cenpeg | people empowerment in governance

7/28/26

Politics in Disarray, Economic Illusions, and The Crisis of Sovereignty

The Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. administration has continued to highlight favorable macroeconomic indicators, strengthened security partnerships, and international recognition as evidence that the country is moving toward stability and prosperity. Behind declarations of economic progress, however, are Filipino families struggling with agonizingly high prices and wages that remain far below the cost of a dignified standard of living.

Press Statement

7/11/26

𝗖𝗲𝗻𝗣𝗘𝗚: 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁-𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) joins the Filipino people in commemorating the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 Arbitral Award, a historic legal victory that affirmed the Philippines' sovereign rights and maritime entitlements within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ruling remains a powerful affirmation that international law—not the use of force or unilateral assertions—should govern the...

Governance

7/24/26

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆

Our 1987 Constitution, born from the struggles and lessons of history, begins its chapter on accountability with a simple yet powerful declaration: “Public office is a public trust.” This is not just a line of legal poetry.

Latest Articles

The Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. administration has continued to highlight favorable macroeconomic indicators, strengthened security partnerships, and international recognition as evidence that the country is moving toward stability and prosperity. Behind declarations of economic progress, however, are Filipino families struggling with agonizingly high prices and wages that remain far below the cost of a dignified standard of living.

7/28/26

Politics in Disarray, Economic Illusions, and The Crisis of Sovereignty

The Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. administration has continued to highlight favorable macroeconomic indicators, strengthened security partnerships, and international recognition as evidence that the country is moving toward stability and prosperity. Behind declarations of economic progress, however, are Filipino families struggling with agonizingly high prices and wages that remain far below the cost of a dignified standard of living.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered on July 27, 2026 before a joint session of Congress – with 12 of the 24-Senate members inconspicuously absent - was short on performance but long on promises even as his talk was interrupted by a string of applauses and standing ovations.

7/28/26

SONA: THE RISE AND FALL OF MARCOS JR.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered on July 27, 2026 before a joint session of Congress – with 12 of the 24-Senate members inconspicuously absent - was short on performance but long on promises even as his talk was interrupted by a string of applauses and standing ovations.

Our 1987 Constitution, born from the struggles and lessons of history, begins its chapter on accountability with a simple yet powerful declaration: “Public office is a public trust.” This is not just a line of legal poetry.

7/24/26

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆

Our 1987 Constitution, born from the struggles and lessons of history, begins its chapter on accountability with a simple yet powerful declaration: “Public office is a public trust.” This is not just a line of legal poetry.

A Message on the Fifth State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., 27 July 2026 Prof. Emmanuel A. Leyco President and Chief Economist, Credit Rating and Investors Services Philippines, Inc. • Senior Fellow, Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) • ealeyco@crisp.com.ph On the fourth Monday of July, as the Constitution commands, the President will stand before a joint session of Congress at the Batasang Pambansa to deliver his fifth and penultimate State...

7/24/26

The Philippine Economy: Growth, Inequality, and Public Confidence

A Message on the Fifth State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., 27 July 2026 Prof. Emmanuel A. Leyco President and Chief Economist, Credit Rating and Investors Services Philippines, Inc. • Senior Fellow, Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) • ealeyco@crisp.com.ph On the fourth Monday of July, as the Constitution commands, the President will stand before a joint session of Congress at the Batasang Pambansa to deliver his fifth and penultimate State...

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) will hold its annual State of the Presidency (SoP) Forum 2026 on 21 July 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM, at the CMC Auditorium, College of Media and Communication, University of the Philippines Diliman. Carrying the theme "The Presidency and the People's Trust: Governance, Accountability, and National Sovereignty," this year's forum comes at a critical point in Philippine politics as the Marcos Jr. administration enters the latter half...

7/14/26

The Presidency and the People's Trust: CenPEG to Hold State of the Presidency Forum 2026

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) will hold its annual State of the Presidency (SoP) Forum 2026 on 21 July 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM, at the CMC Auditorium, College of Media and Communication, University of the Philippines Diliman. Carrying the theme "The Presidency and the People's Trust: Governance, Accountability, and National Sovereignty," this year's forum comes at a critical point in Philippine politics as the Marcos Jr. administration enters the latter half...

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) joins the Filipino people in commemorating the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 Arbitral Award, a historic legal victory that affirmed the Philippines' sovereign rights and maritime entitlements within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ruling remains a powerful affirmation that international law—not the use of force or unilateral assertions—should govern the...

7/11/26

𝗖𝗲𝗻𝗣𝗘𝗚: 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁-𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 ��𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) joins the Filipino people in commemorating the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 Arbitral Award, a historic legal victory that affirmed the Philippines' sovereign rights and maritime entitlements within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ruling remains a powerful affirmation that international law—not the use of force or unilateral assertions—should govern the...

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