With the passing of Valentines, the season of gifting flowers has come to a close. For a long while, and well before anyone was even thinking about Valentines, it felt as though all the adverts in facebook was all about enticing people to buy flowers. The most egregious of them all being the one about the crystal flashing rose in a dome. That one appears almost every month and each year it starts appearing earlier and earlier and for much longer. Anyways, now that it suddenly disappeared from our facebook walls, it’s embarrassing to admit just how much we found ourselves missing it. It really made everyone in the publications team wonder “just where do flowers come from anyways?” So for February’s article, we decided to do some research on the history and distribution of floriculture in the country.

With the uncertainty of the future, we all try to find some kind of certainty by setting goals for ourselves towards growth. In the same way, the national government sets particular programs, projects, and activities (PPA) that they set in place so as to further improve the quality of life and state of development of the country. Albeit slowly but surely. These projects are consolidated by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) into the National Priority Plan (NPP), which are released annually. This article hopes to highlight the initiatives of the NPP for 2023 so as to provide greater perspective on the many unnoticed efforts by the state towards development and their implications towards economic and socio-political progress.

For the past few months, the news cycle has been dominated by doom and gloom considering the current state of political polarization in the country. There always seemed to be some rising issue regarding gas prices, food insecurity, and just recently the staggering 7.7% inflation rate. Despite this, Filipinos situated within the country can look forward to Christmas with the anticipation of receiving a gift from Filipinos abroad–a gift that may well be an extraordinarily large amount of money.

Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s reign as President remains a polarizing memory. The Philippines was marred with countless human rights violations under the guise of peace-keeping and a silenced opposition. As we continue to live on and move forward from the consequences of the late Marcos’ regime, we must recall the economic plight the country continues to recover from to this very day.

It is a surprise to nobody to say that we Filipinos are very fond of our sweets and is found in almost every aspect of our cuisine: from our snacks (turon, bibingka) to desserts (leche flan, halo-halo) to even our classic dishes (tocino, adobo). But it may be hard to sate our sweet tooth considering the Philippines’ ongoing sugar shortage affecting everyone from small sari-sari stores to large soda-making conglomerates.

As March 2022 went by, oil prices rose in the Philippines thanks to the constricted supply of oil imports creating inconveniences for Filipinos, specifically for the transportation sector. The pricing per liter increased at PHP 13.15 for diesel, PHP 7.10 for gasoline, and PHP 10.50 for kerosene (de Vera, Ocampo, Subingsubing, & Salaverria 2022).

During the last quarter of 2021, the number of cases in the Philippines seems to be fewer than in the past few months. With the lower number of cases, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) predicts to have a 7% economic growth in the fourth quarter to kickstart the government’s target next year in 2022. Despite the new COVID-19 variants, the Philippine government insists that Filipinos are more stable to handle the possible spike and are able to open the economy safer this time around.

The Philippines went through a lot in Q4 2020. Not only did the people have to worry about the rising number of COVID-19 cases, but the effects that natural disasters brought upon those affected was another area that required immediate attention.

It is no secret that the Philippines suffers from the problem of plastic pollution. Despite the passing of the Solid Waste Management Act in 2001, landfills and litter on streets are commonplace. With the country being a signatory to several environmental agreements, there is little initiative when it comes to sustainable development (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, 2000 and DENR, n.d.).

Before the pandemic, the Philippines had one of the best economies in Asia. According to the International Monetary Fund (2020), the country’s economy grew by an average of 6.3 percent in the past decade. This development, though, was capped for years because of the different limitations present in the country’s technology, government policies, and infrastructure at the time.

It has been over a year since the COVID-19 virus infected the world. The pandemic shook every nation, bringing mass trauma far worse than the Second World War, as the World Health Organization stated (IANS, 2021). Like other countries, the Philippines suffered tremendously from the restrictions the pandemic caused. Within the sectors suffering from these restrictions in the tourism industry.

“The woman question” planted the roots of feminism in the human consciousness and essentially ignited the fight for equal rights among genders. Who knew a revolution and movement would spur from a simple question?

