Fernan Talamayan | National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (original) (raw)
Papers by Fernan Talamayan
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Asia in Transition in the 21st Century, 2024
User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) designs play a pivotal role in shaping human-to-mach... more User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) designs play a pivotal role in shaping human-to-machine and human-to-human interactions. They not only influence people’s engagement with technology but also shape individual perspectives, political discourses, and social relations. While much research has focused on algorithms and Big Data, less attention has been given to the sociopolitical dimensions of design, especially its impact in the Global South. This essay attempts to contribute to the conversation around how design functions as a form of power that targets and directs user actions and interactions. Through the lens of UI and UX design, I echo digital media scholars’ argument that today’s technologies simultaneously facilitate the following: the commodification of data, perpetuation of disparities, control over people’s access to information, and manipulation of user behavior. These dynamics often reinforce power structures and benefit those with access to user data, hence the need to further interrogate the sociopolitical implications of UI and UX designs. Design, as both a tool and a system of power, demands critical scrutiny if we are to challenge the deep-seated inequalities it perpetuates and reclaim digital spaces for more equitable futures.
Asian Journal of Political Science, 2024
This article investigates the Marcos golden age narratives on YouTube before the 2022 Philippine ... more This article investigates the Marcos golden age narratives on YouTube before the 2022 Philippine presidential elections. Despite evidence of brutality during the Marcos years, many Filipinos reminisce about his tenure as a period of peace and progress, influenced by selective historical accounts propagated through digital media. Expanding Laclau's theory of populism, we identify affective storytelling techniques prominent pro-Marcos YouTubers employ to glorify the Marcos era and examine them to understand how the populist logic of difference and equivalence guides the articulation of a romanticized past and endorses the vilification of elites and Marcos critics. Our analysis underscores the potency of nostalgia in populist and authoritarian politics, demonstrating their capacity to foster a collective yearning for a mythic past and stoke a collective desire for Marcos-brand authoritarianism. Ultimately, this article contributes to understanding the dynamics of historical revisionism and its implications for political discourse and historical consciousness in the digital age, emphasizing the role of YouTubers in shaping political landscapes through nostalgia and the manipulation of social memory.
Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints, 2024
The article examines the foundation and formation of populist logic in the Philippines, focusing ... more The article examines the foundation and formation of populist logic in the Philippines, focusing on the presidencies of Manuel Quezon, Ramon Magsaysay, and Ferdinand Marcos—leaders who relied heavily on populist rhetoric. Combining grounded theory and critical discourse analysis, I trace the populist logic in past articulations of people’s sentiments and demands to identify populism’s linguistic and discursive features, as well as its reproduction of unifying and polarizing signifiers. By casting historical light on populism, I unveil the rhetorical strategies, moral justifications, and temporal perspectives that shaped and continuously shape its articulation and practice in the country.
Western Pacific Surveillance and Response, 2024
Problem: The spread of mis- and disinformation on mobile and messaging apps during the COVID-19 p... more Problem: The spread of mis- and disinformation on mobile and messaging apps during the COVID-19 pandemic not only fuelled anxieties and mistrust in health authorities but also undermined the effectiveness of the overall public health response. • Context: Mobile and messaging apps help users stay informed and connected to their families, friends, colleagues and communities. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, these apps were also one of the primary channels where mis- and disinformation were circulated. • Action: Recognizing the importance of including mobile and messaging apps in risk communication and emergency response strategies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and some countries in the WHO Western Pacific Region independently piloted initiatives to reach messaging app users, meet their evolving information needs, and streamline health ministry communication. • Outcome: The enhanced use of mobile and messaging apps enabled consistent and timely communication and improved coordination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leveraging their features also helped identify and potentially fill crucial information gaps, mitigating the harms of mis- and disinformation and fostering stronger trust in health authorities. • Discussion: The findings from the work carried out by WHO and countries in the Western Pacific Region identified some promising innovative communication interventions using mobile and messaging apps. While these interventions should be further explored and evaluated, they have demonstrated that interventions need to be proactive, flexible, and able to adapt to changes in mis- and disinformation content being shared through messaging apps.
Asia Review, 2024
This article revisits Duterte's populist and authoritarian performances, analyzing reports that r... more This article revisits Duterte's populist and authoritarian performances, analyzing reports that reflect the connection between the populist logic and democratic backsliding in the Philippines. Through a systematic examination of Duterte's real and perceived achievements, the article explains how rhetorical strategies and actions, guided by the logic of populism, help sustain popularity and justify authoritarian practices. Fulfilled promises celebrated and failures constantly dismissed by Duterte supporters are identified, using them as indicators of their consent to Duterte's leadership approach. The article finds that Duterte supporters welcomed authoritarian measures and considered them as manifestations of their champion's political will crucial for satisfying their practical demands. As Duterte supporters maintained, disciplining or eliminating government opponents and fully supporting the administration were prerequisites for progress. With the Duterte presidency marking a critical juncture in Philippine democracy, there is a pressing need to reevaluate his legacy and delve deeper into the allure of populist rhetoric and authoritarian practices in the Philippines.
