• FEATURED ARTICLE

    Click on the picture to read this featured article.

    You may comment on the blog article in the discussion section that follows the article. The blog is known for its robust, informative, and civil discussions.

A SHIPYARD IS A TEST OF THE STATE

Why Philippine shipbuilding needs more than less red tape By Karl M. Garcia A shipyard is an unusual place to measure the quality of government. It is a factory, engineering complex, workplace, logistics node and maritime asset. But it is also a test of something less visible: Can government make its own institutions work together? … Continue reading →

From Rizal and La Solidaridad to algorithms and artificial intelligence

By Karl M. Garcia Every generation inherits a country it did not create. It inherits a language, a culture, a history, a religion, institutions, stories, assumptions and accumulated knowledge. Increasingly, it also inherits something less visible: systems that decide what information it encounters. Algorithms select what appears on a screen. Search engines determine what becomes … Continue reading →

Remembering Florante at Laura

The Old Poem That Refused to Become Old By Karl M. Garcia There are books we remember because we loved them, books we remember because we hated having to read them, and books we remember simply because they were required. Florante at Laura belongs, for many of us, to that peculiar category of high-school memories: … Continue reading →

WHAT WOULD AN ANTI-DYNASTY LAW ACTUALLY CHANGE?

Breaking a family monopoly is not the same as fixing politics By Karl M. Garcia There is a tempting assumption behind the debate over an anti-political dynasty law: Pass the law, remove the dynasties, and Philippine politics will become healthier. It is understandable. It is also incomplete. An anti-dynasty law could change something important: who … Continue reading →

Alliances Under Strain: Building a Philippines That Can Keep Functioning When the World Is Disrupted

By Karl M. Garcia The Philippines is entering a strategic environment in which crises can no longer be treated as separate events. A confrontation in the Taiwan Strait can affect shipping, insurance, semiconductor supplies, migration and regional trade. A prolonged conflict in the Middle East can affect oil prices, shipping routes and inflation. A crisis … Continue reading →