Manila

The 2022 campaign season in the Philippines officially kicked off on Tuesday with presidential campaign rallies across the country. It’s the start of a 90-day sprint to Election Day on May 9. Ten candidates are running to replace current president Rodrigo Duterte, who is term-limited. 

Many front-line workers and organizations immediately condemned the new rules, calling them “not safe, not fair” and not a solution to the “chronic and accute problem of understaffing.”

In an effort to protect Indonesia’s thermal coal supply, the country imposed an export ban in early January. But after several countries in Asia that depend on the crucial commodity lamented the move, the country has indicated an imminent ease of the ban.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has given the Nobel Peace Prize to journalists for the first time since 1935. Sofia Tomacruz, who works at Rappler with one of this year's two winners, Maria Ressa, joined The World's host Marco Werman to discuss the significance of the announcement.

After years of pushing a narrative of anti-Americanism and Filipino nationalism, President Rodrigo Duterte reversed his decision to void a long-standing defense agreement with the US. Analysts say Manila is in need of American assistance to counter Chinese aggression.

After a major controversy over a dengue fever vaccine, Filipinos are vaccine-wary when it comes to the COVID-19 jab.

After a major controversy over a dengue fever vaccine, many Filipinos are vaccine-weary when it comes to the COVID-19 jab. 

Critical State, our weekly foreign policy fix, takes a deep dive into new research that looks at the challenges of public health communication in areas of civil conflict, with a focus on the Philippines.