Asia Review, 2021
The increasing incidence of disinformation in the Philippines promotes romanticized recollections... more The increasing incidence of disinformation in the Philippines promotes romanticized recollections of Ferdinand Marcos' martial law (1972–1981). While the general scholarship remembers the era for its horrors and atrocities, narratives circulated online claim that Marcos' rule made the nation great and that several groups and institutions conspired to distort people's memory, serving the purpose of Marcos' political enemies. These narratives, shared by Marcos and Duterte supporters, echo a desire to return to a fantastical "golden age." This study investigates the nostalgia for the Marcos golden age, magnifying the salient features of whitewashed memories of Marcos' martial law in online communities, as well as techniques that turn the Marcos propaganda into a basic grammar that frames people's articulation of their frustrations and aspirations. The study found that the described propaganda embeds the light-darkness-light perspective in its us-versus-them narrative. Within such a framework, nostalgia can set the stage for the expression of polarizing phrases, hate speech, conspiracy theories, discontent, and hope, which complete the grammar of the Marcos propaganda.
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Critical Studies of Inter-Asian Societies, 2022
With the pandemic limiting people's mobility, adopting innovative research methods has never been... more With the pandemic limiting people's mobility, adopting innovative research methods has never been more relevant, especially for researchers in the fields of social sciences and humanities. Learning from the COVID-19 experience, this essay stresses the need to reimagine social research. It explores different research strategies and techniques that can be implemented during public health emergencies, such as online ethnography, online interviews, and focus groups. Social research planning and execution in virtual environments require awareness of behavioral, spatial, and technological factors, some of which are briefly tackled in this essay. As the world struggles to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, this essay invites researchers to consider using existing technologies and adopting digital research methods.
Asia Review
Reexamining Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against Western power blocs and the results of his diplomat... more Reexamining Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against Western power blocs and the results of his diplomatic efforts to obtain Chinese and Russian assistance has never been more relevant, considering the measures his successor adopted to reinforce or reconfigure his foreign policy. To this end, the article revisits Duterte’s pivot to China and Russia, refining the discussion of their rationale and providing a qualitative assessment of their outcomes. Through a critical review of presidential speeches and news reports, the article unpacks the connection of the strategy to the following: first, Duterte’s anti-colonial narrative; second, his drug war; third, the desire to improve the country’s military, trade, tourism, and infrastructure; and fourth, the management of the South China Sea conflict. While the foreign policy considered the country’s geopolitical and economic realities, the article found that it failed to achieve its desired outcomes. With mounting pressure at home to demonstrate the gains of his Beijing-friendly policy and the political and economic repercussions of transacting with Moscow, Duterte appeared to have recalibrated the strategy before he left office. The policy’s failures should offer lessons to international relations researchers, the administration that succeeded Duterte, and, more importantly, to less powerful nations engaging with competing major powers.
Media, Culture, and Society, 2023
While the growing influence of digital platforms on social life is now widely recognized, scholar... more While the growing influence of digital platforms on social life is now widely recognized, scholars continue to grapple with the operation of digital platforms and their mediation of social life. This article examines some of Facebook’s operational logics to shed light on the company’s social imaginary. Our argument is that Facebook imagines a sociality that can be broken down to machine-readable signals which can also be patented for capital accumulation. This argument is based on a critical analysis of Facebook patents that revealed key operational logics underpinning the platform, namely: data extraction, user surveillance, profiling, ranking, and preemption. Through critical patent analysis, we unveil not only the platform’s configuration but also its creators’ orchestration of human actions and interactions. At a time when companies are more inclined to protect their innovations through patents, perhaps now more than ever, is an opportune moment to examine what their inventions ...
Asia Review, 2022
Reexamining Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against Western power blocs and the results of his diplomat... more Reexamining Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against Western power blocs and the results of his diplomatic efforts to obtain Chinese and Russian assistance has never been more relevant, considering the measures his successor adopted to reinforce or reconfigure his foreign policy. To this end, the article revisits Duterte’s pivot to China and Russia, refining the discussion of their rationale and providing a qualitative assessment of their outcomes. Through a critical review of presidential speeches and news reports, the article unpacks the connection of the strategy to the following: first, Duterte’s anti-colonial narrative; second, his drug war; third, the desire to improve the country’s military, trade, tourism, and infrastructure; and fourth, the management of the South China Sea conflict. While the foreign policy considered the country’s geopolitical and economic realities, the article found that it failed to achieve its desired outcomes. With mounting pressure at home to demonstrate the gains of his Beijing-friendly policy and the political and economic repercussions of transacting with Moscow, Duterte appeared to have recalibrated the strategy before he left office. The policy’s failures should offer lessons to international relations researchers, the administration that succeeded Duterte, and, more importantly, to less powerful nations engaging with competing major powers.
