Stories about Philippines
Legislator wants to rename Philippines’s busiest airport after the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
"Most airports (are) named after historical figures, heroic ones...Marcos Jr. maybe back but that doesn’t belie the fact that Marcos Sr. died a disgraced authoritarian."
Fact-checking the inaugural speech of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
"The inaugural speech raises concerns over how facts shall be regarded in the next six years."
What the world needs now: A new deal in a reformed global economic system
"The prosperous East Asian nations (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, and China at the lower income margins) have been the greatest assets for growth of the world system for some time now."
Women refugee claimants are disenfranchised by gender-blind screening in Hong Kong
Refugees in Hong Kong face discrimination, a biased claimant process, and social pressure — particularly among women and vulnerable populations.
The Philippines: Protests erupt as a former dictator’s son leads the presidential election tally
"It is difficult for voters to be confident in election proceedings marred by machine errors and breakdowns."
For acclaimed journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, winning a Nobel Peace Prize offers no protection
For Filipino journalist Maria Ressa and Russian editor Dmitry Muratov, winning the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize has not provided protection from their attackers and state threats as they continue their investigations.
Philippine independent bookshops become targets of red-tagging
The red-tagging of Popular Bookstore and Solidaridad is the latest in a long history of state repression of dissent and critical thinking in the Philippines.
Tropical storm Megi causes deadly landslides and floods on Leyte Island in the Philippines
Aside from the landslide in Leyte, the tropical storm also caused floods in other parts of the Visayas Islands in the central Philippines.
Philippines’s SIM Card Registration Act undermines privacy, online expression
The law puts vulnerable groups “at risk of tracking and targeting, increasing the chances of their private information being misused."
How is Southeast Asia reacting to the invasion of Ukraine?
While the ASEAN block referenced the “conflict in the West” and called for de-escalation, many Southeast Asian leaders are choosing to stay silent and sidestep any direct references to Russia.
In Hong Kong, foreign domestic workers face an ’emerging crisis’ as COVID-19 limits housing, travel options
A 35-year-old Filipina foreign domestic worker who had her visa application denied was forced to live on the streets of Hong Kong for two nights after testing positive for COVID-19.
Philippines’s new vaccine mandate decried as punitive and anti-poor
"This measure is punitive. The low vaccination rate should not be blamed on the people especially if supplies are not always available."
An overview of Indonesia’s coal export ban and Asia’s energy crisis
All coal mining companies in Indonesia are required to reserve 25 percent of their coal supply for domestic sale, which they have been shirking since coal prices skyrocketed internationally in 2021.
Typhoon Rai aftermath highlights Duterte’s sluggish disaster response
Duterte and his officials have failed to respond to the crisis, deflecting blame with excuses such as depleted governmental funds, media underreporting, and impassable roads.
Typhoon Rai overwhelms the Philippines’ Queen City of the South
A month after Typhoon Rai rampaged through the Philippines, residents of Metro Cebu continue to struggle to overcome the devastation brought by the storm on December 16, 2021.
Portraits of a pandemic: Films on the unequal impact of COVID-19 in the Asia-Pacific
“Portraits of a Pandemic” holds space for stories that portray with care and nuance the effects of the COVID-19 crisis in the Asia-Pacific.
Political dynasties and billionaires hijack ‘democratic’ party-list system in the Philippines
"The most urgent need of the hour is for legislation to be passed to revise the party-list act and install permanent safeguards to prevent abuses and misuses of the system."
#HandsOffOurLibraries: Scholars protest removal of ‘subversive’ books from Philippine universities
"An attack on the library is an attack on the very heart of the University itself."
Community care during the pandemic in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines
From community pantries in the Philippines to the White Flag movement in Malaysia, this pandemic has spurred communities to mobilize and provide aid during this public health emergency.
Philippines will allow casinos on world-famous Boracay Island, despite local opposition
“I appeal to our leaders in the province not to allow gambling casino that will destroy our cherished land.”
China-funded Kaliwa dam in the Philippines flagged for irregularities
"Indigenous Peoples should not be sacrificed on the altar of development aggression, which would just benefit big businesses and Chinese investors."
