This isn’t just about a bunch of rocky islands in the middle of the sea. This is about power, pressure, and the possibility of war.” Welcome to the South China Sea — where ancient empires, global trade, and modern-day militaries all collide. It’s one of the busiest waterways on Earth, carrying over one-third of global…
As the Indo-Pacific edges deeper into strategic turbulence, one partnership is proving to be a bulwark against uncertainty: the U.S.-Philippine alliance. In a region where China’s maritime assertiveness is reshaping the balance of power, old allies are finding new resolve. On May 30, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Philippine Secretary of National…
Philippines to Develop its Biggest Airport In the icy waters of the North Atlantic, NATO frigates and Russian submarines play a silent game of cat-and-mouse through the GIUK Gap—a strategic naval chokepoint between Greenland, Iceland, and the UK. It’s a place where geography defines power, where nations dig in not for conquest, but for presence….
Pagasa Island—aptly named “hope” in Filipino—is a mere 37 hectares in size, yet it carries immense symbolic and strategic weight for the Philippines. Situated in the disputed South China Sea, it hosts a tiny civilian community of around 300 residents who live in modest wooden homes, fish the greenish blue waters, and grow vegetables in…
“The red flag is raised, and Sandy Cay is ours,” declared a Chinese coast guard officer, his voice crackling over the radio as the banner of China unfurled against the endless blue of the South China Sea. In that single, symbolic act, captured for the world in state media photographs, Beijing didn’t just plant a…
The sky was clear, the hum of the aircraft steady as a Philippine patrol plane cut through the clouds over the South China Sea. Below, the vast expanse of blue stretched endlessly, beautiful, but contested. Then, suddenly, a sharp voice crackled over the radio: “Unidentified aircraft, you are entering Chinese airspace. Leave immediately, or we…
The air crackled with tension. It was March 2024, and a Philippine resupply vessel, its paint peeling and rust blooming like a macabre flower, limped towards Second Thomas Shoal. Its mission: to deliver vital supplies to a handful of Filipino marines stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a decaying warship intentionally grounded on the shoal…
“How do you stand firm against a giant in your backyard?” This is the question facing the Philippines as it confronts China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. In a region where fishing boats are shadowed by warships, and reefs transform into military bases overnight, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Against this backdrop, U.S….
