Latest news with #PHILIPPINE
Barnama
4 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Top News Headlines In Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand & Vietnam : Aug 13, 2025
Laos and Singapore will enhance their 51-year diplomatic ties by advancing multifaceted cooperation. They plan to improve collaboration in the economy, human resource development, food security, clean energy, carbon credits and volunteer programmes. Vietnam and Laos have pledged to broaden bilateral defence cooperation. Young officer exchanges, military women's exchanges, military-civilian twinning programmes, annual military conferences and border protection will be part of their engagement. 1. TIGHT SECURITY FOR VOTERS DURING ELECTION -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR The government has announced that high-level security measures will be implemented to ensure the forthcoming elections will take place in a safe and peaceful environment. Early casting will be held for displaced voters affected by natural disasters. 2. SPOT-BILLED PELICANS TAKE SHELTER IN MOEYUNGYI LAKE -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR The spot-billed pelicans, a bird species facing extinction around the world, were spotted in Moeyungyi Lake in the Bago Region. The Moeyungyi Lake is home to 11 species of water birds that are close to extinction. PHILIPPINES 1. EDUCATION, PUBLIC WORKS, HEALTH REMAIN TOP PRIORITIES IN 2026 NEP -- PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY Education, public works, and health remain the top sectors to receive the biggest allocations under the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026. 2. RAINS, GUSTY WINDS IN BATANES AS 'GORIO' SLIGHTLY INTENSIFIES -- PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY Heavy rains and gusty winds are forecast across Batanes as Typhoon Gorio slightly intensified, the weather bureau said Wednesday. SINGAPORE 1. SENGKANG-PUNGGOL LRT LINE BACK TO FULL SERVICE: SBS TRANSIT -- THE STRAITS TIMES The Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) system is back to full service on the morning of Aug 13, said SBS Transit. 2. IN FOCUS: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN AN ELDERLY MAN WITH DEMENTIA WENT MISSING FOR 6 DAYS, AND THE LESSONS WE CAN LEARN -- CNA Every day without fail, 82-year-old Lau Sung Pong would leave his home in Braddell Heights at 10 am and follow a routine he had been undertaking alone for years. THAILAND 1. GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES SQUEEZE THAI EXPORTS BY 300 BN BAHT A YEAR -- THE NATION Thailand is facing mounting pressure from international environmental measures such as the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which affects exports worth more than 300 billion baht annually. 2. LOCAL BUDDHISM OFFICE IN CROSSHAIRS AMID ALLEGED MISSING DONATIONS -- BANGKOK POST Prime Minister's Office Minister Suchart Tancharoen has ordered the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) to establish a fact-finding committee to investigate the provincial NOB office overseeing Wat Phrabat Nam Phu in Lop Buri. VIETNAM 1. EXPERTS WARN OF CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS THREAT -- VIETNAM NEWS Health experts are urging extra vigilance against the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus even though no such cases have been reported in the country. The outbreaks in other countries and the hot and humid weather are raising concerns. 2. REBRANDING TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS FOR GLOBAL MARKET -- VIETNAMPLUS Cooperatives are trying to promote goods produced under the 'One Commune One Product" concept in international markets. They are trying to change the perception that these products developed using traditional methods in villages are only meant for local markets. -- BERNAMA BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio Twitter : @ @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial
Barnama
08-08-2025
- Health
- Barnama
Top News Headlines In Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand & Vietnam: Aug 8, 2025
The World Health Organisation (WHO) will work with the Ministry of Health to provide medical essentials to internally displaced people following the border conflict. Many in the northern provinces left their homes during the five-day conflict with Thailand. The Ministry of Tourism and Airavata, a nonprofit organisation that protects elephants in Ratanakiri Province, are exploring ways to promote ecotourism. The organisation has been successful in elephant conservation and developing rural ecotourism. 1. MAKING BREASTFEEDING TOP HEALTH PRIORITY -- VIENTIANE TIMES The government is giving serious attention to breastfeeding to promote a healthy lifestyle. In conjunction with the World Breastfeeding Week, authorities are raising awareness of breastfeeding, child health and the need for investments to support young mothers. 2. COFFEE FARMING HELPS FARMERS, FORESTS -- VIENTIANE TIMES Coffee farming and environmental campaigns are helping farmers in northern Laos protect forests and earn a sustainable income. In the Viengkham district of Luang Prabang province, 104 farmers have planted 46,900 coffee seedlings this year with the support of international bodies. MYANMAR 1. YANGON ZOO PRIDES WITH RED PANDA -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR The Yangon Zoo is showcasing the red panda, a rare species with fewer than 10,000 living in the wild and considered a critically endangered species. Red pandas are a mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and western China. 2. STATE FUNERAL FOR LATE PRO-TEM PRESIDENT -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Myanmar's pro-tem President U Myint Swe, who passed away yesterday morning, will be laid to rest with state honours. The government has formed 11 working committees to organise a national-level ceremony. PHILIPPINES 1. MARCOS: EGOVPH TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR FILIPINOS TO ACCESS GOVERNMENT SERVICES -- THE PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PBBM) on Thursday said his administration's push for the eGovPH Super App -- designed to provide faster, simpler, and more convenient access to public services -- stems from the need to keep the Philippines in step with the times. 