Dr. Renato de Castro, Trustee and Convenor of the National Security and East Asian Affairs Program, Stratbase ADR Institute On March 20, 2021, Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana officially informed the Filipino nation about the presence of around 220-blue hulled Chinese fishing vessels moored in line formation at Julian Felipe Reef (international name… Read More

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute The results that policymakers had hoped for when the Philippines was locked down in March 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19 did not happen. A year after, the National Capital Region and the surrounding provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal have again been put under lockdown, with… Read More

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute The year 2020 was a great disruption that reversed the Philippine economy’s growth with a full-year contraction of 9.5 percent, the country’s worst economic performance in 73 years. This was also the steepest decline recorded in Southeast Asia last year. Likewise a record was the country’s annual unemployment rate… Read More

Paco A. Pangalangan, Executive Director, Stratbase ADR Institute The Stratbase ADR Institute recently launched a quarterly virtual roundtable discussion series highlighting the business sector’s role in addressing economic insecurity brought upon by the pandemic. Kicked-off last month, the inaugural session brought together thought leaders from the country’s most prominent business groups to talk about how… Read More

Paco A. Pangalangan, Executive Director, Stratbase ADR Institute Reliable electricity is one aspect of our day-to-day that we often take for granted. And, until something happens to remind us just how necessary it is, we never seem to fully appreciate the fundamental role it plays in our daily lives. Usually, this reminder comes as we… Read More

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute The year 2020 turned out to be another indelible page in history; a period of great disruption not only for the Philippines but also for the rest of the world. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the global recession resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic averaged -3.5% in 2020.… Read More

Paco A. Pangalangan, Executive Director, Stratbase ADR Institute It is hard to imagine that the country has been in a perpetual state of lockdown since March 2020. The last year has been an uphill battle, both in terms of the economy and public health. Many businesses have been forced to either close or scale back… Read More