Philippines

The Philippines has secured 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines developed by China's Sinovac Biotech, with the first 50,000 expected to arrive in February.
Coronavirus

Philippines secures 25m doses of Sinovac COVID vaccine

Country hopes to inoculate two-thirds of its population this year

11 January 2021
Rodrigo Duterte is betting his hopes on China and Russia,
Opinion

Duterte's COVID blunders will set the Philippines back generations

Failure to secure reliable vaccine supply an unprecedented act of incompetence

11 January 2021
High-rise condos developed by Ayala in Makati, a city in Metro Manila: The group invested 45.3 billion pesos over the first nine months of 2020 for residential and commercial sites.
Companies

Bullish on post-COVID Philippines, Ayala boosts investment 16%

Conglomerate anticipates strong demand in Manila property development

7 January 2021
The family of mother and son who were killed by an off-duty police officer mourn over their caskets in Paniqui on Dec. 27: what would have been those victims' fate, had they been more prosperous?
Opinion

Why Filipino voters turn their lonely eyes to strongman leaders

Strong belief that only a populist can change the course of the country

4 January 2021
Indonesia's coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, Luhut Pandjaitan, left, stands with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in November. (Photo courtesy of the Indonesian government)
International relations

Southeast Asian nations rush for one last deal with Trump

Leaders angle for more security and economic help as Biden era draws near

30 December 2020
A doctor collects a swab sample from a man in Shah Alam, Malaysia on Dec. 10: building the capacity to test, trace and isolate cases will remain critical.
Opinion

How Asia Pacific can turn COVID crisis into an opportunity

Bold policies needed to boost economic recovery and improve social stability

30 December 2020
A bedding factory in Hanoi: Vietnam has succeeded in curbing both the health and economic impact of COVID-19.
Economy

Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia seen fully recovering in 2021

IMF unveils mixed economic forecasts for Southeast Asia

29 December 2020
TOKYO -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga are losing public support due to criticism of their handling of the pandemic among other factors. (Source photos by Uichiro Kasai, Akira Kodaka and Reuters) 
Politics

Suga and Moon slump in polls as COVID surge spurs criticism

Across Asia, pandemic performance impacts governments' popularity

28 December 2020
Biden, Olympic logo, Suga, and Wuhan (Source photos by Reuters, Ken Kobayashi, Karina Nooka)
Your Week in Asia

Japan's elections, 100th anniversary of CCP: Asia's 2021 calendar

One year after Wuhan lockdown, will there be a Tokyo Olympics?

27 December 2020
President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to send home U.S. forces stationed in the Philippines as his government's COVID-19 vaccine plans fall into disarray. (Photo courtesy of Presidential Communications Operations Office)
International relations

Duterte threatens to end US military pact if no vaccines

Philippine leader pressures Washington after procurement delays

27 December 2020
An aerial shot over Catanduanes shows the damage caused by Super Typhoon Goni (known locally as Rolly) six weeks after it struck on Nov. 1. Catanduanes is located in the Bicol region of Luzon in the Philippines.
Life

In pictures: Recovering from Typhoon Goni in Catanduanes

Families hardest hit are trying to beat hunger and rebuild lives

26 December 2020
Manila plans to add its first subway as well as a commuter line to ease transit congestion in the capital region.
Transportation

Philippines orders 240 Japanese train cars for first Manila subway

Sumitomo and JR East's $556m contract follows 2019 commuter rail deal

22 December 2020
Incoming Ayala CEO Fernando Zobel de Ayala, right, stands with wife Kit Zobel de Ayala at the Asia Society's Asia Game Changer Awards in 2016.
Companies

Ayala picks CEO's brother Fernando as first new chief in 15 years

Jaime Augusto stays on as chairman of Philippine conglomerate, decoupling roles

19 December 2020
Social media platforms such as Facebook have served as the last refuge for defenders of civil liberties and democratic pluralism.
Opinion

The day Facebook betrayed me

Social media giant should help democracies thrive

18 December 2020
The Philippines is gearing up to expand its online gambling industry despite public wariness toward the industry. (Source photos by Akira Kodaka)
Media & Entertainment

Philippines bets on online casinos, e-cockfights as Chinese flee

Regulator opens up virtual betting, sparking concerns over money laundering

18 December 2020
Crime busters F.H. Batacan, left, and Laurel Flores Fantauzzo. (Courtesy of the authors and Soho Press)
Arts

Philippine women solve crime literature mystery

New genre emerging as writers explore Southeast Asian culture of violence

18 December 2020
The impact of natural disasters, increasing economic reliance on China and the rising consumer clout of Generation Z are all backed up by data. (Source photos by Reuters) 
The World Ahead

Data show global power shift, youth emergence and warming threat

Economic reliance on China rises, Gen Z gains clout and disaster damage surges

16 December 2020
Dilapidated buildings in the most affected war-torn area of Marawi City, pictured in May 2019: Manila's promises to rebuild and rehabilitate were mostly empty.
Opinion

First Duterte crushed Marawi, now he is ignoring it

Failure to aid rehabilitation effort has set Mindanao back decades

15 December 2020
Relatives of those killed in the Philippines' war on drugs take part in a protest marking International Human Rights Day in December 2019 in Manila.
Politics

International court finds evidence of crimes in Duterte drug war

Manila says Hague body has no jurisdiction over Philippine president

15 December 2020
The Asian Development Bank has launched a $9-billion coronavirus vaccine fund for member economies in a bid to rejuvenate growth devastated by the pandemic. (Souce photos by AP/AFP/Jiji) 
Coronavirus

ADB sets up $9bn coronavirus vaccine fund

Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility extends lifeline to COVID-hit economies

11 December 2020
A faster-than-expected recovery from the pandemic in China has helped to pull up the economic projection for the whole Asian region. 
Economy

ADB forecasts rapid growth for China and India in 2021

Expansions in the two large economies improve outlook for developing Asia

10 December 2020
Biden has suggested three agenda items for his summit: fighting corruption, anti-authoritarianism, and human rights.
Opinion

Asia's wise heads are wrong to dismiss Biden's big idea

President-elect's democracy push is worth considering

9 December 2020
Stream article image
Asia Insight

Cities after COVID: How Manila and others can 'build back better'

For Asian metropolises, crisis offers chance to emerge cleaner, greener and safer

8 December 2020
At every turn, Duterte has been proven to be out of his depth.
Opinion

How COVID-19 undid Duterte's poser government in the Philippines

Incompetent president has proved out of his depth at every turn

7 December 2020
Manny Pacquiao enters the ring for a fight in July 2019: The Filipino boxer-turned-politician has become the head of President Rodrigo Duterte's party.
Politics

Pacquiao adds punch to Duterte's party as new leader

Philippine boxing icon's new role stirs talk of presidential run

4 December 2020