ARTICLES

11 Sep 2024

The Anti-Political Dynasty Rule in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM): A Game Changer in Philippine Politics?

Yasmira P. Moner|Aries A. Arugay

The May 2025 BARMM elections will not only decide the fate of the conflict-ridden region but also test whether its rules can effectively reduce the dominance of political dynasties.

7 Aug 2024

China’s Environmental Focus in South China Sea: Questionable Motivations

Lye Liang Fook

China has filed reports on environmental protection in the South China Sea to counter the Philippines’ claim of severe damage to the marine ecosystem at Scarborough Shoal and thwart Manila’s effort to file a legal case against China. But Beijing’s efforts provoke some serious questions about its motivations.

China Philippine South China Sea

31 Jul 2024

Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement: Part of a Bigger Puzzle

Aries A. Arugay

William Choong, Fulcrum’s Managing Editor and ISEAS Senior Fellow, discusses the recent Japan-Philippines reciprocal access agreement with Dr Aries Arugay, the coordinator of the institute’s Philippines Studies Programme, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science, at the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

Dialogues at Fulcrum Japan Philippine South China Sea

30 Jul 2024

ASEAN’s Unity Under the Microscope

Joanne Lin|Sharon Seah

Laos, the current chair of ASEAN, has found that it has to grapple with increasingly contentious geopolitical issues.

ASEAN China Laos Philippine South China Sea

19 Jul 2024

China-Philippines Talks: A Sliver of Hope to Reduce Tensions?

Lye Liang Fook

Although China and the Philippines have resumed bilateral talks, they are far from addressing their differences over the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.

China China-Philippine Relations International Relations Philippine South China Sea

17 Jul 2024

The Impact of China’s Digital Silk Road on the Digital Domain of the Philippines

Julio S. Amador III|Deryk Baladjay

The Philippines’ outdated legal framework is unable to meet the new concerns posed by the large scale entry of Chinese technologies. The country’s institutions need to be resilient from foreign influence while accommodating investments that can bolster its digital push.

Digitalisation Philippine Philippine Politics Southeast Asia Technology

17 Jul 2024

Philippine-China Standoff Over Second Thomas Shoal: There Are Three Others

Marites Dañguilan Vitug|Camille Elemia

The Second Thomas Shoal is the centre of attention in the standoff between China and the Philippines. But there are three other features in the South China Sea that warrant examination.

China-Philippine Relations International Relations Philippine South China Sea

4 Jul 2024

Unravelling of the Marcos-Duterte Dynastic Alliance

Aries A. Arugay

The resignation of Vice-President Sara Duterte from the Cabinet signals the end of Marcos-Duterte political alliance and portends a likely clash between two of the country’s most powerful political dynasties.

Philippine Philippine Elections Philippine Politics

3 Jul 2024

Beyond the SQUAD: Ideas for the Philippines to Work with a Northeast Asian Minilateral Arrangement

Rommel Jude G. Ong

The Philippines has extensively participated in several minilateral defence arrangements in the Indo-Pacific with like-minded states, driven by its current strategic calculus and threats within its maritime domain. The author proposes one more.

Defence Military Philippine Southeast Asia

24 Jun 2024

The Pentagon’s Disinformation War: Undermining Health and Alliances in Southeast Asia

Nuurrianti Jalli

Recent revelations that the US’ Pentagon waged a disinformation campaign against Chinese COVID-19 vaccines in Southeast Asia should shake the region out of any naïve assumptions that the great powers would protect anyone else’s interests but their own as they fight for supremacy.

COVID-19 International Relations Misinformation Philippine Vaccine Diplomacy