Editor
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Security Dilemma in South China Sea: China, US and the choices for Philippines
April 7, 2016
Written by Sumantra Maitra. As Philippines elections approach in May, the primary foreign policy choice facing the country is how to manage the rise of China, and the growing militarization of the South China Sea. This comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region, as Chinese coast guard vessels took over a portion …
Philippines 2016: The Political Spectacle and the Frustrated Vote
April 6, 2016
Written by Anthony Lawrence A. Borja. In understanding what a political spectacle is I find a brawl as an apt analogy because when one breaks out in the open you will find at least six types of people. First are those who are in the fight (i.e. representatives and other citizens in the public sphere), …
Philippines 2016: The Significance of the OFW Vote
April 5, 2016
Written by Rachelle Bascara. The Philippine Daily Inquirer collated the positions of the five presidential candidates on ten key issues: poverty, economy and jobs, food security, peace and order, corruption, health care, foreign policy, traffic, climate change, and interconnectivity. Reading through the profiles and action points, there was no mention of Overseas Foreign Workers (OFW). …
Challenging Oligarchic Politics in the Philippines
March 23, 2016
Written by Roland G. Simbulan. Electoral candidates in national and local positions who mostly come from the elites, always promise to carry out a ‘good governance’ initiative. Our response to this must be to widen participatory governance. That is, to broaden the participation of the marginalized sectors and progressive organizations and civic groups in the political …
Typhoon Yolanda Survivors Need More than Pro-poor Rhetoric from Politicians
March 22, 2016
Written by Pauline Eadie. Market researchers in the Philippines stratify socioeconomic classes into A, B, C, D or E classes. The distinction between the classes is not absolute however it is clear that the D and E classes make up around 90% of the electorate. Therefore politicians have to appeal to the ‘masa’ vote in …
Manny Pacquiao is the Anita Bryant of the Philippines
March 21, 2016
Written by John Andrew Evangelista. Fired for her religious convictions, Anita Jane Bryant, famous U.S. endorser and singer, led the “Save Our Children” campaign in the late 1970s. The campaign wanted to repeal laws meant to protect LGBT rights in different American states. Backed up by different religious groups and several conservative politicians, Bryant’s campaign …
Marcos and Duterte: Authoritarian Nostalgia in the Philippines
March 17, 2016
Written by Jeremiah Reyes. Our country is said to be in the midst of ‘authoritarian nostalgia.’ According to a study of six countries in Asia, the Philippines exhibits growing yearning for strongman rule and sympathy for a military intervention in government. Among the countries studied, the Philippines rejects authoritarian rule the least. The study used …
Philippines 2016: Is America’s military presence affecting the Philippine elections?
March 15, 2016
Written by Elliot Newbold. On the 28th of January, 2016, only days before the official start of the Philippine elections, United States Ambassador Philip Goldberg outlined his nation’s vision for military cooperation between the Philippines and the United States. Under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (E.D.C.A.), the United States has earmarked over $60 million to …
Philippine Politics is Still a Man’s World
March 9, 2016
Written by Julius Ryan Umali. With two female Presidents in tow, it looks like we can boast of being a country where women can aspire to serve in government and succeed. But the milestones aside, the current situation of women in Philippine government is wanting. With this year’s Women’s Month coming on the heels of …
The 2012 Delhi protests: towards a scalar analysis
March 8, 2016
Written by Srila Roy. The brutal gang rape and murder of 23-year-old Jyoti Singh Pandey in Delhi in December 2012 has come to constitute a ‘critical event’ in contemporary India. This is largely ascribable to the unprecedented public protests that the event propelled. The protests are one critical and representative moment in a changing landscape …
