Tens of thousands of Philippine Catholics twirled white cloths and chanted "Viva, viva" as a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ was paraded through the streets of Manila on Friday in the nation's biggest annual religious event.

The Philippines assumes the Association of Southeast Asian Nations chair during maritime tension and less diplomatic patience in the South China Sea.

Numerous submarine cables crisscross the Philippines’ underwater domain, connecting Southeast Asia to the United States, India and Hong Kong.

Manila is banking on modern ships and global alliances to challenge China’s increasing presence in the contentious waters.

A strong, 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck in the Philippine Sea on Wednesday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 11:02 a.m. Philippine time about 17 miles east of Santiago, Philippines, data from the agency shows. U.S.G.S. data earlier reported that the magnitude was 6.7.

The Philippine peso declined to a new record low after the central bank signaled an interest-rate cut and as traders assessed its tolerance for a weaker currency.

Oxford Economics warns that the Philippine peso remains vulnerable to fluctuations due to a weak domestic growth narrative and external trade policy uncertainty.

Sources said legal ambiguity and political risk shaped how the armed forces handled two high-profile reservist cases.