Horizons

‘Quezon,’ ‘Heneral Luna,’ and the middle class

There are few things as dispiriting as political cynicism—the scourge of democratic politics. I can’t,…

‘Michelin moment’: Shattering exceptionalism

Oxford–”The food scene in [the Philippines] is really vibrant with local specialties that are different…

‘Kung walang mahirap, walang corrupt?’

Philippine political discourse in the past decade has been dominated by three competing narratives. On…

‘Third force’: Pink Movement’s moment

In nations with minimal social trust and dismal confidence in state institutions, even the most…

Duterte, ICC, and our broken justice system

The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) latest decision marked a bittersweet moment. On one hand, it…

Is PH hurtling toward a revolution?

I almost didn’t make it [to Oxford],” a visiting Nepalese scholar told me, with the…

PH democracy: Is this the endgame?

Oxford—Everything, everywhere, all at once. That’s how I felt shortly before heading out of the…

Trillion Peso March: Quo vadis?

It was a flood of indignation and hope woven into a singular tapestry of democratic…

Fighting corruption: Brazil’s hard lessons

Vancouver—The past week was intense and illuminating. Thanks to the support of the Asia Pacific…

Marcos metamorphosis: Anti-corruption hero?

Vancouver—Just over a decade ago, a prized opportunity presented itself: a chance to write for…