Philippines News

China said on Friday it had driven away a Philippine aircraft and multiple vessels near disputed atolls in South China Sea, in the latest in a series of confrontations in the strategic waterway in recent years.The Chinese military said it issued strong warnings and "expelled" a Philippine aircraft that "invaded" airspace above the Scarborough Shoal, without giving a date for the incident.China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

She Sails, CMA CGM's internal program to accelerate the integration of women into maritime transport careers, is celebrating its first anniversary. The program, launched in December 2024, which aims to significantly increase the presence of women on board CMA CGM vessels, has already doubled the number of women serving on board, from 200 sailors in 2024 to 403 at the end of 2025Building on these successes, the group has now set a target of 1,000 female seafarers by 2030, while promoting the professions and opportunities offered by CMA CGM.

Brazil's Federal Audit Court (TCU) on Monday voted six to three to recommend that operators of existing container terminals at the Santos port be barred from participating in the first phase of bidding for a planned mega terminal, citing concerns over market concentration.The decision deals a blow to companies such as Danish shipping group Maersk, MSC and others already operating container terminals in Latin America's largest port, as these companies will only be able to enter a second phase of the auction if the first does not attract valid bids.The two-phase model, proposed by port regulator

The IMO Assembly has elected the following Member States to serve on three categories of the IMO Council.The UK successfully campaigned to keep Russia off the Council by working closely with international partners and lobbying other Assembly Members. This underscores the international community’s unified and resolute stance against Russia’s continued violations of international law, including at sea, said the UK Department of Transport in a statement.Category (a): 10 States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services: China…

Officer Lee Tae Young, a first mate from the Republic of Korea, has been awarded the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, in recognition of his heroic actions that saved 12 fellow crew members from the Geum Seong No. 135 when it sunk in November 2024. He was honored during a special ceremony recognizing seafarers held in London on November 24, 2025, in the margins of the IMO Assembly taking place from November 24 to December 3, 2025. IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez applauded Mr.

“Due to low contracting volumes in 2022, the crude tanker order book/fleet ratio bottomed out at 2.8% in March 2023. It has climbed steadily since and has now hit a nine-year high of 14.1%. The order book may kickstart the renewal of a fleet that has grown older on average since 2018,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Since 2023, 325 crude tankers with a deadweight capacity of 68.7m tonnes have been contracted and the order book now contains 309 ships totalling 65.8m deadweight tonnes (DWT).The three largest shipbuilding nations in the world…

The work of Australia's defence force to protect its sea trade routes, including through the South China Sea, is becoming more risky as Beijing undertakes the "biggest military build-up in the world today", Australia's defence minister said on Tuesday.Open sea lanes, including trade routes that go through the South China Sea and East China Sea, were at the core of Australia's national interest, Richard Marles said in an opening speech at a navy conference in Sydney."That work is challenging and in truth it is becoming increasingly risky.

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) led a large-scale joint customs operation, NOXIA II, successfully targeting shipments suspected of containing illicit cigarettes, waste, drug precursors, and pesticides.The operation led to the coordinated seizure by the participating customs authorities of 149.5 million cigarettes, over 3,000 tonnes of illicit waste, 66.5 kg of pseudoephedrine, 52 tonnes of solid pesticides, and 21,000 liters of liquid pesticides.NOXIA II revealed the use of sophisticated global routes to smuggle cigarettes into the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.

Marilyn Hubalde still remembers the first time she heard the thunderous chop of military helicopters swooping over this northernmost outpost of the Philippines, less than 90 miles from Taiwan. It was April 2023, when Filipino and American troops descended on the cluster of 10 emerald green islands of Batanes province for amphibious warfare drills.“We were terrified,” the 65-year-old Hubalde recalled. “We thought China might attack when they learned there were military exercises in Batanes.” Hubalde’s helper…

The Philippines and Canada signed a pact on Sunday for their armed forces to train on each other's soil, boosting defense cooperation to tackle common security concerns in the Indo-Pacific region.Canada's first such deal in the region, the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) takes to five the number of accords on troops Manila has concluded with allies, in the face of China's increasingly assertive regional stance.The deal broadens the Philippines' network of security ties while complementing a long-standing alliance with its treaty partner…

Interferry, the global association representing the ferry industry, announced the appointment of six new members to its Board of Directors. These new director appointments, approved at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Sorrento on October 6, reflect the diversity and global reach of the ferry industry. The newly appointed directors, each approved for a four-year term, are:Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, General Manager, Lagos State Waterways Authority, and Interferry’s first African Director…

