Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute In our country, pressing dangers to democracy are exemplified by the pandemic response that has been heavily inclined to social control, the specter of the postponement or cancellation of elections, the witch hunt against opposing and critical voices, the repression of civil and political freedoms, the use of emergency… Read More

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute This smells like Pharmally all over again — only on a grander, longer-term scale. Sometime in September we were alarmed to note that the Malampaya gas field temporarily shut down its operations weeks before a scheduled preventive maintenance work. As a result, distribution utilities (DUs) had to switch to… Read More

Paco A. Pangalangan, Executive Director, Stratbase ADR Institute The May 9, 2022 general elections will be the country’s first national election conducted during a pandemic. And while the circumstances make it unique, familiar facets of Philippine elections endure. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges to public health and national economies. Global deaths due to… Read More

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