Asia Philippines A new law, signed by President Duterte, states that child marriage is child abuse and therefore bans the practice, which "debases, degrades and demeans" child brides; one in six girls in the country marries before the age of 18
Asia Philippines The Department of Public Works and Highways has announced the completion of a mega-hospital facility in Mandaluyong City that can accommodate 130 Covid-19 patients
Asia Philippines Google said it will ban political advertising ahead of the Philippine elections next May; the decision came after criticism of how social media handled political advertising during the US presidential election in 2020
Asia Philippines Protests have taken place on International Human Rights Day against a Supreme Court ruling declaring the Anti-Terrorism Act constitutional except for two provisions; public opinion fears the Act can be used as a pretext to stifle legitimate dissent
Asia Philippines 3000 km of road connecting farmlands to markets have been built since 2016 by the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering of the Department of Agriculture; roads are crucial to improve and support both sectors
Asia Philippines Huawei Philippines continues to empower future ICT talents with Seeds for the Future program, joined by over a hundred students
Asia Philippines The daughter of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will be the running mate of Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son of the late dictator Marcos, in next year's presidential election, confirming weeks of speculation about an alliance between two powerful families
Asia Philippines In Tan-Awan, Cebu, the majestic whale sharks are a tourist attraction, to the point that they are fed and don't migrate; environmentalists warn of the danger of changing their habits and diet on top of man-caused skin abrasion
Asia Philippines A subsidy of PHP1 billion - US$19 million - was issued to at least 178.000 utility vehicle drivers heavily hit by the rising global fuel prices
Asia Philippines Combined private and government initiatives have identified the use of technology and the recognition of the central role of women to achieve food security and sustainability, in a country of 59 million food insecure people
Asia Philippines Manila is one of the least hygienic cities in the world according to a ranking by GotParts747; the study considers pollution levels, amount of solid waste generated, recycling and composting rates and hand-washing
Asia Philippines Boxing star Manny Pacquiao will run for president in next year's elections; incumbent President Duterte is barred from another term, but will run as vice-president in a rival party faction, a move critics say is an attempt to retain power
Asia Philippines President Duterte will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court's investigation into the country's drug war, insisting that the court has no jurisdiction in the country