Philippine Marines deployed two small boats last week to escort a Chinese fishing boat that Manila claimed was illegally fishing at Second Thomas Shoal.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stated that its troops “upheld environmental protection” at the disputed submerged reef Oct. 24 in the latest encounter between Manila and Beijing at the contested shoal.
“In adherence to established protocols, AFP personnel promptly escorted the unauthorized fishing boats out of the area and confiscated bottles containing suspected cyanide chemicals reportedly used for destructive fishing,” reads AFP the release.
A video released from the Philippines’ Western Naval Command shows the Marines approaching a Chinese fishing boat in the dark near BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57), a World War II-era landing ship tank grounded in 1999 by Manila to hold the maritime feature against other claimants. The Marines surrounded the Chinese fishermen and seized several items from the boat, including the alleged bottles containing cyanide.
After seizing the fishing gear, the Philippine small boats pulled the Chinese vessel away from Second Thomas Shoal with grappling hooks and lines. Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad told local reporters that “on a normal day, they (Chinese fishermen) could have been arrested,” but cited capacity concerns aboard Sierra Madre for the lack of arrests from the encounter.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines reiterates that its continuous presence and patrols in the West Philippine Sea are lawful and primarily focused on ensuring the safety of personnel, upholding territorial integrity, and advancing the protection and preservation of the marine environment within the country’s maritime domain,” reads the Philippine military statement.
Second Thomas Shoal became the focal point of a string of increasingly severe incidents between 2023 and 2024 amid Beijing’s efforts to enforce its South China Sea maritime claims against the Philippines. The two countries came to a provisional agreement over the shoal following an incident that saw a Philippine Navy SEAL lose his thumb during a clash between military and Coast Guard personnel last summer.
The incident demonstrated Beijing’s continued deployment and presence around Second Thomas Shoal following the June 17 incident, Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight Project at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, told USNI News.

“Manila’s options to assert its own claim to the shoal have been limited by China’s capacity to swarm the area from its base at nearby Mischief Reef, so intercepting illegal fishing vessels is one of the few opportunities the Philippines has to push back,” Powell said.
Amid these incidents, Washington stepped up its support for Philippine forces with unmanned surface vessels, intelligence and training support. The existence of a forward-deployed American military task force dedicated to supporting Philippine forces in the South China Sea was also revealed last year. The task force’s name, Ayungin, is Manila’s name for the shoal.
While the agreement at Second Thomas Shoal has held, tensions between the two countries have been increasing throughout the South China Sea following an August collision between a People’s Liberation Army Navy destroyer and China Coast Guard cutter during their pursuit of a Philippine Coast Guard patrol boat. Shortly after the Scarborough incident, Chinese small boats equipped with heavy machine guns were spotted conducting drills in the shoal near Sierra Madre.

Forward-deployed U.S. sailors and Marines are training alongside the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and other allied militaries in the Philippine Sea as part of Annualex, a multilateral exercise held every other year.
Led by Japanese destroyer carrier JS Kaga (DDH-184), the exercise kicked off Monday with the goal of refining existing combat interoperability capabilities, enhancing readiness across platforms and deterring regional instability and aggression, officials said.
“This year’s Annualex focuses on enhancing the Japan and U.S. bilateral alliance within a multilateral context through maritime communication tactics, anti-submarine warfare operations, air warfare operations, replenishment-at-sea and more,” reads U.S. 7th Fleet news release.
Representing the U.S. this year are: cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG-62), destroyer USS Shoup (DDG-86), dry cargo ships USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE-6) and USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE-8), fleet-oiler USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO-199), a submarine, P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II assigned to the “Bats” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242. Imagery released Monday by the U.S. Defense Department also shows F-35Cs assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 taking part in the drills. VFA-147 forms part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW-5) assigned to aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73).
Japan will contribute destroyers and a submarine.
This year’s iteration also includes participation for the first time from France, which is joining Australia, Canada and New Zealand alongside the U.S. and Japan.
France is deploying surveillance frigate FS Prairial (F731) for the drills. The frigate is based in French Polynesia. The Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) offshore patrol vessel HMCS Max Bernays (AOPV432) will join the drills, as well. Max Bernays is the only RCN ship deployed in the region.
Australian and New Zealand forces will participate while also conducting routine surveillance on North Korean maritime sanctions violations. Fleet oiler HMNZS Aotearoa (A11), as well as P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both countries, will join Annualex between surveillance missions.