2. PHILIPPINES, INDIA SIGN THREE TORS TO BOOST DEFENCE TIES -- THE PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY The Philippines and India have strengthened their defence ties with the signing of three Terms of Reference (TORs), aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two nations' key armed services, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Thursday. SINGAPORE 1. CAMBODIA, THAILAND AGREE ON ASEAN OBSERVERS MONITORING TRUCE, BUT FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES REMAIN -- THE STRAITS TIMES Cambodia and Thailand agreed on a set of measures on Aug 7 aimed at bolstering a critical ceasefire between the two neighbouring countries, including allowing an interim team of ASEAN observers to monitor disputed border areas. 2. STUDENT FOUND WITH VAPE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER BEHAVING AGGRESSIVELY IN SCHOOL; HSA INVESTIGATING -- THE STRAITS TIMES A student of Yuying Secondary School found with a vaping device was taken to hospital after he appeared to be behaving aggressively to a staff member. THAILAND 1. THAI POLICE DETAIN CAMBODIAN BHQ SOLDIER IN BURI RAM PROVINCE -- THE NATION A Cambodian soldier from the elite Bodyguard Headquarters (BHQ) unit, tasked with protecting former Prime Minister Hun Sen, was recently arrested in Buri Ram, according to Lamduan Police Station. 2. GULF GIVES B100M TO TROOPS, FAMILIES -- BANGKOK POST Gulf Development Plc, Thailand's largest energy company by market value and a telecom operator, has donated 100 million baht to the Royal Thai Army to assist soldiers injured or the families of those killed in the border conflict with Cambodia. VIETNAM 1. ONLINE SHOPPING TREND GAINING POPULARITY -- VIETNAMPLUS More Vietnamese consumers are opting for online shopping, reflecting the strong purchasing power of online channels and a major shift towards digital consumption. The fast-moving consumer goods are a major driver in this segment. 2. INNOVATION TO DRIVE NATION'S GROWTH -- VIETNAM NEWS Technology and innovation will be Vietnam's core development strategy as it aims to accelerate digital transformation and to be globally competitive. The government is drafting a national strategy to build an innovation-driven economy. -- BERNAMA BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio Twitter : @ @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial
Straits Times
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Woman who crawled out of drain in the Philippines found, as a nation grapples with homelessness
Philippine Environment Minister Rex Gatchalian with 'Rose', a woman seen in viral images crawling out of a storm drain at a busy street corner. PHOTO: PHILIPPINE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT Woman who crawled out of drain in the Philippines found, as a nation grapples with homelessness A woman who was seen eerily crawling out of a storm drain in the Philippines has been found and gotten help from the government – her sad plight setting off a conversation about urban homelessness in one of South-east Asia's top growth performers. Acting on instructions from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, a team from the Social Welfare Ministry managed to track 'Rose' to a slum district and brought her to a 'processing centre' to 'undergo a thorough assessment and appropriate intervention'. Photos of Rose crawling out of a narrow drain at a busy street corner late in the afternoon on May 26 in Makati city – her dress and denim shorts caked with grime and her hair streaked with dirt and dried leaves – have gone viral. These images provoked both shock and amusement, with many drawing comparisons to a Japanese horror movie about a ghostly killer clawing her way out of a deep well. But they also triggered heated discussions about homeless people living in a subterranean world beneath gleaming financial districts like Makati, in a nation that has seen growth averaging at 5 to 7 per cent annually. Social Welfare Minister Rex Gatchalian presented Rose to reporters on May 29, and said the ministry was giving her 80,000 pesos (S$1,850) so she can start a sundry neighbourhood store. The ministry will also help her partner, who has welding skills but is jobless and also a vagrant , find a job, said Mr Gatchalian. That gesture, however, has been met with scepticism. 'But it's a whole community! Why choose a band-aid solution,' publisher and editor Chi Balmaceda Gutierrez said in a Facebook post. Ms Rocky Galman, who lives in Brisbane, said in the same thread: 'It's good to help people in need but you need to teach them first, secure their home and food, then give them the ability to work or set up a business. If you give them money without proper education/training, it will just go to waste.' Others even mocked the effort. 'Maybe I'll just go home to the Philippines, look for a sewage canal so I can get 80k to start a business,' said Ms Charise Penafiel, who is working in Hong Kong. A street photographer took these photos of a woman crawling out of a storm drain in Manila's main financial district. PHOTOS: WILLIAM ROBERTS/INSTAGRAM 'Botanical Garden' When she was presented by Mr Gatchalian to the media, Rose said she was not living inside the drain. She said she crawled inside the hole because she dropped a 'cutter blade' into it. But Makati police spokeswoman Captain Jenibeth Artista told GMA News vagrants like Rose were using the drain as an entry and exit point into sewage lines that act as a subterranean roadway. Makati police station chief Colonel Jean Dela Torre told reporters on May 28 that police found several items in the storm drain where Rose emerged from, including pliers and shirts. Mr William Roberts, the amateur street photographer who first took Rose's photos, said in an Instagram post that he found one end of this tunnel system along a creek that its users have dubbed the 'Botanical Garden'. He said he talked to one man he found emerging out of a sewer pipe, Jerwin. He said Jerwin told him: 'We don't live in the canals. We hide in them from the sun, from the police, sometimes to stash what little we have, sometimes to keep each other safe.' Mr Roberts said the story of Rose and Jerwin 'is about the cracks we cover up with concrete, the faces we ignore when they crawl out of the canal'. There are over three million homeless people across Metro Manila – a sprawling metropolis of 16 cities with a combined population of some 14 million. They live in shanties, makeshift pushcarts colloquially known as 'kariton', and wherever they can find shelter – by the side of the road, at cemeteries and apparently in storm drains and sewage tunnels. The Borgen Project – a US-based non-profit – said extreme poverty, domestic violence, human trafficking and natural disasters are the usual push factors behind homelessness in the Philippines. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
