Philippines

Price rises linked to the oil crisis triggered by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have caused the sharpest surge in the Philippines in the last three years in the prices of essential goods and transport fares. This trend is hitting low-income families and those living in rural areas of the Visayas hardest.

With 255 votes in favour, the process to impeach the vice president, blocked by the Supreme Court due to a procedural flaw, reached again the quorum. Today, however, the Duterte clan saw a loyalist elected to lead the Senate, which will examine the charges. The country’s Catholic bishops call for a process that transcends political manoeuvring.

The Metro Infanta Foundation has awarded the 2026 prize to the Archbishop Emeritus of Cotabato. The first cardinal from Mindanao, he is known for promoting dialogue between Christians, Muslims and the Lumad. A leader who embodies the vision of a humble Church, attentive to human rights and close to marginalised communities, following in the footsteps of Bishop Julio Xavier Labayen, who was born exactly a hundred years ago.

Several civilians, including two minors, are among the 19 people killed in the province of Negros Occidental during an operation by the 79th Infantry Battalion. The carnage highlights how activists and community workers are caught up in the war against the communist New People's Army. This comes at the time the Philippines holds the rotating presidency of Association of Southeast Asian Nations. For the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, the latest incident “violates international humanitarian law”.

A central figure in the scandal surrounding flood control infrastructure projects, he continues to accuse the president and other political leaders from abroad. Although the case faded for a while into the background, it still causes sparks between factions and within the government.

A place of pilgrimage for people from all over Asia, the shrine stands on the spot where, according to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to a farmer from Pangasinan in 1610. Archbishop Villegas: “This celebration reminds us of Mary’s presence alongside the Filipino people: she guides us in times of darkness, strengthens us in our weaknesses and leads us ever closer to her Son.”

On the first anniversary of Pops Francis’s passing, two accounts from the Philippines and the war-torn Gulf region today recall his attentive gaze towards those who, as they travel the world in search of a future, also carry with them a Christian witness. Cardinal David: “They bring light to the world not out of strategy, but out of fidelity, wherever life may lead them.” Bishop Martinelli: “May his encouragement be a sign of peace even amidst today’s difficulties.”

The nun, winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, passed away on 14 April at the age of 85. In 1986, she founded the Mission of Our Lady of Peace and established free health clinics, which have treated tens of thousands of people in need free of charge. Her compassion is celebrated as one of the pillars upon which to ‘build the nation’.

In Indonesia Cardinal Suharyo said that a more sober lifestyle is a moral duty, even more than a response to the energy crisis. In the Philippines Cardinal David spoke about popular reaction that resulted in the mistreatment of an animal. It is right to criticise, but this case should teach how to respect every human life. For Sri Lanka’s Cardinal Ranjith, even in politics, “leadership is service,” not domination over others.

On 6 April in Bantayan, artificial structures were installed to restore marine biodiversity and support a model of responsible marine management. The project is promoted by Archbishop Alberto S. Uy and Caritas Cebu. Fish habitats have been created and local livelihoods strengthened, in line with the teachings of the encyclical Laudato Si’.

In the Philippines, more than six million people joined the Alay Lakad, the nighttime pilgrimage in Antipolo, while in Quezon province, a group of farmers interrelated the stories of the Passion with their own struggle to defend their lands. In Arunachal Pradesh, young people are celebrating the Easter Triduum by praying for religious harmony in India. The World Council of Churches in South Korea called for conversion and shared a prayer dedicated to the painful division between North and South.

The thousands of people employed on large ships, mostly Filipinos, Indians, and Indonesians, are unable to disembark or be repatriated, while those who were set to leave have suddenly been left without work. Psychological pressure and uncertainty are growing among crews. While the human cost is ignored, business remains the priority, this according to Scalabrinian missionary Father Paulo Prigol who spoke to AsiaNews.