Philippines: Death toll touches 85 after floods, landslides

Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said that India sent 500 MT of rice as immediate food assistance, 10 MT of essential relief supplies and other support.

Michael Lee stated that any conflict in the Taiwan Strait would directly impact the Indian economy, calling on New Delhi to play a role in ensuring regional safety.

The two sides exchanged assessments of developments in the Indo-Pacific region and shared perspectives on Law of the Sea. They explored avenues of collaboration at multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations, ReCAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia) and IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium). Cooperation at ASEAN platformsduring Philippines' ASEAN Chairship and the ASEAN-India Maritime year of cooperation were deliberated upon, a release stated.

Opening his remarks, he said, "The subject is quite enriching. There is an old Sanskrit is saying 'Prakriti Rakshit Rakshita' which means nature protects when protected." He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced this principle, adding, "An example of the same was given by Dr Viva during the covid time and I must say that while framing this session is what exactly right when we talk about how the wetlands the forest catchments close the run up of the floods the mangroves protect it is necessary to understand how such solution can be scaled in a sustainabale mod so that they thrive using the overall public budget."

Philippines DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda called for closer technology and bilateral ties with India at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. He highlighted the Philippines' strategic location, potential for tech partnerships, and strong cultural links, noting the significant Indian diaspora in his country.