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From the Newsrooms: March 3 to 9, 2024
THIS WEEK the news followed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as he traveled to Australia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia summit from March 4 to 6. The Australian government hosted this year's special summit in the city of Melbourne, to underscore among other issues roiling the region, maritime and security concerns in the South China Sea, an area which has been re-named by the P.....»»
Australia: Spotlight Rights at Summit with ASEAN
(Sydney) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should focus on human rights concerns and democratic backsliding at the upcoming summit with Southeast Asian leaders, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Albanese will host leaders from nine of the countries making up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the ASEAN-Australia Special Sum.....»»
US, Chinese and Russian officials gather at Southeast Asia summit
US Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend an East Asia summit in Indonesia on Thursday, offering an opportunity for direct, high-level diplomacy between the rivals. The 18-nation meeting will bring Washington and Beijing into contact a day after Premier Li Qiang warned major powers must manage their differences to avoid a "new Cold War", ahead of the G20 summit in New Delhi this week where Chinese President Xi Jinping will be absent. Interactions between the officials from the world's top two economies will be closely watched as they seek to control tensions that risk flaring anew over issues ranging from Taiwan to ties with Moscow and the competition for influence in the Pacific. "To keep differences under control, what is essential now is to oppose picking sides, to oppose bloc confrontation, and to oppose a new Cold War," Li told regional leaders on Tuesday. Harris held her own talks with Southeast Asian leaders on "the importance of upholding international law in the South China Sea", according to a statement from her office, the disputed waterway where Chinese claims have angered several Southeast Asian nations. Thursday's summit will be the first time top US and Russian officials have sat around the same table in almost two months after US and European officials condemned Lavrov at a July ministerial meeting over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $1 billion in new assistance to Ukraine in a surprise visit to Kyiv on Wednesday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Canada's Justin Trudeau, and Australian PM Anthony Albanese will attend the summit, as well as leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. G20 host Modi addressed ASEAN leaders on Thursday morning, telling them it is essential to "build a post-Covid rules-based world order" and make collective efforts to ensure a "free and open Indo-Pacific", using another term for the Asia-Pacific region. Thursday's talks come several months after Blinken traveled to Beijing, the first visit by the top US diplomat in nearly five years, where he met Xi as well as former foreign minister Qin Gang. - 'Broken' - The meeting was not expected to be a fiery affair despite the differences between the major powers, according to a Southeast Asian diplomat who will attend. "They will state their positions, these meetings are not tense. Especially at the leaders' level where some degree of decorum will be observed." The group will issue a negotiated joint statement after the summit. While the gathering can bring major players together, its ability to help resolve a range of regional and global disputes is limited, experts say. "It's a sign of the ASEAN convening power but lately we can say that the East Asia summit is broken. It has been turned into a forum for talking points," said Aaron Connelly, senior fellow at Singapore-based think tank IISS. While Thursday's meeting will be more geopolitical in scope, big powers used earlier talks in Jakarta to shore up alliances and lobby the Southeast Asian bloc. Li traveled on a Chinese-funded high-speed train project between the capital Jakarta and the Javan city of Bandung with a senior Indonesian minister on Wednesday. Harris held separate meetings with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. -- both ASEAN members -- on the sidelines of the summit. "The Vice President reaffirmed the United States' ironclad alliance commitment to the Philippines, and highlighted the role the US-Philippines alliance plays in ensuring a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific," her office said in a statement. South Korea's Yoon reportedly pushed for the bloc to counter North Korea's nuclear threats, calling for any military cooperation with the country to stop. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will also give an address on the sidelines of the summit later on Thursday. ASEAN members are holding bilateral meetings with India, Australia, and the UN on Thursday. The post US, Chinese and Russian officials gather at Southeast Asia summit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AFP: PBBM, Australia back joint patrols in WPS
