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(The Epoch Times) The coast guards of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines conducted their first trilateral maritime drills in the South China Sea to strengthen defense cooperation amid China’s growing assertiveness.

About 400 coast guard personnel from the three nations participated in the week-long Kaagapay exercises, which began on June 1 in the Philippine waters off Bataan province.

The Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) deployed four vessels to the trilateral exercise, while the U.S. and Japanese coast guards deployed two ships—the USCG Cutter Stratton and Akitsushima.

“This first trilateral engagement between the coast guards of these nations will provide invaluable opportunities to strengthen global maritime governance through professional exchanges and combined operations,” Capt. Brian Krautler, the Stratton’s commanding officer, said in a statement.

“Together, we’ll demonstrate professional, rules-based standards of maritime operations with our steadfast partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

The drills seek to strengthen interoperability through communication and maneuvering exercises, as well as maritime law enforcement training, search and rescue, and passing exercises, Japan’s coast guard said in a statement… Read More

(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila — Tropical Storm Chedeng has maintained its strength as it continues to move over the Philippine Sea, the state weather bureau said Wednesday.

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Chedeng is forecast to gain more strength in the next three to four days. Forecast shows that it may turn into a severe tropical storm on Wednesday evening, and into a typhoon on Thursday.

“Rapid intensification is not ruled out. Peak intensity may be reached by Friday or Saturday,” PAGASA added.

The storm was last spotted 1,190 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon, moving northwestward over the Philippine Sea.

Chedeng’s maximum sustained winds remained at 75 kph and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

PAGASA said Chedeng is “unlikely to directly bring heavy rain over the country” in the next three to five days. Raising of wind signals is also unlikely.

The storm is also expected to remain offshore throughout the weekend, but it may enhance the southwest monsoon or habagat. PAGASA added that the effects of the southwest monsoon may be experienced over the western portion of the country… Read More

(PR Newswire New York) Tonik, the Philippines’ pioneering all-digital bank, is proud to announce that it has surpassed a significant milestone by onboarding over one million clients since its inception. This achievement illustrates the bank’s successful contribution to improving financial inclusion in the country, while highlighting the emerging trend of digital banking in the region.

“We are thrilled to celebrate this momentous milestone, as it stands as a testament to the robust customer-centric model that Tonik has to offer,” said Greg Krasnov, CEO and Founder of Tonik. “Achieving one million onboarded clients in such a short span is a validation of the growing trust and confidence of the Filipino community in our digital banking services.”

Since its launch, Tonik has been committed to reshaping the traditional banking landscape by leveraging cutting-edge technology and a customer-focused approach to democratize financial services. The bank has successfully provided individuals and families, particularly those previously underserved by traditional banking institutions, with accessible, secure, and user-friendly digital banking services… Read More

(Interaksyon) Google, its services and its subsidiaries dominated topics on social media in the Philippines as workers and web surfers reported accessing the platforms on Monday afternoon, June 5.

Google, the world’s largest search engine, and its services such as Gmail and YouTube on which operations of small to large companies depend.

At around 3 p.m., several Filipinos took to social media to complain about issues they encountered while using these websites.

“Is the entire Google workspace down?” a Filipino asked on Twitter.

“Huh… Is YouTube down?” another Filipino tweeted.

“Google works when I need it the least but being down when I’m trying to finish a research paper, you can’t make this up,” another Pinoy complained.

As of writing, the keyword “Google” and “Gmail’ landed on the trending topics list on Twitter Philippines. The former garnered 522,000 tweets and the latter got 19,500 tweets… Read More

(New York Public Radio) SINGAPORE – China’s new defense minister made his first international appearance on Sunday at an annual defense summit, where he delivered a speech full of thinly-veiled barbs at the U.S., calling on it to “mind your own business” after two close encounters between the country’s militaries.

“The best way to prevent this from happening is that military vessels and aircraft not come close to our waters and airspace,” Li said. “Watch out for your own territorial waters and airspace, then there will not be any problems.”

His remarks highlight how mounting U.S.-China military tensions have dominated the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, spilling out into the open with dueling speeches delivered by their respective defense chiefs over the weekend.

Here’s what that means for the power dynamics in the region… Read More

(Prague Daily Monitor) In response to the war in Ukraine, the government is preparing to adjust the quotas for recruitment of employment card applications. Instead of Ukraine, it aims to offer job opportunities to low- and medium-skilled individuals at embassies in Manila, the Philippines, and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The plan involves increasing the number of available employment cards to 3,000 in the Philippines (up from the current 2,500 per year) and 2,000 in Mongolia (up from the current 1,230). To maintain the volume of labor migration from third countries, the quota for the embassy in Lviv, Ukraine, will be reduced from 38,000 to 33,000. The Ministry of the Interior has drafted this proposal, which is expected to be discussed by the Government in June.

Furthermore, the document mentions a one-time plan to allow Skoda Transportation to recruit 300 skilled workers from Indonesia, primarily welders, electricians, and locksmiths, for wagon production. The permanent quota for Jakarta envisages the issuance of 130 cards annually.

Last September, the government redirected a portion of the employment quota initially allocated for Ukrainians to other countries. Quotas for skilled foreigners from outside the EU were introduced in September 2019, with the maximum number of applications set by the government and periodically reassessed. Employers have repeatedly expressed concerns about the labor shortage and have requested foreign workers, urging for a more streamlined and expedited process… Read More

(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila — The Bayan Muna Party-list “will definitely” challenge before the Supreme Court (SC) the constitutionality of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill, which is now awaiting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature.

“The Constitution is clear in requiring three readings on separate days plus a requirement that the legislators have a copy of the bill they are approving as well as the time to study the bill. Maharlika is therefore unconstitutional and will definitely be challenged by Bayan Muna in the Supreme Court,” Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares said Friday.

At least two senators earlier said they will back any action to take the controversial measure to the high court.

Senate Bill 2020 creating the MIF was swiftly approved on second and third reading just minutes apart early morning of May 31. Legislative measures normally see first, second, and third reading approvals on separate days — unless certified as urgent by the president… Read More

(The Citizen) Philippine mother-of-three Stella Sibonga is desperate to end a marriage she never wanted. But divorce in the Catholic-majority country is illegal, and a court annulment takes years.

The Philippines is the only place outside the Vatican where divorce is outlawed.

Pro-divorce advocates argue the ban makes it harder for couples to cut ties and remarry, and escape violent spouses.

People wanting to end their marriage can ask a court for an annulment or a declaration that the nuptials were invalid from the start, but the government can appeal against those decisions.

Divorce expensive
The legal process is slow and expensive — cases can cost as much as $10,000 or more in a country plagued by poverty — with no guarantee of success, and some people seeking a faster result fall for online scams.

“I don’t understand why it has to be this difficult,” said Sibonga, who has spent 11 years trying to get out of a marriage that her parents forced her into after she became pregnant… Read More