Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute The developments and events in the past two weeks have been overwhelming. Just days after a “general community quarantine” was declared, an “enhanced community quarantine” (ECQ) was imposed on the whole island of Luzon. Several days later, President Duterte sought for and was given “special powers” to facilitate and… Read More

Dr. Renato de Castro, Trustee and Convenor of the National Security and East Asian Affairs Program, Stratbase ADR Institute Since mid-January 2020, China’s political leadership single-mindedly concentrated on managing a deadly coronavirus epidemic that began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Recently, however, China has been conducting a major diplomatic and humanitarian offensive aimed… Read More

Paco A. Pangalangan, Executive Director, Stratbase ADR Institute If the objective of the Bayanihan Heal as One Act was to unite the Filipino people to collectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, as its title implies, then it should have focused more on creating an environment that empowers multi-sectoral partnership and a bit less on granting… Read More

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute Besieged by the COVID-19 pandemic and pushed into adversity, the current circumstance has stimulated a surge in patriotic and emphatic response from the private sector and civil society groups. The health crisis has plunged Luzon into a 24-hour lockdown which tremendously impacts upon the livelihood of the most vulnerable… Read More

Alvin Manalansan, Fellow of the Stratbase ADR Institute and Convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines Regardless of age, gender, nationality and socio-economic stature, no one is invulnerable from acquiring the virulent coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic last March 11, 2020. In order to fight the pandemic, the WHO recommends… Read More

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute With more than 100 countries now affected by the novel coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a pandemic and called on governments around the world to take “urgent and aggressive action.” In the Philippines, a state of “public health emergency” has been declared, and “enhanced… Read More

Jaime Jimenez, Ph.D, Deputy Executive Director for Research, Stratbase ADR Institute In as much as the country is in limbo about the circumstances and consequences brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the government needs to consider two equally important national concerns. The first concern refers to the condition or the protection and welfare of the… Read More