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is backing Philippine-Australia joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea as part of promoting an “open and free” Indo-Pacific Region. This was bared by Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. in a radio interview on Monday, noting that the plans for this endeavor are now ongoing after Marcos and the Australian government gave their approval. "Pinaplano pa rin ho natin 'yung mga detalye pero in essence ay na-aprove na po ng ating Pangulo at ng liderato ng Australia. This is to ensure na we maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific, kasama po tayo dyan dahil isinisulong po natin 'yung rules-based international order (We are now planning the details, but in essence the President and the Australian leadership have already approved it, and this will be done so that we can maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific. This is part of our efforts to promote a rules-based international order)," Brawner said. Both countries are currently conducting bilateral Cooperative Amphibious Serial drills also known as “Exercise ALON”, with 700 AFP personnel and 1, 200 members of the Australian Defense Force, assisted by 150 officers of United States Marine Corps, participating. In a joint statement on the sidelines of Exercise ALON released on 25 August, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Australia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles said the Philippines and Australia mutually "discussed the importance of all countries in the region exercising their agency in support of an Indo-Pacific region that is based on sovereignty, international law, and ASEAN Centrality.” Teodoro and Marles mutually agreed on the importance of all states operating safely and professionally, while respecting and adhering to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS. “We reaffirmed our strong support of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award. In line with this, the Philippines and Australia have "recommitted to planning bilateral joint patrols in the South China Sea/ West Philippine Sea and other areas of mutual interest,” the joint statement further read. Brawner had previously said the Philippines is only exercising its military diplomacy when it comes to entering military-to-military activities with its allies and partners across the globe. In his previous interview, Brawner said the AFP will be exploring chances to heighten the country’s military presence in the WPS by conducting increased maritime patrols. “As of present, we are conducting such ourselves, unilateral patrols of the area. But we are exploring all possibilities because we very well know that when it comes to our own national defense, we really cannot do it by ourselves. We really have to depend on our allies, our partners,” he said. The post AFP: PBBM, Australia back joint patrols in WPS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘I miss the sun’: Journalist detained in China issues rare message
Jailed Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei has described the bleak conditions she faces in detention in a rare public message released on Thursday ahead of the third anniversary of her imprisonment by Beijing. "I miss the sun," reads the message, described as a "love letter" to Australia dictated to officials on a consular visit. "In my cell, the sunlight shines through the window but I can stand in it for only 10 hours a year." The message was shared with Australian news outlets and on the social media platform X by Cheng's partner, Nick Coyle, on Thursday evening. Cheng, a former anchor for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, is formally charged with "supplying state secrets overseas", though no further details have been supplied. Her detention came as relations between Australia and China cratered, raising speculation it was politically motivated. Last year Coyle said he had serious concerns about a "range of health issues" Cheng faced behind bars. In Thursday's poignant message, the mother of two said she hadn't seen a tree in three years and spoke of her longing for Australia and the outside world. She said her bedding in jail was only taken out to air once a year. "When it came back last time, I wrapped myself in the doona (quilt) and pretended I was being hugged by family under the sun," the message read. "Most of all I miss my children," it ended. Cheng has been detained since August 2020 but was only formally arrested in February 2021. She was tried last March behind closed doors, with even Australia's ambassador to China blocked from entering the court to observe proceedings. The court deferred the verdict and Cheng's sentence, which could extend to life in prison. "She has missed her daughter going to high school. Her parents aren't getting any younger and Lei is their only child. So time is getting more and more precious," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Coyle as saying on Thursday. Last month Australia's foreign minister said she had again raised Cheng's case when she met China's top diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit in Jakarta. Ties between the two sides have been improving since the election of Australia's center-left Labor government in May last year. Last week, China announced it was removing extra tariffs on Australian barley imposed in 2020 at the height of the dispute. The post ‘I miss the sun’: Journalist detained in China issues rare message appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Blinken rallies SE Asia against ‘coercion’ in swipe at China
