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KOREAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT IN MARCH

Republic of Korea (ROK) President Lee Jae Myung will be in the Philippines for a state visit from March 3 to 4, Malacañang announced on February 27.

This will be Lee's first visit to the Philippines and the first state visit from Korea since a Free Trade Agreement between Manila and Seoul took effect in 2024. The two countries are also celebrating 77 years of diplomatic ties.

 
Marcos and Lee are expected to "discuss cooperation in defense, maritime cooperation, economic and development collaboration, and people-to-people ties" during their bilateral meeting, as well as "exchange views on regional and international issues and reaffirm the vibrant and dynamic relations between the Philippines and the ROK."

South Korea is one of the Philippines' five Strategic Partners.

1,000 OFWs stranded due to Middle East crisis

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said more than 1,000 Filipino workers bound for Middle Eastern countries are stranded at airports in the Philippines and abroad after flights were canceled due to the ongoing crisis in the region. | via Herbie Gomez/Rappler @here

ASEAN: ‘Serious concern’ over US & Israel-initiated attacks, Iran’s retaliation 

ASEAN Foreign Ministers, in a March 4 statement, says the bloc “express serious concern over the escalation of conflict in the Middle East following the attacks initiated by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic of Iran on 28 February 2026 and the subsequent retaliatory attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against several countries in the region.” 

The attack and the retaliation, said the bloc, “continue to heighten tensions in the Middle East, and pose a grave threat to the lives and safety of civilians, as well as to regional and global peace and stability. 

“We call on all countries to respect international law, including the Charter of the United

Nations (UN Charter),” said the ministers. 

ASEAN, in statement, says all states are obligated to “resolve their differences through peaceful means and to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, in line with international law, including the UN Charter.”

ASEAN says escalation of hostilities “regrettable… amid ongoing diplomatic efforts, including mediation initiatives led by the Sultanate of Oman aimed at advancing a negotiated solution.” 

“We emphasise the importance of an immediate cessation of hostilities and call on all parties concerned to exercise utmost self-restraint, avoid any acts that may further aggravate the situation, and resolve differences through diplomacy and dialogue in the interest of maintaining peace and stability in the region,” ministers said. 

@here

RAPPLER EXCLUSIVE — Chinese nationals recruit Filipinos working in the government’s defense and security sectors. Their consultancies involve passing on sensitive information.

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/chinese-operation-spies-philippine-government-recruitment-process/

Young, impressionable, and financially insecure Filipinos are recruited by Chinese nationals to access Manila’s security and defense plans. Read the second part of @Bea Cupin - RAPPLER's Rappler exclusive here: https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/chinese-operation-filipino-spies-department-national-defense/

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