Last week Friday, March 5, 2021, the Ateneo Economics Association (AEA) held its much beloved KamalAEAn talk. As AEA’s partnership talk with Ateneo’s Talakayang Alay sa Bayan (TALAB), KamalAEAn provides an avenue for economic discourse by inviting professionals to engage and educate Ateneans about the economic relevance in various nationwide issues.

Ever since quarantine restrictions have eased with the lifting of ECQ, the state of the economy has generally improved. In comparison to the previous quarter, Q3 2020 showed better figures with regards to unemployment rates and GDP growth.

Theory takes care of life in Doughnut Economics. Developed by Oxford University’s Kate Raworth in 2012, Doughnut Economics is a sustainable development theory and framework visually modeled as two concentric circles, hence the dub “doughnut.” To discuss Doughnut Economics and its significance today in the Philippine context, AEA organized a Zoom seminar last February 24, 2021, with speakers from the Ateneo faculty.

On November 24 of 2020, the House Committee on Disaster Resilience approved House Resolution No. 535 to declare a climate emergency. The resolution aims for a whole-of-government, whole-of-society, and whole-of-nation policy response to mitigate the impacts, consequences, and causes of climate change. This then raises a few questions such as ‘what would declaring a climate emergency mean for our economy?’

Last August 6, the Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA] (2020) reported the largest decline in quarterly GDP since the 1981 series. The indicator fell by -16.5 percent year-on-year* in the second quarter [Q2] of 2020. It was during Q2 that the Philippines was under its strictest form of lockdown, ECQ, to contain the growing number of cases of COVID-19 in the country. During these months, numerous industries had declined in productivity, which could be attributed to the various virus prevention methods (e.g., work from home, social distancing). Manufacturing, Construction, and Transportation and Storage had greatly affected the quarterly GDP of the Philippine economy, which was caused by the massive decrease in productivity during this period.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought negative impacts for the country, especially for the economy. One of the proposed remedies to combat this unfortunate event is the proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Bill. But what does the bill do, and who will benefit from this?

This year has affected the Philippines in more ways than one. Not only has our Healthcare system been exhausted beyond imagination with the number of COVID-19 cases rapidly growing each day, but our economy has reached a record-breaking decline in its Gross Domestic Product [GDP] since the year 1981. In this four-part series, we will delve into the details of how and why our economy has reached its ups and downs in the year 2020.

Good afternoon, everyone. Let me first greet the Ateneo Department of Economics Chair, Dr. Philip Arnold Tuaño, members of the faculty, officers of the Ateneo Economics Association, the special people for whom you are gathered today, the incoming freshman economics students, ladies and gentlemen.

Last February 26, 2020, The Ateneo Economics Association held its annual KamalAEAn talk, entitled “Philippine Economy in The Asian Century” in the Ching Tan Room, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City. The talk was given by esteemed writer John West, who authored the book “Asian Century… On a Knife-Edge”. West primarily discussed the history of the Asian economy, as well as lessons the Philippines could learn from its neighboring countries in a time dubbed as “The Asian Century”.

The third and final tranche of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN) law came into effect last January 1, 2020. Effective in the year 2018 and took its final effect this 2020, one of the commodities affected by the law are petroleum products. With this, the retail price of petroleum products saw an increase of at least PHP 1 per liter and is still expected to rise even further.

The problem of mobility in the metro has been quite the norm for daily commuters. During rush hour, they hastily line up for a Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) even though the line’s already reaching thirty meters. At times, the rides arrive fast. Sometimes, they take more than half an hour. Time unpredictability coupled with discomfort, lack of security, noise and air pollution are issues the commuter faces on a daily basis. Imagine the toll it has on their overall well-being.

In light of the celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples’ month last October, the Department of Education (DepEd) Region XI insisted on its resolution to permanently shut down 55 Lumad schools in the Davao Region. These schools which are owned and operated by the Salugpungan Ta’ Tanu Igkanogon (which means unity in defense of the ancestral domain) Community Learning Centers were accused of indoctrinating indigenous children of left-leaning ideologies, along with other violations against DepEd curriculum requirements and other procedures (Palo, 2019).