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed unity Friday with Southeast Asian nations against "coercion", in a thinly veiled reference to Beijing, as host Indonesia warned at talks that the region should not become a proxy for global rivalries. Blinken met foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta at a gathering that also brought the top diplomats of China and Russia, the two main adversaries to the United States. A day after his latest talks with China on managing tensions between the two powers, Blinken made a clear if unstated allusion to concerns shared with many in the region over Beijing. "We share a vision of the Indo-Pacific that is free, open, prosperous, secure, connected and resilient," Blinken told ASEAN foreign ministers, using another term for the Asia region. "That means a region where countries are free to choose their own paths and their own partners, where problems are dealt with openly -- not through coercion," he said. "We must uphold the freedom of navigation in the South and East China Seas and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." Friction has been rising for years between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations, particularly Vietnam and the Philippines, over China's sweeping claims to much of the South China Sea. Maritime incidents have been on the rise and tensions have also soared over Taiwan, the self-governing democracy which Beijing claims and has not ruled out seizing by force. But host Indonesia warned that ASEAN cannot become a proxy, as tensions flare not only between the United States and China but over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "The Indo-Pacific must not be another battleground," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told ministers of the 18-nation East Asia Summit, which includes the United States, China and Russia, as well as Japan, India and Australia. Managing tensions The annual closed-door talks have often been a raucous affair as big powers clash, but the United States and China have been working to prevent disagreements from spiraling out of control. Blinken met Thursday evening for more than an hour and a half with China's foreign policy supremo Wang Yi, less than a month after the top US diplomat paid a rare visit to Beijing. He told Wang that Washington would hold hackers "accountable" after a breach of US government email accounts was blamed on Chinese state-backed actors, a US official said. Wang urged Washington to "work with China in the same direction" to improve ties and stop interfering in China's affairs, according to a statement on Friday by the foreign ministry in Beijing. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong held her own meeting with Wang on Thursday and said she had urged Beijing to "navigate our differences wisely" and provide "transparency" on a controversial policing pact with Solomon Islands. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi also met Friday with Wang, where Tokyo and Beijing traded barbs over the former's plan to discharge treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. US shuns Russia While the United States has sought to increase communication with China, Blinken shunned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. It was first time Blinken and Lavrov were in the same room since a Group of 20 meeting in March in New Delhi, where they spoke briefly on the sidelines. US officials say Russia has no real interest in diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine, with Western powers instead ramping up military support to Kyiv. The US approach has caused unease in parts of the developing world, with countries including India and South Africa refusing to rally behind condemnation of Russia. Meeting with ASEAN, Blinken called for a "just and lasting peace to Russia's war of aggression" in Ukraine. In an interview with Indonesian media this week, Lavrov said the war in Ukraine would not end until Western nations gave up their efforts to "defeat" Russia. Pressure on Myanmar ASEAN talks have been dominated by the crisis in Myanmar. The bloc refused to invite the country's military junta, which seized power in February 2021. With Myanmar's chair at the table conspicuously empty, Blinken urged more pressure. "In Myanmar, we must press the military regime to stop the violence, to implement ASEAN's five-point consensus, to support a return to democratic governance," Blinken said. ASEAN reached a five-point peace plan two years ago with the junta, which has yet to implement it. Myanmar's neighbor Thailand has broken with the bloc by pursuing engagement with the junta, although its foreign minister said he also was able to see deposed elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Sunday. Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan told reporters at the end of meetings Friday that ASEAN members "encourage all channels of communication to be open". The post Blinken rallies SE Asia against ‘coercion’ in swipe at China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Allied nations tell China: Acknowledge arbitral ruling
