For the longest time, retail commerce in the Philippines was traditionally the brick-and-mortar type, where buyers physically went to the sellers to check or choose what exactly they wanted to buy. Sellers followed the principle of KYC (“know your customer”), and buyers were also instinctively guided by KYP (“know your purchases”). Read More

The administration of President Marcos Jr. has anchored its pursuit of an independent Philippine foreign policy on the maxim “friend to all, enemy to none,” carrying out a strategic balancing act in the conduct of its international affairs. First announced in his first State of the Nation Address, this has consistently been reiterated in his various engagements. Read More

Trade is about the exchange of goods and services. In ancient times, this was undertaken through barter, where people exchanged their commodities for other goods or services. Today, much has changed, and trade has become more organized and sophisticated to the point that many people, and even countries, make a fortune out of engaging in it. Read More

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is perhaps the most complex political figure in Japan’s modern history. His untimely death and its profound impact on the country’s political landscape leaves a political legacy felt by the international community. Read More

On July 13, the foreign secretaries of the Philippines and Japan reaffirmed the strategic partnership between the two countries following the first Philippines-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting or 2+2 in Tokyo earlier this year.

Under various government leaderships, diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan have remained strong since its establishment in 1956. Read More

This year, France and the Philippines mark 75 years of diplomatic ties. As France navigates its role as a formidable Indo-Pacific power, Manila celebrates its enduring bilateral relationship with Paris. The 1947 Treaty of Amity inked in France made robust the two countries’ bilateral relations for their mutual benefit.

While the Philippines remains confronted with maritime challenges, a strategic partnership with France can fortify a new tide of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. Read More

For three months in 2012, the Philippines engaged China in a dangerous standoff near Scarborough Shoal. This maritime incident between the two countries began on April 10 when the Philippine Navy dispatched its flagship, the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, to Scarborough Shoal to apprehend eight Chinese boats allegedly illegally fishing in this land feature. Both countries were claiming this feature.

At the onset of the standoff, China immediately had the upper hand when it used a civilian vessel to force a Philippine Navy surface combatant to back away and withdraw from the shoal. More significantly, the standoff also exposed the Navy’s weakness. Read More