Episode 8: Can Duterte avoid the pitfalls of Marcos? Part 4

Is the Philippines about to fall into a debt trap under Duterte the way it did under Marcos? This is the fourth in a series called Can Duterte avoid the pitfalls of Marcos? In this installment we look at Marcos' strategy of promoting growth through debt, while extracting maximum personal benefit for himself from it. Vice president Leni Robredo has cautioned Pres. Duterte against falling into this same trap as he contracts loans from China in a bid to lift infrastructure spending. We examine whether her fears have any basis, and discuss ways Duterte can prevent them from happening.

Listen to or download the podcast here.

Get the show notes to this podcast here.

Episode 7: Can Duterte avoid the pitfalls of Marcos? Part 3

If Pres. Duterte wants to succeed where Pres. Marcos failed, he will need to avoid certain pitfalls. This series examines what they were and seeks to determine how Duterte can avoid them. This is the third of four parts. In this installment we look at Marcos' misguided use of violence for political ends or "might is right" pitfall. We see whether Duterte has fallen into this same trap in his war on drugs by comparing the death toll of Oplan Tokhang to other anti-narcotic campaigns in Latin America that received tacit and financial support from the United States.

Listen to or download the podcast here.

The Blogwatch post mentioned in this episode can be found here.

The opinion piece by Walden Bello referred to in this episode can be found here.

Episode 6: Can Duterte avoid the pitfalls of Marcos? Part 2

If Pres. Duterte wants to succeed where Pres. Marcos failed, he will need to avoid certain pitfalls. This series examines what they were and seeks to determine how Duterte can avoid them. This is the second of four parts. In this installment we look at Marcos' pitfalls of greed and hubris. We see whether Duterte has fallen into these same traps, by comparing the traits that Marcos exhibited in his time in office with what Duterte has demonstrated in his public life.

Listen to or download the podcast here.

The article by Dr Tim Kelsall quoted in this episode can be found here.

Episode 5: Can Duterte avoid the pitfalls of Marcos? Part 1

Pres. Duterte imposed Martial Law in Mindanao in May 2017. Observers drew many parallels with Pres. Marcos' own proclamation in September 1971. While many regard Duterte as a dictator in the mold of Marcos, The Cusp examines their similarities as well as their differences, and asks whether Duterte can avoid the pitfalls of Marcos.

Listen to or download the podcast here.

The blog post by Doy Santos on Martial Law in Mindanao can be found here.

The Inquirer article of former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban quoted in this episode can be found here. 

Episode 4: Universal access to quality tertiary education

The universal access to quality tertiary education bill sponsored by Sen. Bam Aquino was the topic of discussion at a round table  organized by his office. Among the bill's key features was the abolition of student fees at local and state universities, colleges and technical, vocational institutions. This provision was objected to by economists from within Pres. Duterte's cabinet based on analysis conducted by the government's think tank. Citing the Australian experience of free college from the 1970s-2000s, the Cusp's Doy Santos questioned the goals and timing of this bill, coming on the heels of the Philippine student loans program (UniFAST).

Listen to or download the podcast here.

Episode 3: Assessing K-12 with Former DepEd Asst. Sec. Elvin Uy

He was the public face of the K-12 program in its infancy for most of the Aquino administration's term in office. Now former DepEd Assistant Secretary Elvin Uy sits down with The Cusp PH's Doy Santos to discuss the birthing pains of the program, and reflects on the lessons learned and next steps for reforming basic education.

Listen to or download the podcast here.

Episode 2: Is Duterte's TRAIN on the right track?

The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusiveness package or TRAIN is the cornerstone of 'Dutertenomics'. Without it, the Build, Build, Build program, which seeks to spread the benefits of growth from Manila to the rest of the nation will simply stall. In this episode of the podcast, we look at what the reforms seek to achieve, and whether the policy tools used to achieve them are the right ones, from efficiency, equity and ease of administration perspectives.

Listen to or download the podcast here.