The Philippines marked the seventh anniversary of its landmark victory against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration with an outpouring of support from different countries. At least eight nations on Wednesday renewed their support for the 2016 Hague ruling that cemented Manila’s claim to the West Philippine Sea. Diplomats from the United States, Japan, Australia, France, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and the European Union called on China to acknowledge the ruling and stop its “harassment” of claimant states in the South China Sea. On this day, seven years ago, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands favored the Philippines’ claim to the West Philippine Sea, rejecting China’s nine-dash line claim. “We continue to urge Beijing to comport its maritime claims with international law as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention; to cease its routine harassment of claimant state vessels lawfully operating in their respective exclusive economic zones; [and to] halt its disruption of states’ sovereign right to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage their natural resources,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. Miller called on Beijing to end its “interference” with the freedom of navigation and the overflight of states lawfully operating in the region. “We will continue working with allies and partners to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, one that is at peace and grounded in respect for international law,” he said. Last week, Chinese Coast Guard vessels blocked and carried out “dangerous maneuvers” against Philippine Coast Guard ships in the Ayungin Shoal. Beijing, however, countered Manila’s claim, saying the Chinese maneuvers were “professional and restrained.” It also insisted on its territorial claim over Ayungin Shoal, which it calls Ren’ai Reef, saying the Philippines “intruded” into its waters. Ayungin Shoal is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is part of the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of the Philippines. ‘Final, legally binding’ Japan also joined the growing pressure on China to recognize the 2016 arbitral ruling which it described as “final and legally binding.” “As the tribunal’s award is final and legally binding on the parties to the dispute under the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the parties to this case, the Philippines and China, are required to comply with the award,” Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshima said in a statement. “The claim by China that it will not accept the award is against the principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, in particular UNCLOS, and undermines the rule of law as a fundamental value of the international community,” he added. According to Hayashi, Tokyo “strongly hopes” that the parties’ compliance with the award will “lead to the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea.” “Upholding and reinforcing the free and open international order based on the rule of law will be to the benefit of all countries, large and small,” he said. He noted that Japan renewed its objection to China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea, saying that these were “inconsistent” with UNCLOS. He also said that it remained “seriously concerned” about the current situation in the area. “Japan will continue working in coordination with ASEAN and other countries concerned to maintain and strengthen the free and open international order based on the rule of law.” ‘Strongly opposes’ Likewise, the European Union “strongly opposes” any “unilateral attempts” to change the peacefully established status of territories by “force or coercion” anywhere in the world, be it in Eastern Europe or the South China Sea. In a forum organized by the international think tank Stratbase ADRI Institute, EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Veron reiterated that the Permanent Court of Arbitration laid down very clearly that there is “no legal basis” for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea. “We are one with the Philippines and other international partners in stressing the importance of upholding international law, including UNCLOS and the peaceful settlement of disputes as the basis for peace and stability in this part of the world, as elsewhere,” Veron said in his speech. “Respect for the rules-based international order is at the core of the EU’s approach towards cooperation in the Indo-Pacific,” he added. According to the envoy, the EU is “determined to work with the Philippines and other partners in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific and, more broadly, a free and open international order” based on the rule of law.” “The EU also stands ready to facilitate activities which help build confidence, and prevent and defuse tensions,” he said. Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu echoed the same sentiments, stressing that Canberra wants to see a “peaceful South China Sea where international law is respected and adhered to, and waterways are open for trade.” Yu also stressed that maritime claims inconsistent with UNCLOS are causing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. “Australia is deeply concerned when countries pursue claims or engage in activities that are inconsistent with international law where they undertake activities that are provocative and destabilizing or where they don’t respect the rights and freedoms of others or when they advance their claims by intimidation and coercion,” she said. “UNCLOS provides the comprehensive legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas and it provides the foundation for peace and security and stability in the maritime domain,” she said. She continued: “Adherence to UNCLOS is vitally important for the region and maritime claims within the South China Sea or elsewhere must be consistent with it.” Outgoing French Ambassador Michèle Boccoz also supports Manila’s position in the West Philippine Sea, saying that Paris is “concerned” by