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Pam CASTRO AFP

Manila landfill fire leaves locals gasping

Manila landfill fire leaves locals gasping

Filipino ferry dispatcher Dave Delos Reyes has been handing out N95 masks for nearly three weeks to protect passengers against the smoke that a landfill fire has sent billowing above a stretch of Manila Bay. The fire at Metro Manila's Navotas landfill is largely invisible to the naked

Cowgirls of Philippine rodeo tackle steers, stereotypes

Cowgirls of Philippine rodeo tackle steers, stereotypes

The loop of Rizza Matutino's lasso sat atop the steer's head for what felt like forever. The crowd at the Philippine home of Asia's only Western-style rodeo went silent, then roared when it finally slipped down around the animal's neck. Rising

Mideast war takes a bite out of Filipino street food vendors

Mideast war takes a bite out of Filipino street food vendors

Filipinos like their "pares", a traditional beef stew, served hot -- but the soaring cost of liquefied petroleum gas has made that prospect increasingly difficult since war erupted in the Middle East. To save a few pesos 20-year-old Eric Garcia delicately turned a knob to adjust the

Braving high fuel costs, Filipinos flock to crucifixion spectacle

Braving high fuel costs, Filipinos flock to crucifixion spectacle

Thousands of Filipinos and tourists flocked to a sun-bleached field north of Manila on Good Friday to witness one of the country's most blood-soaked displays of religious fervour, undeterred by rising fuel prices driven by the Middle East war. Scores of bare-chested flagellants with covered

Russian oil arrives as Philippines battles 'energy emergency'

Russian oil arrives as Philippines battles 'energy emergency'

A ship carrying more than 700,000 barrels of Russian crude oil has arrived in the Philippines, a source with knowledge of the matter told AFP Thursday, days after the country declared a national energy emergency over the Middle East war. The Sierra Leone-flagged Sara Sky, bearing high-quality

Cash handouts, fare hikes as Philippines battles soaring fuel costs

Cash handouts, fare hikes as Philippines battles soaring fuel costs

Hundreds of Philippine tricycle drivers lined up Tuesday in Manila for cash handouts they hope will provide temporary relief from a war-driven surge in fuel prices that has left the country scrambling for short-term answers. Since US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered the Middle East war last month,