Philippines

The move comes as Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has pursued warmer ties with the US, including giving the US access to more military bases in the face of China's increasingly aggressive actions in the area. However far more significant is the fact that India has revised its position on the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of a "potential explosive activity within weeks or even days" of the country's most active volcano located on the southernmost tip of Luzon island, raising the alarm over the 2,460-meter volcano to the third level in a five-step warning system, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Department of Health said the number of active cases dipped to 18,262, while 39 more patients died from Covid-19 complications, taking the country's death toll to 65,034. Metro Manila, the capital region with more than 13 million people, tallied 471 new cases, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 64-years-old wearing a native Barong Tagalog formal shirt, took his oath of office as his 92-year-old mother Imelda and family members looked on, reports Xinhua news agency. More than 15,000 police and security personnel have been deployed across the capital for the inauguration. Foreign dignitaries, diplomats, and three former Presidents, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, attended.

Marcos Jr. won the presidential election in May with 60 per cent of the votes over rival Maria Leonor Robredo. Meanwhile, his running mate Sara Duterte-Carpio, the 43-year-old daughter of Rodrigo Duterte, will be sworn in as the Vide President. The oath taking ceremony will take place in the afternoon at the National Museum in Manila.

Wearing an emerald green chiffon Filipiniana gown, Duterte-Carpio took her oath of office as her mother, Elizabeth, and her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, standing next to her, watched, Xinhua news agency reported. "We should not, as we could not afford to squander the future of our children. The days ahead may be full of challenges that call for us to be more united as a nation," said Duterte-Carpio, popularly known by her nickname Inday.

The Philippines and the US on Monday began their large-scale annual joint military drills in the Southeast Asian country. The participants in the exercise, codenamed Balikatan 2022, include 3,800 Filipino and 5,100 US military personnel, as well as observers from various armed forces in the region, reports Xinhua news agency.