the recent development in the area. “There is indeed no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea. This position was clearly stated in April during the G7 Foreign Ministers’ communiqué,” Boccoz said. “Also last week, together with the Philippines and other like-minded countries, France expressed its concern with regard to the recent developments involving Chinese vessels in the South China Sea,” she added. She also noted that France welcomes the growing support for the 2016 arbitral award while reaffirming its commitment to the Philippines. “In the current context of rising tensions, the relevance of the 2016 Award is gaining stronger momentum, as reflected by the wider support of like-minded nations,” she said. “We welcome this trend and we will continue to show our support. We will continue to walk the talk,” she added. Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran likewise expressed New Delhi’s support for the arbitral award. “Let me take a few minutes to also say that today’s discussion on the arbitral award is a reflection of the broader approach that both India and Asean have taken and our bilateral relations with the Philippines as well,” Kumaran said. “And accordingly, I think in the joint statement, we did recognize the need for adherence to international law and called for the arbitral award to be respected in that context,” he added. The post Allied nations tell China: Acknowledge arbitral ruling appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Australia’s Phl stakes up
It’s due season for the Philippines, an increasingly lucrative investment destination that embodies a shift in the center of gravity in the regional economy. The country’s bullish business prospects post-pandemic are propped up by the recent increase in direct investments, which continue to inspire business confidence in the Philippines. Among the flurry of such inflows is Australian, what with the country’s AUD89.9 million (P3.32 billion) worth of official development assistance (2023 to 2024) to the Philippines. This came at the heels of a productive meeting between Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and DFA Sec. Enrique Manalo last week, a fund that will be channeled mostly to programs on inclusive economic growth, education, training and scholarships, disaster and climate resilience, and peace and stability in the Bangsamoro. Ongoing cooperation in the areas of science and innovation, people-to-people exchanges, law and justice is also uppermost, as well as defense, maritime, and counter-terrorism. Wong said Australia considers providing drones and other technology as a part of maritime cooperation package to buttress the Philippines’ position in waters adjacent to many sovereign interests. Manila and Canberra are a long-standing “important security partner” in the region according to Wong, who added that Australia also thinks trilateral partnerships with the Philippines on joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea is also possible. The fund is on top of Canberra’s AUD10.95-million (P405 million) pledge for the establishment of a new immunization information and strengthened laboratory network and surveillance systems in the Philippines for health emergencies like the recent pandemic. The Philippines had received approximately P3.1-billion ODA last year. The bulk of it was pivotal in the realization of the peace process in the Bangsamoro. The two countries are exploring investment cooperation on critical minerals and the improvement of two-way tourism. “Work and holiday visa arrangement” are also high on the negotiation table. Wong’s high-level visit to Manila earlier this month may serve as a precedent to a possible in-person meeting between President Marcos Jr. and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese come the Asean-Australia Summit in March 2024, or a bilateral visit soon. The post Australia’s Phl stakes up appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DFA floats possible Marcos visit to Australia
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Thursday floated the possibility of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. making an official visit to Australia next year. In a press briefing with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Manalo noted that Marcos's visit to Australia may happen during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations. “There is an opportunity for the President to visit Australia for the 50th ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations in March 2024,” he said. “And a bilateral visit is also possible at a mutually agreed date." Australia was the ASEAN’s first dialogue partner in 1947. Since then, the country has been supportive of the regional bloc’s vision of a rules-based, inclusive and economically integrated regional community, according to Manalo. The Philippine government “appreciates the very sustained high-level engagements with Australia, which as I said earlier reflect the strong relationships between our two countries. We expect that high-level engagements will continue as the Philippines and Australia work harder to strengthen our cooperation in quite a number of practical areas of mutual interest,” he added. For her part, Wong, who is on her four-day official visit to the Philippines, reaffirmed Australia’s “steadfast commitment” to ASEAN centrality and ASEAN-led architecture. In a joint statement, the two foreign ministers welcomed the Quad’s commitment to supporting a peaceful, stable, rules-based region with ASEAN at the center through its efforts to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific and support the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan and the United States, which is a key pillar of Australia’s foreign policy. Likewise, the two officials agreed to continue transparent discussions on AUKUS, particularly its objective to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. In March, the Philippine government expressed its support for Australia's nuclear submarine deal with the United Kingdom and the United States. The post DFA floats possible Marcos visit to Australia appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Australia to provide Phl with drones, military training
