Two years after the Philippine city of Marawi was overrun by jihadists it remains in ruins, with experts warning that stalled reconstruction efforts are bolstering the appeal of extremist groups in the volatile region.The 23 May, 2017 invasion by gunmen waving the black flag of the Islamic State (IS) group sparked a five-month battle that shattered swathes of the southern city.Demolition of blast-pocked buildings has finally begun, but after several false starts the government does not expect

The United States (US) is projecting “strategic confusion” in the South China Sea, the Philippines’ top diplomat said, prompting the Southeast Asian nation to deepen its ties with China.President Rodrigo Duterte prefers China’s offer of loans and investments in the absence of a clearer stance from the US in the disputed sea amid growing rivalry between the two nations, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said."China’s offer of a strategic partnership is a bit more attract

When Mary Ann San Jose moved to Sitio Pariahan more than two decades ago, she could walk to the local chapel.

Southeast Asia is in the grip of a fresh surge of paedophile activity with predators orchestrating and watching abuse on live-streaming sites and via webcams, and paying for it with near-untraceable cryptocurrency, victims and children's charities warn. With widespread poverty, lax laws, and creaking judicial systems, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao, and the Philippines have long been seen as soft spots by foreign and local paedophiles seeking out underage sex in person.&nb

It is a brutal 600-kilometre gauntlet during which competitors face searing heat, wild seas, vicious predators, and the threat of kidnapping. Only one in 10 will finish.  This is the MacArthur competition – the Philippines' longest homing pigeon race.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's allies were poised for victory in midterm polls, unofficial results showed Tuesday, signalling firm approval of his rule and clearing a path for his most controversial plans.Duterte's deadly crackdown on narcotics has drawn international censure, but is central to the populist appeal that has buoyed his remarkable popularity among Filipinos since taking the presidency in 2016.In Monday's vote, administration loyalist candidates for the Sen

Filipinos headed to the polls on Monday in a vote that is expected to strengthen President Rodrigo Duterte's grip on power, opening the way for him to deliver on pledges to restore the death penalty and rewrite the constitution.More than 18,000 positions are at stake, including half of the seats in the upper house Senate, which has served as a bulwark against some of Duterte's most controversial policies.Duterte is known internationally for his foul-mouthed tirades, but remains huge

Duterte Youth, a right-wing youth organisation supporting the administration of Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, recently promised that it would push for the revival of the death penalty for heinous crimes if it wins a seat in the House of Representatives in the coming 2019 midterm elections.

Gertrudes Batocabe never wanted to enter the Philippines' cutthroat politics, but after her husband was shot dead, allegedly by a rival in next week's midterm election, she felt bound to take his place."It's not really automatic that the wife takes over, but in this case I cannot see my opponents sitting down (quitting)" she said, holding back tears."I have a lot of things to do for Rodel, for the people of Daraga," she said, referring to her husband and the

Investigations are underway in the Philippines of establishments and other businesses that not only cater solely to Chinese nationals, but are also rejecting local Filipino customers. Just recently on 6 May, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo told the press that Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III will be asked to begin a probe on the matter.“We have to investigate that, if that is true. We cannot allow that to happen. They cannot be discriminating against Filipinos.