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The Philippines
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The Philippines

The Philippines
The Philippines
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on the Philippines, covering politics, economy, society, and Manila’s relationships with China and its Southeast Asian neighbours.
Patriot missile launcher are seen deployed at a US military base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Sunday. Photo: Yonhap/AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

As US missiles leave South Korea, the Philippines asks: are we next?

South Korea couldn’t stop the pull-out. Now, Manila must figure out if it is indeed a strategic partner or just another supply depot.

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Banking & finance

Deutsche Bank bets on Hong Kong boom as Asian billionaires look beyond US assets

Energy

Philippines’ fuel shock exposes limits of deregulated oil market

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Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

11 domestic helpers among 20 arrested in Hong Kong crackdown on illegal labour

Six residents among those arrested are the owners or in charge of companies allegedly involved.

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The Immigration Department carried out a three-day operation across the city. Photo: Handout
US, Israel war on Iran

Asia sees violence, fuel rationing, queues as energy crunch over war hits

In Bangladesh a man was killed and the military has been deployed, while lines have formed elsewhere too, as many nations rely on imports.

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Infrastructure

‘Ghost projects’ push Philippines to record US$26.5 billion budget deficit

A widening deficit and falling revenue are ‘direct, quantifiable effects’ of an investigation into the flood-control scandal, economists say.

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Weather

A heatwave is coming to Southeast Asia. So is an energy shock

Indonesia and Malaysia are set to feel the worst of an early summer first, compounding an LNG supply crisis triggered by the Iran war.

A women uses an electric fan to cool off in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Taiwan tensions No 1 in Beijing’s top 10 geopolitical risks of 2026: think tank

Most consequential external security variable may be uncertainty in the US ahead of the midterm elections in November, report warns.

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Philippines insurgency

Asia’s longest communist revolt is dying, Manila says. The rebels disagree

The Philippine military claims the 56-year insurgency is near the finish line. But veteran rebels say the roots of rebellion remain.

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Two Sessions 2025

Beijing signals high hopes for South China Sea ‘golden rules’ by end of year

Wang Yi voices ‘determination’ to work with rival claimants yet urges Manila to ‘be aware of its responsibility’.

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Chinese coastguard personnel patrol the waters around the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing claims as Huangyan Island, in November 2025. Photo: Xinhua

Philippines’ only cockroach expert defends bugs from extinction

The 31-year-old soft-spoken scientist has been dubbed ‘cockroach lord’ and occasionally finds himself in demand for very specific situations.

Cristian Lucanas, an entomologist from the University of the Philippines Los Banos, shows preserved specimens of cockroaches among troves inside a laboratory at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos town, south of Manila, on February 11. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

AC limits, flex-work, fuel-lock apps: Philippines readies for Iran oil fallout

Citizens and the government adopt energy-saving hacks to cut fuel consumption amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

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Food and Drinks

Filipino food’s secret weapon: vinegar, sharpening dishes for centuries

Cooks in the Philippines have used the ‘ingredient of 2026’ to bring out complexity in dishes long before the condiment started trending.

Sara Duterte-Carpio

Philippines advances Sara Duterte impeachment case, but ‘this is not a cakewalk’

A failed Senate conviction could ultimately strengthen Duterte-Carpio ahead of the presidential 2028 race, observers warn.

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Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio has said she will run for president in the 2028 national election. Photo: EPA
Asean

‘We will go to war’: why #SEAblings became a Southeast Asian rallying cry

The hashtag went viral following a row over a South Korean band’s concert in Kuala Lumpur in January and protests in Indonesia last year.

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A social media post using #SEAblings and an illustration over a row following South Korean rock band Day6’s concert in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: X/Boju
Singapore

How Southeast Asia’s coffee chains are brewing cross-border success

Home-grown brands such as Zus Coffee are betting on cultural fluency, halal positioning and digital tools to make further inroads.

South China Sea

Philippines arrests Filipino nationals suspected of spying for China

China has dismissed the espionage allegations as fabricated and politically motivated, accusing Manila of ‘stigmatisation’.

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Sara Duterte-Carpio

Philippine lawmaker slammed for ‘sexist’ remarks in defence of VP Sara

Analysts say lawmaker Angel Suntay’s comments have become an ‘effective distraction’ against the vice-president’s impeachment proceedings.

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte once admitted imagining herself beheading President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Photo: Kyodo
Rodrigo Duterte

Philippine lawmakers order Duterte-Carpio to answer impeachment charges

If convicted by the Senate, the vice-president, a presidential front runner, will lose her post and cannot stand for future office.

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Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte allies use Iran war threat to attack Philippines’ US ties

Social media posts claim US bases in the Philippines are like ‘bullseyes on Filipino soil’, prompting the military to debunk the disinformation.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Video | Philippine overseas workers under fire as Iran conflict worsens

Philippine government has no mass repatriation plan, leaving many workers to weigh risks against the livelihoods of their families back home.

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Philippine overseas workers are under fire as Iran conflict worsens. Photo: Handout/SCMP composite
Aviation

Malaysian, Filipino killed in helicopter crash southeast of Manila

The Bell 505 helicopter was en route to Quezon when it crashed in a grassy area in Pililla town at about 7.30am.

Police officers inspect the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed in Rizal on Tuesday. Photo: Rizal Provincial Police Office
Rodrigo Duterte

Allies of Philippines’ Duterte step up online attacks as drug war trial looms

The efforts have focused on undermining the ICC itself, targeting victims and witnesses and normalising mockery of the dead.

SCMP Highlights

Southeast Asian navy strategies, Japan video sparks outrage: 7 Asia highlights

From predictions on Iranian leadership to North Korea’s nuclear vindication, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Israel

Filipinos in Middle East war zones torn between safety and livelihood

The 2 million Filipinos working in the region are primary breadwinners, remitting billions of dollars to their families each year.

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A resident inspects damage at his home in Tel Aviv on Sunday after a direct missile strike hit the area. Photo: dpa
Middle East

Letters | Iran’s people deserve stability, dignity and peace

Readers discuss the US and Israel’s bombing of Iran, US-Philippine military cooperation, and American criticism of a key Chinese trade negotiator.

People watch as smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, on February 28. Photo: AP
South China Sea

‘Deliberate signal’: Philippines elevates officer amid South China Sea tensions

Analysts say Marcos is doubling down on the country’s ‘transparency initiative’ while engaging Beijing diplomatically behind closed doors.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Millions of Asian migrant workers in Gulf at risk as war with Iran rages on

Deaths or injuries of people from the Philippines, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, who were working in the region, have been reported.

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