Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
State President Luong Cuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent congratulatory messages to Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., while National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man congratulated Speaker of the House of Representatives Martin Romualdez and Senate President Francis Escudero.
The two-week KAMANDAG exercise, jointly led by the Philippine and US Marine Corps, took place through June 13, drew the participation of the troops from the RoK and Japan, as well as personnel from nine other observer countries.
The agreement eases restrictions on the movement of personnel between the two nations' forces to facilitate joint drills and disaster relief operations, making the Philippines Japan's third RAA partner after Australia and the UK.
The relationship between Japan and the Philippines in the security field has been strengthened in recent years. In 2023, Japan provided the Philippines with an airborne surveillance radar system.
Despite this downturn, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects that the Philippines will remain the world's leading rice importer in 2025, with imports expected to rise to 5.4 million tonnes, and further increase to 5.5 million tonnes in 2026.
Vietnam and the Philippines should give high priority to exchanges of high-level and all-level delegations; facilitate bilateral trade with the goal of raising two-way trade to 10 billion USD at an early date; and strengthen cooperation in ensuring food security and combating climate change.
President Marcos on March 22 called on all cabinet members to submit their resignations, paving the way for a "major government reset" aimed at better meeting public expectations following disappointing results in the recent midterm elections.
About 163,000 police officers have been deployed nationwide to ensure security at polling stations, in coordination with the military, fire brigades and other support units. In addition, the government has extended the early voting period for the elderly and people with disabilities, starting at 5 am on May 12.
Vietnam will face Iran in their final group stage match on May 11, and the result of this match will determine Vietnam's opponent in the quarterfinals.
The Philippines’ economic transformation will be driven by initiatives that promote new growth drivers while strengthening existing sectors, with private sector involvement playing a key role, particularly in infrastructure and investments that will deliver lasting impact and shared prosperity.
Sailing vessel 286-Le Quy Don of the Naval Academy and a delegation of the Vietnam People’s Navy left Nha Trang city, the south central province of Khanh Hoa on May 5 for visits and exchanges with the navies of China and the Philippines.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised Bulusan’s alert status from 0 to 1 on its five-level scale, signalling low-level volcanic unrest and warning of possible phreatic eruptions.
Local authorities are closely monitoring the impact of the ash column on residential areas, and they are recommending the closure of offices and schools as a precautionary measure.
The DOH said tobacco use is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates over 8 million annual deaths attributable to tobacco.
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s strong commitment to its alliance with the Philippines during his official visit to the Southeast Asian country on March 28.