In partnership with Talakayang Alay sa Bayan (TALAB), an annual event hosted by Ateneo aiming to incite a sense of national Identity to its students beyond the confines of the university’s natural academic setting, this year the Ateneo Economics Association (AEA) hosted EconTours, an economic tour of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters in Ortigas Center last October 4, 2019.

The Ateneo Economics Association’s KamalAEAn 2019, entitled “From Stability to Prosperity: A Story of the Philippine Economy” was held last October 8 in partnership with TALAB. The session started off with a presentation by Joseph Louie C. Limkin, director from the Department of Finance (DOF), which showcased the 10-point socioeconomic agenda and the provisions under the remaining tax reform program. An open forum followed the presentation thereafter.

Last February 26, 2020, The Ateneo Economics Association held its annual KamalAEAn talk, entitled “Philippine Economy in The Asian Century” in the Ching Tan Room, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City. The talk was given by esteemed writer John West, who authored the book “Asian Century… On a Knife-Edge”.

On February 14, 2019, President Duterte signed into law RA 11203 (Ranada, 2019) which is also known as the Rice Tariffication Law. The official name is “An Act liberalizing the importation, exportation, and trading of rice, lifting for the purpose the quantitative import restriction on rice.” (Ranada, 2019).

It was believed that back in the 1960’s, that earth’s climate changed at such a slow rate as to encompass centuries before any difference is felt, but as evidence arises of the earth’s rapid shift in global temperature, this notion will soon be proved wrong. With the rise of human civilization and the decades proceeding, human activity quickly became a main variable to the ever changing climate.

On February 20, 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act (RA) 11223, the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, which will have wide implications for the economy, development, and the health of our nation. Many models for health care policy exist. Debates about the efficacy of the health care programs of certain “model” countries, like France, Cuba, Sweden, and the USA, can often be polarizing and lead to deadlocks.

In partnership with the World Bank Group, the Ateneo Economics Association (AEA) held the Word Bank Country Partnership Framework #KayaYanBayan Forum to discuss economic updates of the East Asia and Pacific region and World Bank’s project: Country Partnership Framework (CPF) in the Philippines, held last August 22 at the Escaler Hall, Ateneo de Manila University.

As Metro Manila has been branded as a city synonymous with congestion, a new location to deconfine the region is eyed. Given this, as part of Duterte’s Build Build Build (BBB) program, the development of the New Clark City (NCC) is envisioned to decongest the Philippine’s capital and become the pillar of economic growth in Luzon.

If you have been using social media for the past few weeks, chances are you have encountered a video of a man trying to buy a cigarette from a sari-sari store. As the man featured in the video was drunk, he was repeatedly asking if he can buy a stick even though the store was closed. This video has gone viral, resulting to a plethora of video parodies posted in online platforms for comedic purposes.

The Philippines is considered to be one of the world’s fastest-growing economies in recent years. However, some worry that this growth will not last forever. Many institutions, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) among them, think that the Philippines may be headed to what some call the “middle-income trap”.

The Ateneo Alumni Association held an Economic Forum last March 9, 2019, at Escaler Hall. Amando Tetangco Jr., former Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas (BSP) Chief, served as the sole speaker of the forum. Despite economic uncertainties both foreign and domestic, he asserted that the Philippine economy is in prime position to maintain its growth.

The Ateneo Economics Association held KamalAEAn 2018: How pro-poor is the tax reform? on February 19, 2018, as part of the Ateneo de Manila University’s Talakayang Alay sa Bayan (TALAB) line-up for this year. With the passage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), one of the most significant concerns which arose revolved around the social and economic repercussions of the law on the marginalized sector. KamalAEAn 2018 provided an avenue in which a critical assessment of these repercussions can be formulated.

There is the long and usual queue of cars in Katipunan Avenue. Heaven help the suckers trapped in flaking cabs. I am fearless, I am free. I am slightly slurred and feel moderately invincible. I’ve had four pints and I have two wheels. In this traffic, I am Mercury among mortals. I have my bony bum on a bike.

If you’re an Atenean who comes from outside the thresholds of the bustling, big-city life of Manila, then questions like “do you have wifi in the where you’re from?” and “if you’re from the province, why are you white?” may have been directed at you more than just once or twice by your Manila-native college peers. You may even be asked how on earth you can speak English so well, if you’re from Cebu, Cagayan de Oro or Davao.