The Australian government on Thursday said it will provide drone equipment and military training to the Philippines amid the growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced this after her first bilateral meeting with her counterpart, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. "We want to work with the Philippines to support ASEAN's vital contribution to regional peace and security, including through maritime cooperation," Wong said. “We discussed today, the way in which we will enhance our cooperation, this includes Australia providing drone equipment, training, and other technology to strengthen your coast guards’ maritime domain awareness and protection capabilities,” she added. Wong also said the Australian government will be providing information and technical assistance to Philippine maritime officials to increase their capacity to deal with illegal fishing activities in the maritime zone. The Armed Forces of the Philippines previously admitted that its air and naval assets are not enough to properly secure and monitor the West Philippine Sea. Last month, dozens of Chinese fishing vessels believed to be conducting illegal activities, including illegal fishing, were spotted near the Philippine exclusive economic zone. ‘Security partners’ Wong said Australia sees the Philippines as a vital long-standing security partner in the Indo-Pacific region. “Your President said that in order to achieve our common goal of peace and prosperity for our peoples we need to work with like-minded partners. We are like-minded partners and we see you as such and we recognize that no single country can do this alone,” she said. “We want a region that is predictable, that operates by agreed rules, standards and laws in which sovereignty is respected,” she added. Wong also hinted at the possibility of a joint maritime patrol between Manila and Canberra in the West Philippine Sea. “We are committed to continuing Australia's long-standing presence in the region including in the west Philippines Sea [and] South China Sea,” she said. “We are open to cooperating with all our partners to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight and the Philippines is a long-standing important security partner for us,” she added. A joint maritime patrol between the Philippines and Australia was first made public by Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles during his visit to the country in February. According to Wong, the Defense departments of the two countries are already “discussing the best pathway to take this forward and we want to keep working with the Philippines on that.” Wong also noted that Australia will aid the Philippines mitigate the environmental impacts of the recent oil spill in Mindoro and support women’s leadership in maritime security. ‘Trade, investment cooperation’ The Australian foreign minister also announced that Australia’s Official Development Assistance to the Philippines will increase to an estimated AUD89.9 million in 2023-2024 to support programs including cooperation on shared priorities such as inclusive economic growth, education, training and scholarships, disaster and climate resilience, and peace and stability in Mindanao. She said this is in addition to an AUD10.95 million commitment to support the Philippines to establish a new immunization information system and a strengthened laboratory network and surveillance system, addressing disruptions to routine immunization during the pandemic. Likewise, Manalo and Wong agreed to enhance trade and investment cooperation, including exploring possible cooperation on critical minerals, and to continue exploring opportunities to improve two-way tourism. The Philippines and Australia said that both nations “looked forward to further strengthening people-to-people connections through the Work and Holiday Visa Arrangement being negotiated between the two countries.” The post Australia to provide Phl with drones, military training appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DND: Phl not meddling in global controversies
