-hidden-horrors-emerge-lake-taals-murky-depths?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 06:00:40 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Mud splattered across gates. Walls daubed with “thief” and “corrupt”. In the Philippines, anger over the misuse of funds set aside for flood control projects has found its target: the properties of contractors accused of siphoning off billions and the offices of government agencies. After rallying outside the Department of Public Works and Highways and pelting it with waste water-filled balloons and rotten fruit on Thursday, protesters descended on the House of Representatives the day afterwards... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324693/protests-erupt-philippines-over-stolen-flood-control-funds-drowning-money?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324693/protests-erupt-philippines-over-stolen-flood-control-funds-drowning-money?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 05:00:10 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Concerns are growing in the Philippines over Beijing’s intentions towards Batanes, the country’s northernmost province, after a spike in Chinese social media claims and unusual coastguard patrols near the archipelago, with analysts warning these narratives could influence public opinion and complicate Manila’s security calculations. On the Chinese platform Douyin, some users have circulated videos alleging Batanes “once belonged to China” based on historical records, while others claimed Manila... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323091/filipinos-worry-chinese-online-claims-batanes-risk-real-world-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323091/filipinos-worry-chinese-online-claims-batanes-risk-real-world-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 10:50:38 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has expressed anger over failed flood-control projects in the Philippines, as he warned of “economic sabotage” charges against “big” offenders to stem entrenched corruption in the infrastructure sector. “I’m not disappointed, I’m angry,” Marcos told local media after inspecting a barren site in Bulacan where a 55 million-peso (US$964,000) river wall was supposed to have been built. “They didn’t work for even a single day. Even if you see it for yourself, you won’t... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3322706/philippine-president-fumes-over-flood-corruption-economic-sabotage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3322706/philippine-president-fumes-over-flood-corruption-economic-sabotage?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:20 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The fate of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment once again rests with the Philippine Supreme Court after the Senate voted to “archive” – but not dismiss – the charges against her, effectively putting the prospect of a trial on hold. In a late Wednesday vote of 19-4-1, senators chose to set aside the Articles of Impeachment transmitted by the House of Representatives in February, following a controversial court ruling that deemed the impeachment proceedings unconstitutional. While no... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321140/sara-dutertes-impeachment-case-archived-philippine-senate-returns-supreme-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321140/sara-dutertes-impeachment-case-archived-philippine-senate-returns-supreme-court?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 14:27:38 +0000 Alan Robles,Raissa Robles Alan Robles,Raissa Robles Monday’s opening of the Philippines’ Congress has been thrown into chaos by a Supreme Court ruling that effectively killed the long-awaited impeachment trial of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio. The Supreme Court’s decision, delivered late on Friday, quashed the Senate’s long-delayed trial on a technicality, ruling that the impeachment violated the constitutional “one-year rule” against multiple proceedings within a year for the same official. The fallout has cast a pall over what would... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319798/sara-duterte-impeachment-ruling-sparks-constitutional-storm-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319798/sara-duterte-impeachment-ruling-sparks-constitutional-storm-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 08:00:14 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran China pledged US$30.5 billion in development aid to the Philippines between 2015 and 2023 – the most for any Southeast Asian country – but only a sliver of that funding ever arrived, according to new data from an Australian think tank report. Of the total pledged, just US$700 million was actually disbursed – a shortfall analysts attribute to derailed infrastructure projects, changing political winds in Manila and rising tensions with Beijing. These factors have not only stalled flagship ventures... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3319654/china-promised-philippines-billions-development-aid-why-did-it-fall-so-short?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3319654/china-promised-philippines-billions-development-aid-why-did-it-fall-so-short?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jul 2025 13:51:03 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The Philippine Supreme Court has derailed the impeachment trial of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio over a procedural flaw, a landmark ruling that legal observers warn avoids the substance of the allegations and risks leaving the public with more questions than answers. In a unanimous 15–0 ruling delivered on Friday, the court found that the impeachment complaint endorsed by the House earlier this year violated the “one-year rule” under the 1987 constitution, which prohibits multiple... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319651/philippine-court-stops-vp-sara-dutertes-impeachment-raising-more-questions-answers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319651/philippine-court-stops-vp-sara-dutertes-impeachment-raising-more-questions-answers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jul 2025 13:00:38 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines has publicly accused a Chinese vessel of causing more than 11 million pesos (US$194,000) in damage to protected coral reefs near Thitu Island in the South China Sea. On Monday, Manila released the results of an environmental survey showing that a Chinese ship had ran aground near Thitu Island in June. Investigators found that the vessel dragged a parachute anchor across the sensitive marine ecosystem, scarring at least 464 square metres (4,994 square feet) of reef less than 3km... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318475/philippines-weighs-legal-action-against-china-over-us194000-coral-reef-damage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318475/philippines-weighs-legal-action-against-china-over-us194000-coral-reef-damage?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran At the rehabilitation centres run by Bridges of Hope, a recovery network spread across the Philippines, founder Jon Ty is used to seeing the different faces of addiction. For years, clients came seeking help for their abuse of drugs, alcohol or painkillers. Now, most come for something else. Today, seven in 10 clients treated across the network of centres are battling online gambling addiction – a trend that highlights a deepening crisis in the country, fuelled by a boom in mobile betting apps... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3317521/philippines-alarming-rise-online-gambling-addicts-fuels-calls-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3317521/philippines-alarming-rise-online-gambling-addicts-fuels-calls-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 09:00:08 +0000