Other participating forces will include the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Air Force (RAAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), French Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).
It is unclear how long Annualex will run. In 2023, Annualex spanned 11 days, from Nov. 10-20.
“This exercise will strengthen the ties between France, Japan and the United States, following on from the Pacific Steller exercise that took place in February of this year, bringing together 15 units around the French, American and Japanese carrier battle groups,” reads a French Ministry of the Armed Forces news release.
Coinciding with Annualex is Japan’s Self-Defense Force 2025 Joint Exercise, which is taking place at military bases across Japan. U.S. and Australian armed forces will participate in part of the exercise, according to a Japan Joint Staff Office (JSO) news release.
The JSDF will deploy approximately 52,300 personnel, 4,180 vehicles, 60 ships and 310 aircraft. The U.S. will contribute 5,900 personnel and another 230 troops from the Australian Defense Force will participate. No details were given on U.S. assets participating in the drills.
Troops will drill on anti-ship attack training using Japan’s mobile anti-ship missile launchers, as well as amphibious and airborne operations in Japan’s southwest region. Base security exercises will be conducted on Japanese and U.S. military bases. Japan’s ground forces will rehearse deployments via rotary wing aircraft and sea transportation, partnering with U.S. Navy amphibious ships. A Japanese submarine will also dock at U.S. port facilities to conduct a replenishment.
The exercise will conclude Oct. 31. (Dzirhan Mahadzir/USNI News)

MANILA – The United States Mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has welcomed the Philippines’ upcoming chairship of the bloc next year.
“We now welcome the Philippines as the ASEAN Chair for 2026. (We look) forward to working together to drive growth, create opportunities, and deepen ties that benefit both America and the region,” it said on Wednesday.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. formally accepted from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim the bloc’s chairship this year during a turnover ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 28.
As chair, Marcos said the Philippines will steer the bloc towards initiatives that would “fortify peace and security anchors, strengthen prosperity corridors, and advance people empowerment.”
The ASEAN, with Manila at the helm, will be launching a series of high-level meeting under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together” next year.
At the 13th ASEAN-US Summit on Oct. 26, Marcos recognized the US’ active and meaningful engagement with ASEAN across all three its pillar —political-security, economic, and socio-cultural.
In his intervention speech, he thanked Washington DC’s support in promoting peace at seas, combatting transnational crime, counter-terrorism while acknowledging its important role in advancing economic development in the region.
“We recognize that the global economic landscape is marked by uncertainty. ASEAN values its partnership with the United States and seeks to build practical, strategic, and forward-looking collaboration that delivers concrete outcomes for our businesses and citizens alike,” he said. (PNA)

Philippine forces trained last week to defend Balabac, a strategic island in Palawan that is set to host a new military base dedicated to South China Sea operations.
Philippine Marines and Coast Guard special forces held joint maritime boarding operations in t

he vicinity of Balabac Island, which has been recognized as a strategic basing location by Manila amid its push to increase the country’s defensive capabilities. The quiet island is located next to a strait of the same name separating the Philippine province of Palawan from Malaysia and near several South China Sea hotspots.
According to a Philippine Coast Guard release, the boarding drill was meant to “prevent hostile forces from establishing a foothold in the vicinity” of Balabac Island. A high-altitude insertion also dropped force reconnaissance Marines onto Balabac during the exercise in what the Philippine Navy claimed was a demonstration of their ability to operate and seize objectives in a “contested littoral environment.”
The activity was one of several across the Philippines held under Marine Aviation Support Activity 2025, an annual bilateral U.S.-Philippine Marine exercise focused on enhancing aerial interoperability. Last year’s iteration saw U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs drop precision-guided munitions on targets in the South China Sea.

