"Philippines"

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the suspension of the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States for another six months, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced on Monday.

China and the Philippines will hold the sixth meeting of Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea via video link on Friday, said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest against China’s fishing ban in the South China Sea, saying the prohibition encroaches into parts of the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and puts Filipino fishermen at risk of attack from the Chinese Coast Guard.

MANILA, Philippines — Myanmar’s pro-democracy unity government stressed the need for Southeast Asian leaders and the international community to immediately officially recognize it as the “sole legitimate” representative of the people of Myanmar, warning that delays in doing so could lead to a civil war and make way for “more atrocities.”

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the country’s first two cases of the India variant of the COVID-19 virus on Tuesday, the same day that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the variant “a global concern.”

MANILA, Philippines — China’s unbridled incursions into the West Philippine Sea and the disputed waters in the South China Sea may render the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) a dead letter treaty, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned on Wednesday.

MANILA, Philippines — The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said the Philippines was close to crossing the “red line” in exhausting its health care capacity to handle the COVID-19 pandemic after recording the highest number of new cases and fatalities in the Western Pacific Region recently.

China urged the Philippines on Tuesday to stop hyping up Chinese fishing boats sheltering from the wind at Niu'e reef so as to avoid any negative effect on bilateral ties as well as to preserve peace and stability in the South China Sea.

The Philippine defense chief on Sunday pressed his attack against the monthlong presence of dozens of Chinese vessels at a reef, accusing China of planning to again occupy maritime features in the West Philippine Sea or areas within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Philippines said Chinese "maritime militia" vessels have expanded into more disputed South China Sea areas, even after the Southeast Asian nation protested and the U.S. aired concerns over the ships' presence.

MANILA, Philippines — Health experts have recommended an extension of the one week hard lockdown in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces to really bring down the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, and Malacañang says the recommendation will be considered along with its implication on the economy and the health of the people.

MANILA, Philippines — The government has decided to keep the current quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila in place and expanded the curbs to neighboring Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite provinces for 14 days in a bid to suppress a surge in coronavirus infections.