The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
REALPOLITIKBy Benjie Alejandro In today’s digital era, one of the most pressing threats shaking not only the Philippines but the entire world is the relentless rise of cybercrime and transnational crimes. Gone are the days when criminals were confined to specific territories or hiding places. With the aid of modern technology and the internet, syndicates now operate seamlessly across borders, …
Points of View & Perspectives
July, 2026
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26 July
The Emerging “F4” of the Marcos Administration
LOVE FOR ALLBy: Virginia Rodriguez In every administration, a handful of public officials inevitably emerge as the faces of government performance. They become the people the public associates with action rather than rhetoric, implementation rather than intention. In the Marcos administration, some supporters have begun referring to four Cabinet members as the government’s unofficial “F4″—Department of Social Welfare and Development …
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26 July
Progress vs. skepticism
The unveiling of the Pax Silica project has placed the Philippines at the crossroads of economic ambition and public skepticism. Marketed as a cornerstone of a US-led initiative to strengthen global supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence infrastructure and critical minerals, the proposed 1,620-hectare economic security zone in New Clark City promises jobs, investments and a larger role for the …
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26 July
US force-labor tariff unfair
EBITDABy DIEGO C. CAGAHASTIAN While US State Department chief Marco Rubio is in Manila for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and while US President Donald Trump himself assured that the iron-clad security promises are still iron-clad, here comes the news that Philippine exports to the United States are now subject to a higher 12.5-percent tariff. For the uninitiated and for …
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19 July
TALE OF TWO SETS OF EMPLOYEES
Though one side of the Impeachment Court has the word Honorable prefixed before their names, being members of the august specimens of Senatus Populus Que Pilipinensis, and across them is the Witness Chair occupied by ordinary members of our Pambansang Mananaliksik (NBI), it is easy to conclude that shorn of their titles, garments and auras, both sets are employees of the Filipino people who pay them their salaries – the Honorables whoget a basic salary …
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19 July
When justice meets politics
The succession of criminal cases leading to imprisonment involving prominent senators has become impossible to ignore. First came Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who went into hiding after an arrest warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). This was followed by the high-profile arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada over allegations related to anomalous flood control projects. More recently, Senator Rodante …
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12 July
IMPEACHMENT WEEK # 1
This impeachment of the sitting Philippine Vice-President that unfolded last July 6 is remarkable for being the first such political exercise under the glare of social media – for anybody interested and to the world. With a high unemployment rate, with 120 million souls this side of the globe, it can be assumed that most with free time on their hands would go watch the …
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12 July
Prosperity on paper
A recent PUBLiCUS Asia survey presents a striking contradiction. While most Filipinos remain hopeful that their own households can improve financially, they continue to express deep skepticism about the country’s overall direction. It is a reminder that official economic milestones do not automatically translate into public confidence. According to the second quarter 2026 survey of 1,509 registered voters, 72% remain pessimistic about …
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12 July
Results That Matter More Than Rhetoric
LOVE FOR ALLBy: Virginia Rodriguez Public approval is rarely sustained by promises alone. It is earned through programs that people experience in their daily lives. Recent governance surveys have shown improved public perception of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and several members of his Cabinet, with DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian consistently emerging as one of the country’s top-performing Cabinet officials. …
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12 July
Navigating Russia, Sanctions, and Strategic Diversification
REALPOLITIKBy Benjie Alejandro President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent visit to Russia is more than a diplomatic courtesy call; it is a calculated move in the Philippines’ ongoing search for strategic diversification. As Prof. Froilan Calilung, political analyst and geopolitics expert, aptly warned: “Dependence on a single country or bloc exposes the Philippines to geopolitical shocks, including wars and unforeseen conflicts.” …