The Philippines and China accused each other on Sunday of responsibility for a maritime confrontation near disputed islands in the South China Sea, further escalating tensions in the resource-rich waterway.The Philippine Maritime Council, an inter-agency government body, blamed Chinese maritime forces for deploying water cannon and ramming a Filipino vessel near the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, "strongly condemning" the incident and vowing to pursue "appropriate diplomatic action".According to Manila's coast guard…

China's coast guard held a National Day flag-raising ceremony on a ship in the waters off the disputed Scarborough Shoal, vowing to "stand guard" over the atoll, a major flashpoint for diplomatic flare-ups and maritime clashes with the Philippines.Both countries claim the triangular feature in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, but it is effectively under Beijing's control.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has ordered to extend the country's ban on rice imports beyond 60 days, his office said on Friday, but it did not specify how long the extension would last.Marcos had earlier ordered a 60-day suspension of rice imports starting from September 1 in an effort to protect farmers during the local harvest and keep rice prices in check. The order covers the import of regular milled and well-milled rice and excludes varieties not commonly produced locally."Under the President's directive…

China's Coast Guard said on Tuesday it fired water cannon at Philippine ships near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, and the Philippines accused Beijing of "aggressive" action that injured one person.The confrontation comes a week after China approved plans to turn the shoal into a national nature reserve, a move that defence analysts have said would test Manila's response over the 150 sq km (58 sq mile) triangular chain of reefs and rocks.The Philippine coast…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said the U.S.

As the global shipping industry grapples with a plethora of regulatory, technological and sustainability shifts, few sectors embody both the challenges and opportunities as acutely as the ferry industry.Interferry leads the charge to ensure there is balance, rationalizing legislative mandate with market, technical and economic reality. Interferry is the trade association representing the worldwide ferry sector, an at the helm is Mike Corrigan, CEO, who has spent the past several…

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) has conducted a steel cutting ceremony for a 115,000-ton product tanker at the HD Hyundai Philippines Shipyard in Subic Bay, Philippines.The vessel is the first ship built by HD Hyundai Philippines and is the first in a series of four vessels ordered from an Asian shipping company in December last year.Last May, HD KSOE signed a lease agreement with Cerberus Capital for a portion of the Philippine shipyard site, marking the…

Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has opened new, expanded offices in Taiwan's capital Taipei, underscoring the company’s focus on strengthening client collaboration and long-term growth in the Asia-Pacific region.With the opening of this new office, Cadeler has reinforced its position to pursue and deliver offshore wind projects across the many growing markets in the region, from Taiwan’s well-developed offshore wind sector to emerging hubs such as Vietnam, the Philippines…

A joint U.S. and Japanese military exercise will see the temporary deployment of the "Typhon" intermediate-range missile in Japan, Japanese and U.S. officials said on Thursday, a move likely to anger China.The Typhon system is part of a drive by Washington to amass a variety of anti-ship weapons in Asia. The weapon drew sharp criticism from China when first deployed in the Philippines in 2024, also during a training exercise.A spokesperson for Japan's Ground Self Defense Force said the Typhon would be deployed to the U.S.

The Philippines and Australia are working towards a new defence agreement to be signed next year, their defence ministers said on Friday, as both nations seek to step up military cooperation to deal with shared security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the enhanced defence cooperation pact will pave the way for more frequent joint military drills aimed at boosting combined operational capability and strengthening regional deterrence.Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles…

The navies of the Philippines, Australia and Canada were conducting a joint sail in the South China Sea on Tuesday, an area of flaring tensions following a collision between two Chinese vessels last week.The Philippine frigate BRP Jose Rizal, Australian destroyer HMAS Brisbane and Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec were participating in the operation, which a Philippine military official said was not directed at any country."Our activity is based on the premise that the exercise is anchored on the free and open Indo-Pacific with peace and prosperity in the region…

China's defence ministry accused Philippine Coast Guard vessels on Friday of "dangerous manoeuvres" in response to reports of a collision earlier this week between two Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.The Philippine vessels' actions "seriously endangered the safety of Chinese vessels and personnel," ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin.Jiang neither confirmed nor denied that there had been a collision involving two Chinese vessels on Monday."We demand that the Philippine side immediately stop its infringing and provocative rhetoric and actions," Jiang said.