Author Archives: admin

Singapore’s New Political Reforms: What You Need to Know

By admin | September 2, 2016

Written for The Diplomat This week, in an address to Parliament, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong identified key reforms in the electoral system which he believes would lead to greater political stability. In summary, he proposed to raise the minimum number of opposition members of parliament (MPs), grant voting power to non-constituency MPs, reduce […]

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How to introduce Duterte in Southeast Asia

By admin | August 31, 2016

Written for New Mandala Mong Palatino explores the many sides to the Philippines’ new President, revealing there is far more that meets the eye than Trump comparisons alone can offer. The landslide victory of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the recent Philippine presidential election has been reported already across the world. Perhaps many in […]

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How radicalism can change you or why activism is the ultimate life hack

By admin | August 27, 2016

Published by Bulatlat Excuse the dramatic appeal of the headline but I feel it’s necessary to emphasize the life-changing impact of the decision to become an activist. It’s also to quickly refute what activism is not: a deviant behavior that requires a corrective action, a dangerous addiction, a temporary lapse in judgment, a rebellious tendency […]

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How the Philippines Reacted to the South China Sea Ruling

By admin | August 22, 2016

Filipinos worldwide celebrated the ruling issued by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration with regard to the case filed by the Philippine government against China’s unilateral imposition of a “nine-dash line” claim in the South China Sea (known in the Philippines as West Philippine Sea). The court favored the petition of the Philippines by debunking […]

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10 Metro Manila Kalyeserye Scenes That APEC Delegates Will Miss

By admin | July 31, 2016

Published by Manila Today As host of the 2015 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, the Philippines has vowed to provide a spectacular and warm welcome to world leaders, investors, media, and all participants of the annual meeting. Interestingly, the world famous Filipino hospitality will be offered to our visitors sans the residents of Metro Manila. […]

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Southeast Asia’s ‘Proxy’ Presidents

By admin | July 28, 2016

Myanmar’s Htin Kyaw has received praise for being the country’s first civilian president in more than half a century. But the media has also labeled him a ‘”proxy” and even “puppet” president because his position was granted through the support of National League for Democracy (NLD) party leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Interestingly, it’s not […]

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Here’s how to tell if your friend is misinformed about activism

By admin | July 20, 2016

Written for Bulatlat Respect for diverse beliefs is one of the prescriptions of political correctness so therefore your decision to become an activist should no longer provoke scandalous reactions. But the menacing tentacles of Red Scare and Philippine-style McCarthyism continue to wield considerable influence in our social institutions. The result is that your activism is […]

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From Fish Ban to Market Demolition: Why Are We Killing Our Local Producers and Entrepreneurs?

By admin | July 16, 2016

Published by Manila Today The palengke economy is under attack: The amended Fisheries Code bans commercial fishing within 15 kilometers of municipal waters. Meanwhile, several local government units in Metro Manila are privatizing (read: demolishing) public markets. The fish ban will allegedly stop big operators from depleting our fish stock. Further, it is touted as […]

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What’s Behind Cambodia’s Black Monday Campaign?

By admin | July 13, 2016

What’s behind this so-called “Black Monday” campaign? It began last month when four officers of the human rights group ADHOC and an election official were arrested by the police for allegedly bribing a young woman to remain silent in relation to a sex scandal case involving Kem Sokha, the country’s second most prominent opposition leader. […]

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Stop Environmental Crimes

By admin | June 30, 2016

Published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer During the campaign period, then presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte promised to solve rampant criminality and corruption in three to six months. He vowed to end the reign of drug lords, kidnap-for-ransom gangs, and other big-time criminal syndicates across the country. Now that Duterte has been proclaimed as the country’s […]

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