Prof. Noel Leyco discussed the economic security questions facing the Philippines under Pax Silica at the DEV@WORK Series held on September 24, 2026, at the Asian Institute of Management. Prof. Leyco is President and Chief Economist of CRISP. Prof. Leyco has shared his presentation for readers who would like to explore the topic further. Click the files to download

The Xi-Trump September summit may have stabilized momentarily their countries’ relationship. But it does not make the Philippine situation any better. The room of competition is big only for the two powers but small for a country like the Philippines to wriggle its way from the main contenders.

Political families have grown cumulatively in recent years. The Philippines’ political families - often called "fat dynasties" where multiple relatives hold public office at the same time - grew from 19% to 29% between 1988 and 2019. Political dynasties today dominate a vast majority of elected positions.

The Marcos administration’s claims of reform and economic development are increasingly undermined by selective anti-corruption efforts, worsening economic conditions, and the continued repression of communities resisting state and corporate projects. At the same time, its deepening alignment with the United States, particularly amid intensifying great-power competition, further constrains Philippine economic and foreign-policy independence.

Defense buildup and a more hawkish security posture: Such is Japan’s pivotal policy today amid escalating regional tensions under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

An unprecedented constitutional and accountability crisis has engulfed the nation. The crisis is predicated by the ongoing historic Senate impeachment trial of the Republic’s Vice President Sara Duterte. Compounding the situation, the Philippines is in a state of high polarization as the Marcos-Sara Duterte "UniTeam" alliance has completely shattered into open institutional warfare.