Philippines | GlobalPost

Typhoon ripple effect deals poor double whammy

Carlos H. CondeOctober 7, 2009 06:45Updated May 30, 2010 13:09

MANILA, Philippines — These days, Danilo Fabre spends his time asking friends and neighbors where to look for cheap wood. His home, a hovel right beside a creek in a district called West Kamias, in Quezon City, was completely demolished by typhoon Ketsana, which struck the Philippines on Sept. 26, inundating nearly all of the capital of Manila.

Vietnam in the aftermath of Ketsana

Geoffrey CainOctober 4, 2009 09:11Updated May 30, 2010 13:09

DANANG, Vietnam — "Attention passengers. This is your captain speaking. We’re starting our descent into Danang, with heavy winds and rain. Things could get bumpy. As always, we thank you for flying with us." Oops! They forgot to mention we’re landing in a typhoon. Of course, the news was spreading since we took off, but the cabin crew managed to feign cluelessness with their Barbie-doll smiles. What typhoon? You mean that drizzle out there? Ha!

Philippines government falls short in storm relief

Carlos H. CondeSeptember 29, 2009 16:47Updated May 30, 2010 13:09

MANILA, Philippines — It was one of the most colorful sections of the capital Manila, a row of houses painted in bright, pastel hues. Adding to its allure was the river fronting it and the foliage that, though sparse, hinted at orderliness. Commuters who passed by marveled at the beauty of the facade. But it was, indeed, nothing but a facade, since behind its vibrant colors was a slum community similar to the many poor neighborhoods here.

'Yellow fever' once again grips the Philippines

Carlos CondeAugust 3, 2009 20:28

It was unlike anything the Philippines has seen in many, many years: tens of thousands of Filipinos lining up in the streets to catch a glimpse of the casket of Corazon Aquino, the former president who helped restore democracy from a dictatorship, who died on Saturday from colon cancer at the age of 76.

Filipinos mourn "people power" icon

Carlos H. CondeAugust 1, 2009 13:42Updated May 30, 2010 13:04

MANILA — She was the closest the Philippines ever had to a living saint. And when she died on Saturday, from colon cancer at the age of 76, Filipinos grieved as though they had just lost one.

Fears of a nuclear Burma

Patrick WinnJuly 22, 2009 13:10Updated May 30, 2010 13:03

BANGKOK — In the eyes of U.S. leaders, North Korea and Burma have long assumed roles of Asia’s villains. Both are run by military regimes as paranoid as they are oppressive. The thought of either possessing a nuclear weapon potent enough to scorch a rival country is terrifying indeed.

Saving the 'Coral Triangle'

Peter GellingMay 18, 2009 19:56Updated May 30, 2010 12:55

JAKARTA, Indonesia — With the Indonesian government leading the way, six countries signed a landmark agreement over the weekend to conserve one of the most important marine communities in the world. The Coral Triangle contains three-quarters of all known coral species on Earth but is under attack from over-fishing, destructive fishing techniques, pollution and climate change.

Another Filipina claims rape against another US soldier

Carlos CondeMay 14, 2009 18:57

MANILA — A 22-year-old Filipino woman came out on Thursday alleging that she had been raped by a man whom her lawyers identified as an American soldier serving in the Philippines. The alleged rape inside a Manila hotel on April 19 would have occurred only four days before the Philippines’ Court of Appeals overturned the conviction, also of rape, of another U.S. serviceman.

We love you, Manny

Carlos H. CondeMay 14, 2009 06:52Updated May 30, 2010 12:55

MANILA — In a nation starved of heroes, Manny Pacquiao has become what one writer called a “multi-tasking hero.” He is considered more than the world's greatest boxer: He embodies, it would seem, everything that Filipinos are hankering for these days.

Mall nation

Carlos H. CondeMay 2, 2009 08:42Updated May 30, 2010 12:54

Malls serve as cultural centers in the Philippines, where many live on less than $2 a day.