Christmas is the time for sharing our blessings with others. However, all the spending for Christmas gifts must have taken a great toll on our wallets. How can we give to the needy, at the time of the year when we are at our lowest budgets?

Valentine’s in August (VIA) is the longest-running project of the Ateneo Economics Association, having been around for more than 30 years. As the name suggests, VIA is an annual bazaar that takes place in August. As per tradition, large quantities of roses are sold during this week-long event, which seeks to create an artificial demand for the essential Valentine’s day gift, six months prior to the occasion, when the prices of roses are at their lowest.

The Philippines at present is considered as a ‘tiger economy’ because of its high economic growth rate compared to its neighboring Asian countries. However, despite this good news, the country remains to be one of the most impoverished countries and even considered to be one of the most corrupt in Asia according to a recent article by The New York Times. Why is that?

The state of the earth’s natural resources is depleting and it isn’t changing any time soon. Land degradation costs an estimated $40 billion annually worldwide (“Land Degradation Assessment”) and air pollution in 2010 for the US alone costs as much as $1.7 trillion (“The Cost of Air Pollution: Health Impacts of Road Transport"). And yet, global economic growth seems to remain constant over the past few decades. With the global GDP growth rate of 2.4% and a GDP per capita of $10,3184, it’s hard not to admit that man’s standards of living have grown a lot over time and it is still ever increasing. The advent of the technological revolution has led to vast increases in technological capacity, as seen in technological productivity’s doubling every five years. It’s a new age for man, yet man’s resources are still depleting at an incredibly alarming rate. Despite the apparent urgency, a lot of factors are still being considered before any action is taken.

Veteran of many wars. Distinguished officer of the armed forces. Hero of People Power. Loyal member of the Cory Aquino Cabinet. Defender of democracy against military adventurism. And, from 1992 to 1998, a father to his country. What more about Fidel Valdez Ramos that the public does not know?

Brazil has long been one of the most revered names in international football. With their flowing play style, the likes of former superstars Pele, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho, as well as the rising star Neymar, plus the Seleção’s (the national football team, literally translated as “the selection”) record five World Cup titles, it’s not hard to see why. It seems appropriate then, that the World Cup returns to the South American nation.

Inequality in the world’s poorest countries is considered one of the main barriers to development. But this column points out that the inequality is about much more than the über-rich and the destitute – it is about access to political power. This column looks at political dynasties, where leadership is passed down through family ties, to see if these are a cause of the persistent social and economic divides.

Most, if not all, economic models assume one big thing: that people are rational and that consequently, they would make choices that would maximize their utility or satisfaction, for reasons of simplification. The assumption of rationality has been so basic to economic thought that it has become undisputed, at least before another branch of economics – that is, behavioral economics – came about.

There are some things in life that we have a constant need for. Food, clothes, and education all fall under this category. These things are a part of our everyday lives; we buy clothes on a regular basis, we go out to eat with others almost weekly. They’ve become a fragment of living; the regular beat of a drum. Every once in a while, however, something disrupts that beat.

Since the latter part of the summer vacation for most Ateneans, the Academics Department of the Ateneo Economics Association (AEA) has been conducting review and tutorial sessions for select students from a local community in preparation for College Entrance Tests in the Philippines. These efforts were spearheaded by the AEA Academics Department for the Summer College Entrance Test (SCET) Review Program.

“The moment I was in the cab, I thought the agony of waiting had ended, but some ten minutes after getting in, the taxi still had not left which delayed the departure of other taxis behind,” he recounts. “I glanced over to the driver, but before I could complain, I was at a loss of words at the sight before me. His [the driver’s] hands were shaking as he slowly reached for the stick shift and tried, but failed to pull on it. He looked like he was exerting all the energy. I looked at his hand again, and saw blood.”

Indigenous peoples, as may be deduced from the definitions of the International Labor Organization, the Working Group on Indigenous Peoples (WGIP), and the World Bank, are peoples whose ancestors have been living in a certain territory prior to the arrival of other groups, who, due to their isolation, have preserved their culture, sociopolitical customs and economic system (such as subsistence-based production), and are in one way or another, distinct, if not marginalized, from the mainstream sections of a national or state structure.

