Philippines

A priest's initiative in Quezon City To help people live the journey towards Easter as a ‘time of penance, conversion and grace through the sacraments’. He started last Friday in View River: ‘I bring the Church to the people’.

This morning a small part of the heart of the priest and religious was exposed to the faithful. This was followed by a solemn mass presided over by the bishop of Cubao. An occasion to celebrate the ten-year mission of the order, whose first community in the archipelago dates back to 8 March 1975. The commitment in the health sector alongside the sick, following the charisma of the founder.

The Philippines is no longer the top supplier to the Chinese market, with a 32 per cent drop in exports. Vietnam instead consolidated its growth thanks to competitive prices, geographic proximity, and higher production. Meanwhile, the European Union is boosting ties with the communist Southeast Asian country after the US threatens new tariffs.

Shot by the killers on a motorbike who pulled up alongside his car in broad daylight. Notre Dame University: ‘Let's not let this become another unsolved case in the growing list of senseless acts of violence in our country’. A few days ago the decision was made to postpone the Bangsamoro elections.

A non-violent uprising culminated with the dictator’s flight on 25 February 1986. The US still plays a pivotal role in a delicate regional balance amid Chinese expansionism. Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s rehabilitation and reburial in Manila’s Heroes Cemetery have helped his son’s rise to power. The country’s political instability mirrors its propensity to natural disasters.

The first election in Mindanao’s war-torn Muslim-majority autonomous region was set to take place along with other national and local elections on 12 May. Funding for the vote and candidacy procedures remain unresolved issues. Meanwhile, violence in the region is on the rise.

The Catholic communities throughout Asia are close to the pontiff, hospitalised at the Gemelli Polyclinic. He has been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, which has required a change in treatment. In the Philippines, the Rappler website has invited readers to share their prayers for Francis in a chat room.

Southeast Asia expert Bridget Welsh analyses Kuala Lumpur's first steps at the helm of the bloc: the leadership will be successful if it puts ‘the interests of those who live in the region above those of its leaders’. ‘Calling for “inclusive elections” in Myanmar contradicts the real situation on the ground’.

The Philippine team won the country's first-ever gold at the Asian Winter Games currently underway in Harbin (China), and now aim for a spot at Milano-Cortina 2026. Its members live in Switzerland, the United States and Canada. For the Philippine Olympic Committee, this is the best result for Southeast Asia.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has approved a translation of the prayer into Filipino, the country’s lingua franca, to be used alongside the traditional Tagalog version, more closely in line with the original Latin text and adapted to changing times. The decision coincides with the Jubilee Year and the 50th anniversary of the pastoral letter on the relationship between Philippine Catholics and the Virgin Mary.

On the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, Bishop Mesiona notes that the planet is like a body and "we must pay attention not to abuse it.” The heavy rains of the last few days on the island have caused at least five deaths and affected more than 4,000 people. “Our petitions” will be in vain “if we neglect our responsibilities.”

The Sunflower Centennial Halfway Home for Boys' offers shelter, education, medical care and psychological help for boys aged 5-17 from all over the island. Founder Fr Costa: ‘We provide the most suitable facilities and opportunities for recovery from trauma, struggles and problems. From a small clinic to a full-fledged centre with therapy and psychiatric assessments of children in difficulty.