Tens of thousands of Philippine Catholics twirled white cloths and chanted "Viva, viva" as a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ was paraded through the streets of Manila on Friday in the nation's biggest annual religious event.

The Philippine peso declined to a new record low after the central bank signaled an interest-rate cut and as traders assessed its tolerance for a weaker currency.

Numerous submarine cables crisscross the Philippines’ underwater domain, connecting Southeast Asia to the United States, India and Hong Kong.

A strong, 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck in the Philippine Sea on Wednesday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 11:02 a.m. Philippine time about 17 miles east of Santiago, Philippines, data from the agency shows. U.S.G.S. data earlier reported that the magnitude was 6.7.

The Philippine government’s total outstanding debt reached P17.65 trillion at the end of November 2025, up 0.49 percent from the previous month, as the

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the country would harness artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate economic growth and create a harmonized, human-centered AI ecosystem across Southeast Asia.

Manila is banking on modern ships and global alliances to challenge China’s increasing presence in the contentious waters.

Oxford Economics warns that the Philippine peso remains vulnerable to fluctuations due to a weak domestic growth narrative and external trade policy uncertainty.

Hanwha Systems has secured a contract worth KRW40 billion (USD27.6 million) from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) to supply combat management systems (CMSs)

Jollibee has been building its international profile by expanding overseas and acquiring foreign brands such as Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Chinese restaurant chain Tim Ho Wan.

Sources said legal ambiguity and political risk shaped how the armed forces handled two high-profile reservist cases.