The bright side of TRAIN

Dindo Manhit, President of the Stratbase ADR Institute A chorus of local and international economic analysts made a unanimous forecast for 2018: economic growth is expected to be faster than the 6.7% expansion in 2017. As Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez himself proclaimed, there is “unprecedented optimism” over the country’s economic prospects under the Duterte administration.… Read More

A Federal Philippines: Does it make sense? (Part I)

Richard Javad Heydarian, Non-Resident Fellow of the Stratbase ADR Institute One of the greatest contributions of the Greek Philosopher Aristotle was his distinction between form and substance. According to him, the two are separate dimensions of our reality, yet are also fundamentally distinct in their existential character. So far, this seems pretty common sense to… Read More

Harnessing soft power for regional security

Dindo Manhit, President of the Stratbase ADR Institute Amid China’s aggressive use of force, India is harnessing its soft power anchored on commerce, connectivity and culture to strengthen ties with Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines. The battle of China and India for supremacy in Southeast Asia is inevitable. The challenge for smaller nations like… Read More

Round Table Discussion on the South China Sea Maritime Dispute with Gen. Joseph Lengyel

Stratbase ADR Institute, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Manila, will be holding a roundtable discussion on the South China Sea maritime dispute on February 05, 2018. General Joseph Lengyel will share his thoughts and insights on the issues and challenges relating to South China Sea. General Joseph Lengyel serves as the 28th Chief… Read More

“A Blueprint for Fisheries and Environmental Cooperation in the South China Sea”

Stratbase ADR Institute, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, hosted a round table discussion entitled “A Blueprint for Fisheries and Environmental Cooperation in the South China Sea”, held earlier today at the Manila Golf and Country Club, Makati City. The guest speaker, Mr. Gregory Poling, discussed an overview of the status of… Read More

Continuing the Strategic Rebalance

Dr. Renato de Castro, Trustee of the Stratbase ADR Institute The Trump administration’s early moves in East Asia unsettled America’s allies and friends. First, President Trump immediately announced the US withdrawal from the TPP. Second, the new Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, in his testimony to the US Congress, declared that the Trump Administration would not… Read More