Philippines

After the vote in the House, the Senate will rule only in June, after the midterm elections. Several representatives from the Duterte family’s stronghold of Mindanao voted in favour of impeaching Duterte, a sign of her waning political influence.

According to a 2024 Supreme Court ruling, the Mercidar Fishing Corporation company can now fish in waters in the 15-kilometre municipal fishing zone. “The integrity of Creation is threatened,” 48 bishops warn. For Caritas Vice Chairman Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, “the mandate of the Philippine Constitution” is “to protect the livelihoods of small-scale and artisanal fisherfolk.” Cebu fisherman laments: “They are slowly killing us.”

The appeal by the president of the bishops' conference after the 82 Philippine-related cases denounced in a report by the NGO BishopAccountability. Also among the problems are cases of Filipino priests incardinated in the United States returning home after being accused there. ‘In the protection of minors and vulnerable people we need the help and participation of the laity, including journalists in the search for the truth.’

The priest died at the age of 75 from health complications. In 2020, he suffered a stroke while preparing for a Senate hearing as part of the fight against the US$ 244-million China-funded Kaliwa Dam project to supply water to the capital, which puts at risk Indigenous people in Dumagat-Remontados.

Opposition to economic development is growing. Population growth, pollution and land reclamations are the critical factors. Poor legislative protection also threatens the body of water. Foreign lawmakers and activists are joining the battle.

The cultural hub in the capital of Lanao del Sur is "a foundation of resilience, culture, and hope.” An entire digital section is dedicated to the battle between Islamist militias and the government that lasted five months. “It is our own Hiroshima Shrine,” says a Bangsamoro official. “Endurance itself is the basis of peace,” says curator Marian Roces-Pastor. Now “Marawi is springing back to life.”

A group of unidentified men close to the formally disbanded Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attacked a military convoy that was escorting UN officials, killing two and wounding 12. The path towards the parliamentary election in the autonomous region on Mindanao is getting steeper, as the election set for May might be postponed to August.

The annual festival began with the devotion to the image of the Baby Jesus found by the expedition of conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi in 1565. For Archbishop Jose Palma, it is a “true source of joy and hope”. In 2025, El Niño “is the hope,” said Ruben Labajo, bishop-elect of Prosperidad hope.”

The government imposed a P58-a-kilo maximum suggested retail price for higher quality outsourced rice, but for some stakeholders this is insufficient. In the fourth quarter of 2024, hunger reached levels not seen since 2020, involving about Philippine household one in four.

After passing away today in Quezon City, the 74-year-old nun dedicated more than two decades of her life to caring for prisoners, giving them a second chance to reflect God's grace. There are about 215,000 detainees in the Philippines, with a ratio of 200 people incarcerated for every 100,000 inhabitants.

For the first time, the feast day, among the most important religious events in the Philippines, was a national holiday. In his homily, the Archbishop of Manila emphasised the relationship between life and hope, with Jesus ‘reversing’ the perspective. For Catholics, the Nazarene is the ‘expression and witness of faith’.

In a pastoral letter published at the start of the Holy Year, Card David, president of the bishops' conference, cites a survey according to which more than 90 per cent of Filipinos have confidence in the future. “Despite the trials and tribulations that we face, we will always hold on to the belief, ‘God has mercy’ or ‘God will take care,” the prelate writes. The challenge is to live this as a "community of missionary disciples" even when confronted with new challenges.