Dr. Renato de Castro, Trustee and Convenor of the National Security and East Asian Affairs Program, Stratbase ADR Institute (This column was written before Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. gave formal notice to the United States of the termination of a Visiting Forces Agreement on 11 February 2020.) During the senate hearing reviewing the… Read More

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute In his fourth State of the Nation Address last year, President Duterte described the problem of corruption in the Philippines as a national embarrassment and a national shame. Since his assumption to office in 2016, the President has vowed to put up a strong fight against corrupt officials in… Read More

Alvin Manalansan, Fellow for Health of the Stratbase ADRi The Malasakit Center Act (Republic Act No. 11463) is probably one of the fastest legislative measures that has been passed and signed under the 18th Congress. It took only five months since the bill was filed in both Houses of Congress, and thereafter was signed by… Read More

Terry Ridon, Fellow for Infrastructure of the Stratbase ADRi, Convenor of Infrawatch PH, and former chairman of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor Most recently, infrastructure officials of the Duterte administration have been touting infographics purportedly showing the administration’s legacy on infrastructure development in the Philippines. However, similar to the country’s experience with ashfall… Read More

It is with pleasure that we share with you Stratbase ADR Institute’s January 2020 occasional paper entitled, “The ASEAN’s Divided Resistance: Duterte, China, and  the  Quest  for Rule of Law in the South China Sea.” Comprised of three parts, the first part describes the primary challenge that ASEAN confronts in currently evolving regional geopolitics. The… Read More

Louie C. Montemar, Fellow at the Stratbase ADR Institute and a Professor of Sociology and Political Science “Pork barrel” today refers to selective government allocation and spending driven by electoral or political incentives. The term dates back to a time in the West when preserving meat was actually done in wooden barrels for future consumption.… Read More

Orlando Oxales, Fellow of the Stratbase ADR Institute and Lead Convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines In the President’s 4th State of the Nation Address six months ago, I described as least polarizing his lamentation on what he said in his own words as the “pervasive” corruption in government, an undelivered campaign promise to the people. “No amount of… Read More