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Past articles by Recto:
Race vs time: DFA plucks 32 OFWs from Afghanistan
AN initial batch of 32 Filipinos in Afghanistan were evacuated Sunday night, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported, and added that all efforts are being taken to work out the safe repatriation of over a hundred more who remain in the country overrun by the Taliban. The 32 Filipinos… → Read More
‘MABUHAY, KABAYAN!’ | Airport personnel find ways to cheer on Olympic medalists as they fly home
EVEN as media teams were strictly prohibited from interviewing the triumphant Olympic medalists, airport personnel thronged the arrival area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 on Monday afternoon, to cheer on the athletes who gave the Philippines its best performance ever as they were whisked away after… → Read More
Locsin: Duterte suspends VFA abrogation by 6 months more
FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. said Monday night President Duterte has told him of his decision to extend the suspension of the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) by another six months, “while he studies and both sides further address his concerns regarding particular aspects of the… → Read More
CEB flies 77,800 more doses of Covid vaccines across different destinations
The Philippines’s leading carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB) continues to safely fly life-saving Covid-19 vaccines to assist in the country’s distribution program. From April 6 to 9, 2021, CEB flew about 77,800 doses to six cities in the Philippines, specifically to Bacolod on April 6, to Zamboanga, Tacloban, and Cotabato on April 7, to Puerto Princesa on April 8, and to Tuguegarao on Friday. CEB… → Read More
Word war on reef better than missiles, says Locsin
FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., on Tuesday said exchanges of words are better than missiles, referring to the ongoing word war between the Philippines and China over the continued stay of Chinese fishing vessels in Julian Felipe Reef, inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). “We cannot be… → Read More
PHL urges Myanmar junta to exercise restraint in dealing with protests
The Philippines urged Myanmar’s military leaders to exercise restraint in dealing with peaceful protesters. The Department of Foreign Affairs made the call after more than 500 Myanmar citizens were reported to have been killed for defying the junta’s forces, since the military launched a coup that toppled the elected government… → Read More
CDC order leaves 1,000 Filipino seafarers languishing in hotels
About a thousand Filipino seafarers who were notified in October to join their cruise ships following the opening of a “Green Lane” in July are now languishing in hotels in Metro Manila after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a “no cruise order for US ports,” citing… → Read More
US, China spar over O’Brien’s remarks on South China Sea
THE United States is looking for a longer term for its Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the Philippines, even as it gave assurances that its military will remain in the Indo-Pacific region after the end of the Trump administration as it checks China and its aggressive behavior, prompting an angry… → Read More
Senate, Palace signal bid to delay move to end VFA
SENATE leaders are in no rush to tackle calls to terminate the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). “Give us time to review, rethink and assess our defense relationships,” Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Thursday. Asked if the senators are looking to come up with a “new” VFA providing… → Read More
Go-ahead for WPS oil activity good for PHL—DOE, SFA, win
“That has been my insistence. The lifting of the moratorium is a welcome development because it is the last obstacle to actual development under the MOU on Oil and Gas,” Locsin tweeted in reply to a query from the BusinessMirror. → Read More
Illegal, illogical: floater of 2022 poll deferment on Covid fear draws flak
THE idea of postponing the May 2022 national elections, on the hypothetical scenario that voters may be too scared to go to the polls with the Covid-19 pandemic, has drawn flak from poll watchdogs, election experts, senators and a Cabinet secretary. First of all, the notion of postponing is “not… → Read More
Ex-DFA chief: UK, France, Germany boost case for raising SCS issue again
ONE of three former government officials who want the Duterte administration to bring the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea to the UN general assembly hailed the position of France, Germany and the United Kingdom against China’s SCS claims in the Note Verbale to the United Nations dated… → Read More
PAL offers low air fares via ‘September Deals’
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has launched a “September Deals” promotion offering base air fares as low as P688 for one-way domestic flights and $99 for round trip international tickets. Travelers may purchase these promotional low fares from September 14 to 20, for travel during the 7 months from November… → Read More
Japan Coast Guard resumes air search for missing crew
THE Japan Coast Guard (JCG) was set to resume an aerial search on Monday for the missing, mostly Filipino crew members of a cargo ship that sank off Japan last week at the height of a storm, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported. A second, more violent storm had… → Read More
Flying car, anyone?
The long-dreamed of flying cars are around the corner, which are considered “the most significant aviation development since the advent of the jet age 60 years ago.” Were it not for the coronavirus pandemic, the world would have seen a dozen models debuting in major cities. However, Japan has beaten… → Read More
DFA-chartered PAL flight brings home 361 OFWs from Lebanon
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines airlifted 361 overseas Filipino workers from Beirut, Lebanon, where a massive explosion in early August killed 140 persons and injured hundreds. → Read More
YSEALI, team’s info materials promote safety protocols
THE United States’s (US) Department of State-sponsored Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) has just launched AdaptPH, a nationwide campaign encouraging Filipinos to observe public safety protocols that help prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). The web site www.adapt.ph offers free downloadable information kits for local governments,… → Read More
DFA: Consular offices in Aseana and SM Manila closed Tuesday, 21 July
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday said the Office of Consular Affairs located in Aseana, Parañaque City and its Consular Office in NCR-West in Manila City (SM Manila) will suspend their operations on Tuesday, July 21 2020, for disinfection of their office premises and implementation of other preventive measures… → Read More
Wang, Locsin in ‘frank, cordial’ talks amid US-China word war
FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., who said on Sunday the UN arbitral award favoring the Philippine position in the South China Sea is “nonnegotiable,” held a “frank but cordial” virtual discussion on Tuesday with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The video call, according to the Department… → Read More
CALL HIM ‘ALI’ | Baby boy born to OFW up in the sky on repatriation flight
The baby was born while the A330-340 was cruising over Bengal Bay at 37,000 feet, flying from Dubai to Manila with hundreds of migrant Filipino workers aboard. → Read More