Japan’s domestic move and its profound international impact
By Victor Andres C. Manhit
This month, the ruling party in Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party, recommended the scrapping of limits confining the sale of arms to five categories...
Has the global expansion weathered too many hits?
AT WHAT POINT will the five-year-old expansion be dealt one punch too many? It may well make it through this latest scrape — and emerge in weaker shape. Top economic officials will earn their pay.
Suspension of excise tax on specific petroleum products
By Princess Rexille V. Liboon
Excise taxes are levied on goods manufactured or produced locally for domestic sales or consumption, imported things, and services performed within the Philippines. These...
The promise of AI — millions of jobs created or destroyed?
By Wilson P. Ng
I was born in the 1960s, and it would be an understatement to say that the world has undergone a massive change. We grew...
Calling it ‘political’ does not make the Constitution disappear
By Florencio B. Abad
With the Supreme Court’s oral arguments on the constitutionality of unprogrammed appropriations now winding down, a defining question remains:
What happens when a constitutional issue...
Coal-gas powered growth
By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr.
Last week the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released the World Economic Outlook (WEO) 2026, so I downloaded the database Excel files. For this column,...
Logic demands an Iran deal. Will Trump’s fantasies allow one?
IN THE LOGICAL WORLD that markets seem to believe will prevail in the Middle East, this war will end — and soon — because there’s little realistic prospect of either side winning a decisive victory by restarting the conflict. The costs of trying, meanwhile, range from punitive to ruinous.
Political dynasties are an evil institution
By Nathan Gilbert Quimpo
Many studies by political scientists on political dynasties in the Philippines have shown the harmful effects that these dynasties have had on the country’s...
Inside Southeast Asia’s scam compounds: A trafficked worker tells of fraud, coercion, and torture
By Randall Hansen
I was recently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and approached a group of young men in front of the Indian embassy. I told...
Building a future-ready health workforce through upskilling
By Teodoro B. Padilla
As the country marks World Health Worker Week, it is fitting to recognize the dedication and sacrifice of Filipino healthcare workers, scientists, and researchers...
Fiscal policy at the frontline: responding to the Iran war shock
By Diwa C. Guinigundo
The fiscal response to the Iran war shock is not conceptually complex but it is politically and institutionally difficult. The escalation of hostilities, particularly...
When sustainability becomes risk management
By Ron F. Jabal
Sustainability has long been framed as a matter of values. It is about responsibility, stewardship, and long-term thinking. These remain essential. But in periods...