The Islamic State, otherwise known as IS (and formerly ISIS or ISIL), is at the forefront of today’s news. Its penchant for ultra-violent practices such as mass executions of religious minorities has gained international notoriety and this, coupled with both the groups’ acquisition of advanced military equipment and its promise to establish a “medieval Caliphate” within Syria and Iraq, has rightfully worried both Western and Middle-Eastern powers.

In the year 2000, the heads of state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) formally launched the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) with the goal of providing support to ASEAN’s newer and lesser-developed member states, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. The initiative aims to narrow the development gap between them and the more developed ASEAN nations and thus accelerate the process of regional integration.

Internationalization has become a buzz-word in contemporary economic thought as countries start forming blocs in pursuit of a superordinate goal or interest. With this in mind, the Philippines is continuously trying to discover the opportunities and hazards of entering the “global game.”

On the night of October 11, 2014, the lifeless body of Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude was found on the bathroom floor of a motel in Olongapo City. A few days later, police investigators pointed to Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton of the United States Marines as the primary suspect for the brutal killing.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a free-trade agreement (FTA) currently being negotiated between twelve Asia-Pacific nations. It is a trade deal so massive; it encompasses more than 25% of global trade and 40% of global gross domestic product (GDP), stretching from Vietnam to the United States. Noting the potential geographical shift in trade, several other nations have expressed an interest in joining the TPP. One of these nations is the Philippines. But can the potential advantages that propel others to enter the TPP benefit the Philippines as well?

The name of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been well-known these days. For the past year the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sha has been making a name for itself by taking advantage of the conflict in Syria and in Iraq to create an Islamic caliphate in the near Middle East. So far they have achieved some success, controlling an area roughly the size of the American state of Pennsylvania (119,283 sq.km).

Charities are just like businesses; they are legal organizations set up for the purpose of providing goods or services. However, this is done normally in exchange for nothing. They are non-government organizations that are non-profit. If they do ask for money in return, it is usually for fund-raising or awareness.

A constitution, when justly approved by the people, is a social contract that seeks to limit the powers of the government over the governed. When a constitution prevents strong leaders from say, extending their terms, it is only doing what it ought to. Essential to the preservation of a country’s democratic institutions is respect for its constitution.

Piracy was already a reality in the Philippines as early as the 1950’s. To address this, local recording companies collaborated with each other to form the Record Industry Association of the Philippines (RIAP) where their objective mirrors that of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in combating piracy and protecting the intellectual copyright of artists.

Popular capitalism is based on the notion that capitalism works best when every participant in the market endeavors to be a capitalist or to own property and invest. At least in theory, it approaches the idea of perfect competition. Capitalism, as its most ardent supporters would argue, best functions under entirely unregulated conditions or under an entirely free market. Government cannot intervene, it is argued, without favoring one demographic sector.

The appeal of social media markets, a form of online shopping, lies in its ease and convenience. Anyone with basic knowledge of computers and access to the Internet can take part in it. Both purchasing and selling are fairly straightforward in this set-up: a seller posts photos and/or descriptions of his or her products online and a buyer can confirm a purchase by simply commenting on the post or accomplishing an order form online.

What does it take to qualify for a loan in the Philippines? If the findings from the Senior Bank Loan Officers’ Survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) are to be believed, it is passing stringent collateral requirements for household loans. However, banks are implementing a relaxation of loan policies for enterprises.

At the heart of the crisis in Thailand is the severe division between the National Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship party (Red-shirts) and the People’s Alliance for Democracy (Yellow-shirts). The Red-shirts are avid supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, and maintain that he improved the conditions for the lower class, particularly the farmers.

In an interview a day before his flight to Manila, Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. showed the bulletproof vest he would be wearing upon his arrival. He conceded that the vest cannot do anything to prevent a fatal head shot. “In a matter of three, four minutes it could be all over, you know. And I might not be able to talk to you again after this,” he said.

