In recent months, tensions rising in the West Philippine Sea have hogged the headlines, while our territorial claims in Sabah have been revived perennially by government officials and other claimants in the south. What should we know about our territorial disputes, and how do these issues affect the country's foreign policy? We talked to Dr. Herman Joseph Kraft of the U.P. Department of Political Science to know more about the country's territorial disputes and how relevant it is in the coming elections.

Visit our website, www.podkas.org, to listen to our full interview with Herman.

After almost a century, a land reform program that would genuinely emancipate the Filipino farmers remains elusive. Our agricultural situation pales in comparison to that of our neighbors. Small landholders and landless peasants find themselves in precarious and impoverished situations, especially when viewed relative to their Southeast Asian counterparts. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Veronica Gregorio, a rural sociologist from the National University of Singapore, to appraise the country’s agricultural situation and forward important recommendations for an effective and inclusive agricultural agenda.

To listen to our full interview with Nikki, visit our website, www.podkas.org.

Much has been said about Mindanao, the "land of promise" and the site of an intractable ethnic conflict that took decades to resolve. Significant milestones have been achieved in recent years, and now, we have the Bangsamoro, which has replaced the ARMM as a more preferred autonomy setup. But how should we understand the developments in Muslim Mindanao in light of the transition to Bangsamoro? We are joined by Prof. Yasmira Moner of the Mindanao State University Iligan Institute of Technology to talk about Mindanao, peace, and the BARMM.

Listen to our older episodes on Mindanao!

Jabidah Massacre

Moro Representation in History

For our full interview with Yasmira, head over to our website, www.podkas.org.

In recent decades, multiple presidents have attempted to undertake constitutional reform. No one has yet to succeed. In 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte won the presidency on a platform of shifting the country to a federal system of governance, but the motion has already been long dead, sidetracked by a bevy of reasons, one of them, the COVID-19 pandemic. But as we witness and participate in the ongoing conversations regarding the 2022 presidential elections, what should we know about charter change through the years? In this episode, we are joined by political scientist and UP Diliman Professor Maria Ela L. Atienza to guide us through this topic.

For our full interview with Ela, head to our website, www.podkas.org.

Although the holidays are just around the corner, we will not let November pass us by without talking about some of its news-breakers. We talked about the continuing COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines and the reopening of schools, the latest display of aggression by China in the West Philippine Sea, and the gripping drama that was the deadline for substitution for the 2022 national elections. Joining us in this discussion is a political scientist, a Ph.D. candidate from the Australian National University, and lecturer from De La Salle University, Cleve Arguelles.

Visit our website, www.podkas.org for more information and resources on Philippine history, politics, and society.

The climate crisis is upon us. In a country as high in the global climate risk index as the Philippines, we must understand the nature and context of a global phenomenon that threatens us today and in the future. What are the roots of this problem, and how can we engage our leaders on this issue? To know more about climate change, we talked to Dr. Doracie Zoleta Nantes of the National Panel of Technical Experts, Climate Change Commission of the Philippines.

To listen to our full conversation with Doracie, head over to our website, www.podkas.org.

How persistent is economic inequality in the country? In this episode, we reached out to economist and Rappler columnist, Dr. JC Punongbayan of the UP School of Economics to talk about some economic problems that the Philippines have suffered as a nation and what flaws in the system enable these issues to continue to the present.

If you want to listen to our full interview with JC, visit our website, www.podkas.org.

While the Philippines does well in global gender indices, there is clear and present gender inequality in the country. A closer look into the Philippine gender situation exposes the challenges that women, the LGBT, and other gender minorities face daily. But what about throughout Philippine history? With the help of Sharmila Parmanand, we revisit the evolution of gender issues in the Philippines through time in this new episode of PODKAS.

You may visit our website, www.podkas.org, for our full interview with Sharmila and more episodes and resources on Philippine history, politics, and society.

As we face multiple crises today, the proliferation of fake news and disinformation campaigns make the already complex situation more difficult. And yet, fake news isn't really new. In this episode, we situate this phenomenon in history and look at how we can better defend the truth at a time when facts are bent toward insidious aims. With us this episode is Jonathan Ong of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

To listen to our full interview with Jon, and for more stuff on Philippine history, politics, and society, head on over to our website, www.podkas.org.

What a historic October it has been! For our wrap up, we talk about the 2022 Philippine elections (which just got more real this month), the oil price hike, the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, and the historic Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Maria Ressa. With us this episode is Rappler’s Life and Style, Entertainment, and Opinion Editor, Marguerite de Leon (@margie_deleon) to help us unpack this month’s newsbreakers and to share a bit of an insider’s perspective on Rappler and the impact of Maria Ressa’s Nobel.

Listen to our fourth season, Hindi Na Bago 'Yan, and visit our website www.podkas.org for more resources on Philippine history, politics, and society.