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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.
Representatives from Pax Silica signatory countries attend its first summit in Washington in December 2025. Photo: Handout
US-China tech war

Philippines races to realise Pax Silica dreams as political changes loom

Philippines’ Marcos is due to leave office in 2028 while Trump faces US midterm elections next year that could change control of Congress.

SCMP Highlights

South Korean killer’s escape foiled, Duterte trial looms: 7 Asia highlights

Style Edit

Style Edit: Fashion Asia Hong Kong 2026 explores the future of design

US-China relations

Opinion | Success of Xi-Trump summit lies in what happens afterwards

The real value of the Washington meeting between the presidents of the US and China is whether its understandings survive the next bilateral dispute.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Canada

Southeast Asia supports multilateralism, wary of US or China leadership: survey

A recent Rockefeller Foundation survey shows strong regional belief in global cooperation and a reluctance to accept superpower dominance.

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Crime

Easy access to family guns fuels Philippines’ school shootings

Three fatal attacks since June have been traced back to state-linked weapons, exposing fatal flaws in official gun control.

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United States

‘Listen to us’: Philippines tribe vows to stand ground against US-led Pax Silica

The Aetas have been offered just 50 US cents per square metre of land to make way for the sprawling tech hub. All have refused.

Filipino chieftain Petronila Munoz points at the proposed land where the Pax Silica Hub might be built in Capas, Tarlac province, on September 2. Photo: AFP
Tribal leader Petronila Munoz works inside her house in Capas, Tarlac province, on September 2. Photo: AFP
Filipino chieftain Petronila Munoz stands in a church built by her tribe in Capas, Tarlac province, on September 2. Photo: AFP
Aeta children play basketball in Capas, Tarlac province, on August 10. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Upgraded but underperforming: Philippines’ growth lags behind

High living costs and delayed public works drag growth projections down far behind regional front runners.

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Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong secures expanded equal treatment and investment guarantees across Asean

Hong Kong authorities say signing of the protocol will bring legal certainty, enhance the investment environment and boost investment flows.

Ethnic minorities in Hong Kong

Video | Hong Kong’s Filipino domestic helpers get second chance at university degree

NGO FullPhils was established in 2023, offering overseas Filipino workers a tertiary education to boost their career prospects.

FullPhils
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Asia travel

Escape Manila’s heat for northern Luzon’s pine-scented hills and Sagada’s hanging coffins

They may not make for a typical Philippine holiday, but the highlands of northern Luzon are a world apart from Manila and the tropical lowlands, finds Thomas Bird

The city of Baguio, on Luzon island, in the Philippines, was favoured by American administrators for its climate. Photo: Thomas Bird
US, Israel war on Iran

Saudi oil pipeline closure puts Asia’s economic resilience to the test

Experts say the loss will hit Asian refiners first before feeding through to inflation, currencies and economic growth across the region.

Video | Three killed in Philippines school shootin

The attack marks the third Philippine school shooting since June.

South China Sea

Collision near Sabina Shoal sparks fresh escalation between China, Philippines

Two sides blame each other for deliberate ramming near the contested atoll in the South China Sea, fuelling tensions over strategic waterway.

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Friday’s encounter marks one of the most serious escalations between the rival claimants in recent months. Photo: Weibo
International Criminal Court

Why the ICC is cracking down on ‘fake news’ as Duterte trial looms

Presiding Judge Joanna Korner warns parties to ‘avoid speculation’ and urges prosecutors to trim their witness list and evidence.

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The Philippines’ former president Rodrigo Duterte attends a preparatory session at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Crime

3 students killed in Philippine school shooting, including gunman

The attack at Banga National ‌High School ‌in South ‌Cotabato also left eight others injured.

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SCMP Highlights

China opens Pinglu Canal; Hong Kong unveils first 5-year plan: 7 highlights

From Chinese defence chief’s forum speech to a Beijing Hyrox athlete’s faecal row, here are top stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

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South China Sea

Filipino fishers count the cost of South China Sea dispute

Blocked from accessing Scarborough Shoal and hit by local dredging, Zambales fishermen say their weekly incomes have collapsed.

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Filipino fishing boats are seen moored at a port in Masinloc town, Zambales province, in 2022. Photo: AFP
Russia

Poland eyes deeper Philippines defence ties following Black Hawk deal

Warsaw is targeting drones, air defence and artillery exports to Manila as European rearmament fuels global arms ambitions.

US-China relations

China edges US, EU on AI regulation trust in middle-income countries: Pew survey

US think tank study finds middle-income countries have ‘more positive views of China’ when it comes to regulating AI effectively.

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Taiwan

Taipei donates coastguard vessel to Manila amid South China Sea tensions

As it faces off against Beijing in the region, Manila has been expanding its unofficial security cooperation with Taipei.

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The Taiwanese coastguard’s Kinmen patrol vessel has reportedly been transferred to the Philippines. Photo: cga.gov.tw
South China Sea

Philippines’ Teodoro draws 2028 election buzz after China clash

His viral moment in Seoul has raised his profile among supporters, but analysts say weak polling and past losses remain hurdles.

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Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro Jnr responds to a note during the Seoul Defence Dialogue 2026 on September 8. Photo: X/Philippine Department of National Defence
South Korea

Video | South Korean drug lord’s jailbreak plan foiled

The plan was reportedly set to be carried out earlier this year, just before Park Wang-yeol was to be repatriated to South Korea to face charges for allegedly importing 4.8kg (10.5lbs) of drugs.

Central banks

Casino, not bakery: Philippine e-payment firms urged to improve merchant vetting

The central bank found thousands of payments of as little as 80 US cents being made to generally unremarkable merchants past midnight.

John Lee policy address 2026

Hong Kong launching pilot scheme to bring in foreign carers for the elderly

Chief Executive John Lee says in policy address that the government will admit carers under a scheme modelled on domestic helper regime.

In rapidly ageing Hong Kong, the number of people aged 65 and above is projected to nearly double from 1.45 million in 2021 to 2.74 million by 2046. Photo: Sam Tsang
South China Sea

Chinese research ship completes month-long mission near Scarborough Shoal

The vessel surveyed the geology and environment of a South China Sea feature claimed by Beijing and Manila.

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The Haiyang Dizhi Shihao spent a month surveying the waters near Scarborough Shoal. Photo: CCTV
South China Sea

Should Beijing use its maritime militia as backup force in South China Sea?

On the sidelines of the Xiangshan Forum, a leading Chinese researcher says there could be a role for the vessels at critical moments.

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South Korea

South Korean killer’s drone escape from Philippine prison foiled by test footage

Convicted killer Park Wang-yeol reportedly spent some US$74,000 on his planned drone-assisted prison break.

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