The presence of the Coast Guard Special Operations group in the drill comes as both Washington and Manila seek to bolster Philippine law enforcement capabilities in more territorial defense activities. Special operations forces from the Palawan-based agency have received training from U.S. Navy SEALs. The Philippine National Police also deployed its Special Action Force during Balikatan drills and to the frontlines of the Philippine-Chinese territorial dispute in the Spratly Islands.
In 2023, Balabac Island was selected as one of nine sites across the Philippine archipelago to host American-funded facilities and rotationally deployed U.S. forces under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. The move coincided with increased tensions between Manila and Beijing over maritime features in the South China Sea, including the nearby Second Thomas Shoal.
The strait, one of several going through Philippine waters, has also seen increased attention from American and Chinese forces. Washington and Beijing have utilized the strait for transiting warships, including aircraft carriers, in previous years between the first and second island chains.
Philippine policymakers have recently noted the military implications of these transits and have passed a new archipelagic sea lanes law to strengthen the country’s sovereignty. Chinese carriers, destroyers, cutters and spy ships have reportedly traversed Philippine archipelagic waters without notifying Manila.
Manila plans to construct significant naval and air base infrastructure at Balabac, including a pier capable of hosting destroyer-sized vessels and a three-kilometer-long runway. Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gibo Teodoro has noted the importance of these future facilities in maintaining Philippine presence and maritime domain awareness capabilities in the South China Sea.
Recent Philippine Senate hearings have revealed that these projects are delayed as a result of funding shortfalls. ( 

LONDON –”Priceless” jewelry was stolen from Paris’ iconic Louvre museum in a “major robbery,” the French interior minister said Sunday.
The Louvre museum closed earlier on Sunday after the robbery took place during the day.
“No injuries to report. I am on site alongside the museum teams and the police,” French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said through the US social media company X, adding that an investigation into the incident is underway.
The museum also announced on X that it will remain closed on Sunday “for exceptional reasons.”
Later, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, who labeled the incident as “major robbery,” said that it involved suspects entering the museum via a basket lift using a platform mounted on a truck.
“These are jewels that have genuine heritage value and are, in fact, priceless,” Nunez told France Inter radio, as reported by the broadcaster BFMTV.
The minister also added that criminals fled on two motorbikes. (Anadolu)

BAKU – Nearly 700 million people around the world are classified as living in extreme poverty, surviving on less than USD2.15 per day per person.
The UN declared Oct. 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty in a resolution adopted on Dec. 22, 1992.
According to a UN report, global extreme poverty had been declining rapidly from 1990 to 2019.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the crises that followed triggered the largest global surge in poverty seen in decades.
Since 2019, almost no progress has been made toward eradicating poverty.
Nearly half of the world’s population — especially in regions such as South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa — lives below the economic welfare levels that would be considered poverty in many upper-middle-income countries.
Globally, around 1 billion people live on incomes between USD2.15 and USD3.65 per day, while nearly half of the world’s population survives on less than USD6.85 per day.
The World Bank’s 2024 Global Poverty Report estimates that about 8.5 percent of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty — meaning roughly 700 million people survive on less than USD2.15 per day per person.
Those living on less than this threshold are classified as extremely poor.
Meanwhile, approximately 3.5 billion people — about half of the global population — live on less than USD6.85 a day, a level that would be considered poverty in middle-income countries.
Despite these challenges, East Asia, the Pacific, and South Asia stand out as the regions that have made the most progress in poverty reduction over the past 25 years.
Looking ahead, projections suggest that by 2030, about 7.3 percent of the global population will still be living in extreme poverty, with only 69 million people expected to rise above that threshold.
According to the online media platform Visual Capitalist, citing data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s World Economic Outlook report published in April 2025, most of the world’s poorest countries — measured by per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — are located in Sub-Saharan Africa.
South Sudan ranks as the poorest country in the world, with a per capita GDP of USD251. (AZERTAC)

GUANGZHOU, China – A colorful and lively celebration of friendship was recently held at Jingshi Aoyuan Nanao Experimental School, Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, southern China, as the Philippine Consulate General in the city launched the “Building Bridges” initiative, a special program as part of the Language Month and the 50th anniversary of the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China.
Thirty selected students participated in the activities that introduced, not only Philippine games and riddles, but also the deeper spirit of culture and unity championed by the two countries.
Patintero, Luksong Tinik and Sipa proved that tradition never gets old.
With every shout and laugh, the Chinese students were shared the spirit of teamwork, strategy, and perseverance – characteristics that Filipino students also learn in schools.
For the students of Jingshi Aoyuan Nanao Experimental School, this was the first time they experienced the games that Filipino children grew up with.
With simple drawings on the floor and agile movements, the spirit of “barriolympics” came to life, which is directly inspired by Philippine street games.

