Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute Like in many other countries, the conduct of elections in the Philippines during a pandemic will be unprecedented. For this democratic exercise, we must aim for that delicate balance between ensuring election continuity and safeguarding public health. These are not binary options. We do not have to choose one… Read More

The 2022 national elections will be a unique one in our time. These elections will be conducted during a pandemic, amidst long-time threats of voter fraud and vote-buying, and against the backdrop of widespread disinformation. As the country faces both old and new challenges, it is important to have a correct understanding of election-related issues… Read More

Paco A. Pangalangan, Executive Director, Stratbase ADR Institute In the Philippines, 51.2 million adults do not have bank accounts. But the country’s 152.4 million active mobile connections is equivalent to 138.2% of its total population. Indeed, electronic wallets, also known as e-wallets and e-cash, have great potential to expand financial inclusion in the country and… Read More

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute Populism ruled during the first five years of the Duterte administration. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, exacerbated by national officials’ mismanagement of the government response to the unprecedented health crisis, has unraveled the populist rhetoric that once made Rodrigo Duterte invincible. The continuing lockdowns and the confusing ECQ-MECQ-GCQ-ECQ cycle of… Read More

Paco A. Pangalangan, Executive Director, Stratbase ADR Institute Earlier this year, a World Bank report found that globally, about 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of mismanaged plastic enter the ocean every year. Of that amount, about 80% comes from Asia. But the Philippines alone contributes an estimated 0.75 million metric tons of plastic waste in… Read More

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute Before COVID-19, pollution and the improper disposal and management of solid waste were already among the main concerns of developing economies in terms of sustainable development. Not only do these issues contribute to environmental degradation, but these wastes also contaminate the food chain and eventually put at risk the… Read More

Paco A. Pangalangan, Executive Director, Stratbase ADR Institute I recently had a chance to moderate a great discussion on the Philippines’ digital readiness. The virtual town hall discussion (vTHD), organized by Stratbase ADR Institute, was kicked off by Secretary Gringo Honasan of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). Members of the panel included… Read More