MANILA, May 7 — The Philippine Coast Guard said today it deployed aircraft to issue radio warnings to a Chinese research ship in a disputed area of the South China Sea “swarming” with vessels from Beijing’s so-called maritime militia.

The research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 33, which is capable of supporting submersible craft, was operating near a reef in the contested Spratly Islands chain, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

The Chinese ship was deploying a service boat towards the Spratlys’ Iroquois Reef yesterday when it was spotted by a Coast Guard plane, “confirming ongoing unauthorised (marine scientific research) operations”, it said in a statement.

Iroquois Reef is located at the southern end of Reed Bank, an area in the Spratlys thought to be rich in natural gas and oil.

During the flight, Manila’s Coast Guard also spotted 41 “maritime militia vessels” anchored in waters surrounding Iroquois Reef and Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, home to about 400 Filipinos and a new coast guard station.

“The Philippines has not granted such consent to the (People’s Republic of China) for any (marine scientific research) activities in these waters,” the Coast Guard said.

“The presence of the research vessel and the large-scale swarming by Chinese Maritime Militia vessels represent a serious infringement on Philippine sovereign rights and maritime jurisdiction.”

Beijing’s embassy in Manila pointed to its “historic rights” and said in reply that the relevant islands and reefs in question were Chinese territory.

It said China’s scientific research vessels conducted each of their missions in accordance with international law.

The Xiang Yang Hong 33, which left China more than three weeks ago, has been monitored conducting surveys near various Philippine-claimed features in the Spratlys, including the flashpoint Sabina Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis, and defends its actions against Philippine vessels as lawful and proportional.

It has been deploying navy, coast guard and maritime militia forces — allegedly Chinese fishing vessels — in a bid to bar the Philippines from strategically important reefs and islands in the disputed waterway. — AFP

MANILA, May 4 — A magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck the central Philippine island of Samar at 2:09 pm (0609 GMT) on Monday, the United States Geological Survey said.

The quake hit at a depth of 73.3 kilometres, about nine kilometres from the province’s coastal town of San Julian.

A local police officer told AFP the earthquake had been “strong and sudden” though there had been no immediate reports of injury.

“Here at the police station, one of the beams where our roof was attached was broken... I saw some furniture moving,” he said, adding he and his fellow officers were now outside for fear of aftershocks.

Earthquakes are a near-daily occurrence in the Philippines, which is situated on the Pacific “ring of fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Eastern Mindanao was rocked by a pair of earthquakes of 7.4 and 6.7 magnitude in October that killed at least eight people.

These followed a magnitude 6.9 quake days earlier that killed 76 people and destroyed or damaged 72,000 houses in Cebu province in central Philippines, according to government figures. — AFP

Prinsipe Royce PH posted a photo:

MARTELINO HOUSE, QUIAPO, MANILA

From Lugares Historicos en Filipinas -
"The Martelino House is located on a corner lot, sharing the block with the Padilla and Zamora Houses. The name “Martelino” is believed to have originated from records at Ateneo, which mention the property.

The house is often featured in historical photographs of Hidalgo Street, showcasing its role in the iconic lineup of grand mansions that the street is famous for. In the 1960s, parts of the house were repurposed into a billiard hall and bowling alley, catering primarily to nearby students. Local folklore also suggests that the legendary pool player Efren “Bata” Reyes honed his skills at this venue during his youth."

I took this photo during the Quiapo Heritage Walk of Renacimiento Manila last January.

Medium: Canon EOS 4000D (taken in auto-creative mode)
Date Taken: January 24, 2026

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