Riddles, a bridge of understanding
Along with the games, the students were also fascinated by the colorful kites with riddles written in various Philippine dialects – such as Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilokano, Waray, Pangasinense, Aklanon, and Chavacano.
Each one came with an English translation so that Chinese students could better understand it.
In their attempt to solve the riddles, the students discovered their similarities to the Chinese( mí yǔ) — a clear proof that, despite the ocean separating the Philippines and China, the creative thinking and appreciation of the language of Filipinos and Chinese people still converge.
(mí yǔ) is called a riddle or puzzle in Chinese culture.
It is a form of traditional word game that uses clues, metaphors, and hidden meanings to test the intelligence and imagination of the answerer.
Like in the Philippines, (mí yǔ) is usually played during gatherings and celebrations, especially during the Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao Jie) where the riddles are written on paper hung from lanterns.

Pinoy flavor
It was not only the mind and body that were strengthened that day.
The students also tasted the sweetness, sourness, and flavor of Filipino foods, as they tasted ensaymada and ube from Mary Sweets, a Filipino company based in Guangdong.
In addition, their thirst was quenched with cold lemonade, or blended lime juice.
At the end of the program, the youth happily received “Love the Philippines” bags, which contained tourist brochures and food made by Oishi – a small reminder of their unique and extraordinary experience.

Language as spirit of unity
Buwan ng Wika is an annual celebration held every August in the Philippines, and according to Iric Arribas, Consul General of the Philippines in Guangzhou, it aims to promote Filipino and other indigenous languages of the country as pillars of national unity.
Under the theme “Developing Filipino and Native Languages: A History of National Unity,” the role of language is emphasized not only as a means of communication, but also as a bridge to understanding people and cultures, Arribas added.

Deeper friendship
Overall, the event was more than just a simple program.
With every game, riddle, and meal, the Chinese youth had the opportunity to see the Philippines not only as a neighboring country, but as a friend and partner in the development of culture and respect for diversity.
As “Building Bridges” continues, the path to a stronger and more enduring understanding between Filipinos and Chinese is being paved. (CMG)

For the first time, the Philippine Fleet’s Submarine Group participated in Exercise INVITEX KURTARAN 2025, a submarine search and rescue exercise held in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea near Aksaz Naval Base, Turkey from April 24 to 30.
During the exercise, participating navies engaged in a series of coordinated operations, planning and executing live drills aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving rescue capabilities, and strengthening international cooperation in submarine search and rescue operations. These drills included locating and identifying the Distressed Submarine (DISSUB), Search Exercise (SEARCHEX), Escape Exercise (ESCAPEX), Submarine Parachute Assistance Group Exercise (SPAGEX), Rescue Exercise (RESCUEX), Ventilation Exercise (VENTEX), Personnel Transfer Under Pressure Exercise (PODEX), Medical Exercise (MEDEX), and Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) operations.
Representing the Philippine Fleet, Submarine Group Commander Capt Angelito Diaz, and Director of Submarine Operations Center Lt Cdr Benjamin Magura took part in the hands-on drills and direct observation of critical submarine search and rescue operations which validated the participants’ theoretical knowledge.
The Fleet’s first-ever participation in this high-level training for search and rescue teams and planners, based on a generic scenario and supported by various submarine search and rescue assets, was made possible by its recent membership with the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO).
The real submarine search and rescue experience during the INVITEX KURTARAN 2025 has provided a valuable reference for the Fleet in the development of the Philippine Navy’s Submarine Search and Rescue Manual which is vital in advancing its submarine capability.
Philippine Fleet @87: Forging a modern and mission-ready Fleet: Strengthening Archipelagic Defense with discipline and determination, putting mission first, family always, and God above all.

For more information, please contact the USS Nimitz Public Affairs Officer at pao@cvn68.navy.mil.