The Philippines will remain an advocate for peace and mutual respect as well as protect its national interest above all global controversies, Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said Saturday. “The Department of National Defense takes exception to the statement of Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian that the Philippines is meddling in the internal affairs of China concerning Taiwan,” Andolong said in a statement in response to Xilian’s remarks that the United States expanded its access to Philippine military facilities under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement in order to interfere in the situation between Beijing and Taiwan. The DND also didn’t welcome Xilian’s likening the situation in Taiwan to the concerns in Mindanao. “We wish to emphasize that the issues are different from each other. The whole context and rich experience of our peace process in Mindanao allowed the participation of the international community,” he said. Andolong was referring to the long-time Bangsamoro peace process where countries like Malaysia, the European Union, Turkey, Japan, Brunei, Australia, Sweden, Norway, the UK, and Germany, and even international groups such as the UN, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Australian Aid and the like, were granted access to participate in pursuing lasting peace and development in Mindanao. They were aligned with the Philippines’ position of resolving disputes peacefully, Andolong said, as he emphasized that the Philippines observes the “One China Policy” and maintains the Asean principle of non-interference in approaching regional issues. “We reiterate that our primordial concern in Taiwan is the safety and well-being of the Filipinos living and working on the island,” he said. “Amid the tensions in the cross-straits, however, the department deems it prudent to prepare for any contingencies to ensure the safety of Filipinos overseas, especially those based in Taiwan.” Xilian advised the Philippines to oppose Taiwan if “it genuinely cares about the 150,000 overseas Filipino workers” there, instead of giving the US access to its military facilities near the Taiwan Strait under EDCA. In response, the DND underscored that the implementation of EDCA does not target any country but is in line with the Philippines’ efforts to modernize its alliance with the US. The Philippine government has repeatedly stated that EDCA is eyed to enable collective defense and peace, promote the national interest, protect national sovereignty, ensure the livelihood and welfare of Filipino fisherfolk and communities, and enhance our capability to respond to emergencies and disasters, as well as provide quick humanitarian assistance during trying times. The post DND: Phl not meddling in global controversies appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cebu topnotcher shares secret to success: Strong support system of family, friends
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A good support system of family and friends is Elijah Cabase’s secret to his placing 5th in the March 2024 Medical Technologists Licensure Examinations (MTLE). This 23-year-old University of Cebu-Banilad alumnus said that he was not even expecting to pass because he described himself as a confessed procrastinator — or one.....»»
Makati swelters with 43.5 degrees heat index
The heat index in Makati yesterday reached a “dangerous” level of 43.5 degrees Celsius, according to the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office......»»
UP Diliman warns of unofficial ads about online courses
The University of the Philippines Diliman on Wednesday warned the public against the spread of advertisements claiming to offer online courses in the university's name......»»
‘Environmental disaster’ nag-ung-ong sa jail
‘Environmental disaster’ nag-ung-ong sa jail.....»»
DSWD-Davao to aid disaster victims in recovery, rehab amid regionwide ECT payouts
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development-Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) reaffirmed its commitment to aid all victims of recent disasters in the Davao Region on their journey towards recovery and rehabilitation......»»
Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar on overseas deployment to ASEAN, arrives im Phillipines
Manila [Philippines], March 25 (ANI): India Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialized Pollution Control Vessel, reached Manila, Philippines on Monday, marking the commencement of its (overseas deployment) OSD mission to Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries. ASEAN countries includes Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, " acc.....»»
Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar on overseas deployment to ASEAN nations, arrives in Philippines
Manila [Philippines], March 25 (ANI): India Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialized Pollution Control Vessel, reached Manila, Philippines on Monday, marking the commencement of its (overseas deployment) OSD mission to Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries. ASEAN countries includes Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, " acc.....»»
One more city in Philippines declares pertussis outbreak
MANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The government of Iloilo, a city in central Philippines, on Monday declared an outbreak of pertussis after it confirmed seven out of 15 reported cases, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. Iloilo is the third city to declare an outbreak of pertussis, or whopping cough, after Quezon and Pasig, two cities in the capital region, announced last week that they hav.....»»
Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, March 25
JAKARTA -- One was killed and nine others, including children, went missing after a landslide struck a village in the Indonesian province of West Java on Sunday, a local official said Monday. The disaster took place in Cibenda village in West Bandung regency on Sunday after torrential rain reportedly poured over the area for around two hours. (Indonesia-Landslide) - - - - SYDNEY -- Local media repo.....»»