The #Philippines has increasingly sided with the United States in its regional tussle with China. Last week, the Philippines signed an agreement granting the United States greater access to its military bases.

https://ept.ms/FourthObjectShotDown

The Department of Defense will open four new strategic military sites in the #Philippines to enhance the U.S. #military’s readiness and responsiveness in the region as #China’s aggression, posturing, and military buildup in the region continues. https://www.ntd.com/pentagon-unveils-4-new-military-bases-in-philippines-for-joint-training_911462.html

NTD LIVE: Secretaries #Blinken and #Austin Host US–#Philippines 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

Watch the livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y87C8gEel0U&list=PLrlKaUtasRB17empsPGcOCYyn6-OrMgJ1

The United States and the #Philippines reaffirmed the need for peace across the #Taiwan Strait in a joint statement issued Monday amid Beijing’s intimidating actions against the self-ruled island. https://www.ntd.com/us-philippines-call-for-peace-across-taiwan-strait-in-joint-statement_917024.html

The #Philippines has installed some navigational buoys within its 200-mile (322-km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the #SouthChinaSea to assert its sovereignty, according to the country’s coast guard.
https://www.ntd.com/philippines-installs-buoys-in-areas-of-south-china-sea-to-assert-sovereignty_919311.html

The coast guards of the United States, #Japan, and the #Philippines conducted their first ever trilateral exercises in the South China Sea to strengthen defense cooperation amid #China’s growing assertiveness. https://www.ntd.com/us-japan-philippines-hold-1st-ever-trilateral-sea-exercise-to-strengthen-defense-ties_924000.html

The #Philippines’ most active #volcano was gently spewing lava down its slopes, alerting tens of thousands of people they may have to quickly flee a violent and life-threatening explosion.
https://www.ntd.com/philippines-mayon-volcano-spews-lava-down-its-slopes-in-gentle-eruption-putting-thousands-on-alert_924812.html

NTD News: #Philippines Accuses #China of Firing Water Cannons; Man Rescued After Drifting at Sea in Row Boat

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1No3P7ZwyI&list=PLrlKaUtasRB3uJHbAZdEzDjgf4pnwXgrS

The #Philippines accused #China’s coast guard of installing a “floating barrier” within its exclusive economic zones, which the Chinese Communist Party is claiming as part of its territory in the #SouthChinaSea. The Philippines said the barrier is preventing Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.
https://www.ntd.com/philippines-condemns-chinese-floating-barrier-in-south-china-sea_943777.html

The #Philippines announced that its Coast Guard had executed a “special operation”—as instructed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.—to remove a floating barrier installed by #China at a prime fishing location in the #SouthChinaSea.
https://www.ntd.com/special-operation-philippines-removes-chinese-barrier-at-disputed-shoal-in-south-china-sea_943946.html

The #Philippines announced that its Coast Guard had executed a “special operation”—as instructed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.—to remove a floating barrier installed by #China at a prime fishing location in the #SouthChinaSea.
https://www.ntd.com/special-operation-philippines-removes-chinese-barrier-at-disputed-shoal-in-south-china-sea_943946.html

The United States renewed a warning that it would defend the #Philippines in case of an armed attack under a 1951 treaty, after #Chinese ships blocked and collided with two Filipino vessels off a contested shoal in the South China Sea.
https://www.ntd.com/us-renews-warning-it-will-defend-philippines-after-incidents-with-chinese-vessels-in-south-china-sea_949525.html

At least four people were killed, and dozens more injured in an #explosion that occurred during Catholic mass in a university gymnasium in the #Philippines, according to local authorities.
https://www.ntd.com/at-least-4-killed-in-explosion-during-catholic-mass-in-philippines_958104.html

A powerful #earthquake that shook the southern #Philippines killed at least one villager and injured several others as thousands scrambled out of their homes in panic and jammed roads to higher grounds after a tsunami warning was issued, officials said. https://www.ntd.com/strong-earthquake-leaves-one-dead-amid-widespread-panic-in-philippines_958120.html

A passenger severely injured when a bus plunged into a ravine in the central #Philippines has died, taking the death toll from the accident to 17, authorities said.

https://www.ntd.com/death-toll-in-philippine-killer-curve-bus-accident-rises-to-17_958752.html

Government troops killed nine members of a pro-#ISIS group in the southern #Philippines, the military said, including two suspects in a deadly blast at a Catholic Mass last month.
https://www.ntd.com/philippine-troops-kill-nine-islamist-militants-including-two-linked-to-catholic-mass-bombing_969328.html

Sen. #EricSchmitt (R-Mo.) urged the U.S. Department of Defense to “move quickly” to help the #Philippines counter #China’s ongoing “aggressive behavior” in the disputed South China Sea.
https://www.ntd.com/sen-schmitt-urges-pentagon-to-help-philippines-counter-chinas-aggressive-behavior_977504.html

U.S. companies are looking to announce more than $1 billion worth of #investments to the #Philippines, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said during a trip to Manila. This high level visit comes as the Biden administration seeks to reduce the United States’ supply chain reliance on #China.
https://www.ntd.com/us-firms-to-invest-1-billion-in-the-philippines-raimondo_978871.html

The #Philippines is vowing to counter #China’s “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous attacks.” Its president made the statement. It focuses on a series of moves by Chinese coast guard troops and Chinese fishing ships that were acted out in the Philippines’ backyard: its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
https://buff.ly/4cEffIk

#China’s communist regime has revealed what it claims was an agreement with the #Philippines from 2016 that allegedly involves its gaining access to further islands in the South China Sea. NTD speaks to retired Marine Col. Grant Newsham, a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy and the author of “When China Attacks,” who says Beijing is choosing this path now to create political difficulties for the current Philippines administration—which is cooperating much more closely with the United States than its predecessor. https://www.ntd.com/china-revealing-2016-agreement-now-to-create-political-difficulties-for-philippines-administration-security-expert_991829.html