The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the country’s crippling socio-economic inequality. While for many Filipinos, such inequality is an accepted reality in life, the pandemic brought the issue front and center of national conversations. Long-lasting government lockdowns caused high levels of unemployment, worrying inflation rates, and an economic recession. Amid this situation, only a small sector of society was prepared to deal with unexpected shocks.   Read More

It has been exactly two years since the first COVID-19 lockdowns were enforced. Since then, the issue of human security has become more pronounced. The lives of millions of Filipinos have been disrupted, socially and economically. Curiously, the current administration has milked the crisis and used—rather, misused—human security to undermine democratic institutions and processes. But what exactly is human security? Read More

Elections are a key exercise of Philippine democracy. There are over 65.7 million individuals who will decide the next six years of the country’s leadership. With this, many youth voters will be casting their ballots for the first time. It is thus necessary to create spaces for them to learn more about elections and what this entails: from the use of vote counting machines to the value of citizen participation, from the issues that matter to voters to the new age of digital citizenship.  Read More

It’s summer. Temperatures are rising, and now that most mobility restrictions have been lifted, many children can be seen playing outdoors. One sunny, sweltering afternoon, however, the sky turned gray, and a downpour ensued. This might seem erratic to many of us, but the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), says we should not be surprised. Most of their climate models, they say, suggest that La Niña is likely to continue through the months of March, April, and May, despite the warm and dry season that has started this month. Read More

The Stratbase ADR Institute organized a virtual town hall discussion (vTHD) entitled “Convergence of Health and Environment in Shaping the Strategic Policy Agenda of the Next Administration.” This was an opportunity for experts and key stakeholders to present their studies and recommendations for the policy agenda of the next administration. Through this event, the Institute aimed to contribute to the growing discussions on the national election and integrate issues on health and environment as part of the key policy concerns of the next administration.   Read More

The Philippines, like all governments of the world, was ill-prepared to deal with the tragic human and deep economic consequences of the pandemic crisis. But the Philippines had one rewarding asset as a nation: a cohesive private sector quick to proactively mobilize its resources for the common good in times of dire need. Read More

The Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute has invited Elbridge Colby, co-founder of the Marathon Initiative, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, to discuss his book titled, “The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Competition” where he provides a practical approach for defense strategy for the US and its allies to address China’s growing power and ambition.   Read More