With the recent court hearings on the misallocation of government funds in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, another case has been put under the national spotlight. The Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) has been ruled by the Supreme Court as partially unconstitutional last July 1, 2014.

The ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians, which began in the mid-20th century, is known as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conflict has been so wide-ranging that it has formed a part of the broader Arab-Israeli conflict. Though there has been peace between Israel, Egypt, and Jordan, the original conflict hasn’t quelled.

The importance of these institutions is great enough for countries such as the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) to give them their fair share of bailouts over the past centuries. In 2001, for one, the US government was forced to ground all air traffic for several days after the 9/11 terrorist attack. Thus, they had to compensate for a financial loss of almost $5 billion in the air carrier industry. In the UK during the late 1700s, the government gave financial assistance to the East India Company, a decision that played a big factor in the Boston Tea Party.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is the institution responsible for the monetary policy implemented in the country. It was established on the 3rd of July, 1993, pursuant to the provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution and the New Central Bank Act of 1993. The BSP took over from the Central Bank of Philippines, which was established on the 3rd of January, 1943, as the country’s central monetary authority.

The importance of central banks, such as our very own Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), cannot be overemphasized. The government can influence economic activity through either fiscal policy (spending and taxation) or monetary policy (controlling the money supply and setting the interest rates), and central banks usually have the privilege of wielding the latter.

In October of 2009, the Finance Minister of Greece revealed that the country had been mishandling its budget. What followed was a near collapse of the entire European economic system – a financial crisis of a severity not witnessed since the Second World War.

Before the great brouhaha over the FOI Bill and the Anti-Cybercrime Law, the Reproductive Health Bill was the talk of the town. Indeed, months ago, the debate over the proposed law was so intense that the public seemed deeply polarized between the pro-life and pro-choice camps.

Believe it or not, you need to know stock exchange. You might be wondering why you should be happy about the performance of the Philippine stock market, whose main index has been hitting many record highs this year. President Aquino himself is confidenta that it will even reach 6,000 soon.

Before the great brouhaha over the FOI Bill and the Anti-Cybercrime Law, the Reproductive Health Bill was the talk of the town. Indeed, months ago, the debate over the proposed law was so intense that the public seemed deeply polarized between the pro-life and pro-choice camps.

Following the adage “a picture is worth a thousand words,” a collage of statistics, graphs, and sentences that highlight the key points are presented in this article to challenge the reader’s impressions of the Philippine economy. This historical macroeconomic perspective can lead to an understanding of why the Philippines is performing the way it does today.

Senate deliberations are now ongoing regarding Senate Bill 3249 by Senator Miriam Defensor- Santiago entitled, “AN ACT RESTRUCTURING THE EXCISE TAX ON ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS”, which is more commonly known as the “Sin Tax Bill”.

You have probably heard it many times that “the Philippines is a rich country pretending to be poor”. Dr. Cielito Habito, Economics professor of the Ateneo de Manila University and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, adds to this further by describing the “natural resource curse”. You can immediately recognize what this “curse” is by observing the various natural resources of the country.

When former students reminisce about Noel de Guzman, they don’t see a former economics department chairperson that carry an aura of authority nor a know-it-all someone with a PhD from Fordham University tucked in his belt. Rather, they see a light-spirited and accommodating fellow who starts the class with a serving of random personal anecdotes or a joke as an appetizer for the lectures.

The Philippine Constitution of 1987 says in Section 26 of the State’s Policies that “the State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.” However, it seems that public service in the country remains oligarchic in nature.

Four years ago, I was sitting on my bed in Manila upon returning from Zamboanga City, located in Mindanao, 536 miles south of the Philippine capital. I was in my late twenties, working under the Communications Office of the President of the Philippines. I looked at my laptop and saw my Facebook account. I just knew that I needed to share the story.

According to a report released by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), China has been quietly moving sands onto reefs and shoals since February in an effort to create artificial islands along the Spratly archipelago.

The recent power struggle between Russia and Ukraine over the control of the Crimean Peninsula is known internationally as the “Crimean crisis.” The region was administered by Ukraine until its annexation by the Russian Federation last February, a move not recognized by about 100 member states of the United Nations (UN).