The Cordillera Review: Journal of Philippine Culture and Society, 2022
Tourism, as a practice, involves a projection and performance of identity in response to what the... more Tourism, as a practice, involves a projection and performance of identity in response to what the market desires. Museums convey a message through the collection, preservation, and exhibition of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. While the coverage of the two varies, their principles and operations often overlap, especially in the case of indigenous tourism and living museums. This study examines the reproductions of Cordilleran cultural heritage in Tam-awan Village, a "living museum" envisioned to preserve and promote Cordilleran culture and identity. Using ethnographic and historical data, it makes intelligible the complex connections among colonial stereotypes, the commodification of culture, negotiation of identity, and the emergence of paradoxical perspectives in a contemporary living museum. The study found that in the attempted preservation of culture and reappropriation of colonial signifiers, a new culture is generated-one in which the marginalized are simultaneously objectified, commodified, and empowered.
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Critical Studies of Inter-Asian Societies, 2022
This preliminary study analyzes various issues surrounding Foodpanda, a popular online food and g... more This preliminary study analyzes various issues surrounding Foodpanda, a popular online food and grocery delivery platform. Combining information on the platform’s scoring system with riders’ sentiments, the study unpacks contemporary technologies’ creation of new tools for exploitation and various allegations of unfair labor practices to expose the precarity of the riders’ work. Particular attention is given to technologies and policies that take advantage of the riders during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying issues such as fake bookings or the unreasonable cancellation of confirmed orders, the unfavorable pay and working conditions, the endorsement of neoliberal governmentality, among others. The study found evidence of structural abuse embedded within the platform’s design. Foodpanda’s unjust payment schemes and inadequate action toward scams signify the platform’s failure to meet the needs and protect the welfare of their food delivery workers. Evidence analyzed in this preliminary work provides insights on how some platforms today are designed to meet capitalists’ insatiable desire for profit.
Asia Review, 2021
The increasing incidence of disinformation in the Philippines promotes romanticized recollections... more The increasing incidence of disinformation in the Philippines promotes romanticized recollections of Ferdinand Marcos' martial law (1972–1981). While the general scholarship remembers the era for its horrors and atrocities, narratives circulated online claim that Marcos' rule made the nation great and that several groups and institutions conspired to distort people's memory, serving the purpose of Marcos' political enemies. These narratives, shared by Marcos and Duterte supporters, echo a desire to return to a fantastical "golden age." This study investigates the nostalgia for the Marcos golden age, magnifying the salient features of whitewashed memories of Marcos' martial law in online communities, as well as techniques that turn the Marcos propaganda into a basic grammar that frames people's articulation of their frustrations and aspirations. The study found that the described propaganda embeds the light-darkness-light perspective in its us-versus-them narrative. Within such a framework, nostalgia can set the stage for the expression of polarizing phrases, hate speech, conspiracy theories, discontent, and hope, which complete the grammar of the Marcos propaganda.
Southeast Asian Media Studies Journal, 2021
In the 1930s, several advertisements appealing to nationalist sentiments bore the mark of NEPA, o... more In the 1930s, several advertisements appealing to nationalist sentiments bore the mark of NEPA, or the National Economic Protectionism Association. NEPA was formed by Filipino business magnates who embraced Manuel L. Quezon's call for the strengthening of the Philippine economy and its industries. For almost half a decade, NEPA was used as a brand that advanced 'pro-Filipino' consumption behavior. While the brand's pro-Filipino posturing seemed to resist the colonial rhetoric, a more nuanced assessment of the elements, orientation, and mobilization of such branding suggests that it was systematically produced and promoted to serve political and economic elite interests. To shed light on the brand's essence and intentions, this article examines several advertisements for NEPA branded products from 1934 through 1941. It analyzes the brand's historical and institutional contexts to establish the link between its notion of 'nationalism' and the state's and entrepreneurs' political, cultural, and economic motivations. Ultimately, this study demonstrates how NEPA's advertising campaign attempted to engineer Filipino consumption behavior and generate a 'basic grammar' in which the articulation of pro-Filipino in the 1930s was framed.
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Critical Studies of Inter-Asian Societies, 2021
Panagbenga is an annual festival held in Baguio City, Philippines every February, celebrating Cor... more Panagbenga is an annual festival held in Baguio City, Philippines every February, celebrating Cordillera’s flora and promoting the region’s culture and economy. Despite the festival being initiated fairly recently, it has found its way to many Filipinos’ calendars. Every year, it attracts millions of visitors and contributes to the city’s flower industry and tourism. It is curious, however, that even with the festival’s popularity, very few social scientists have been intrigued by the festival’s inception and traditionalization. To address this gap, this study offers a preliminary examination of Panagbenga using nuanced anthropological descriptions of tradition. Central to its analysis of traditionalization is the modification, institutionalization, and multiplication of festival practices that serve various purposes. In exploring the intersection of cultural expressions and economic practices during Panagbenga, the study validated the fluidity of tradition, refuting the prevailing Hobsbawmian distinction between “genuine” and “invented” traditions.
Journal of ASEAN Studies, 2020
Social networking sites have become increasingly relevant in the study of democracy and culture i... more Social networking sites have become increasingly relevant in the study of democracy and culture in recent years. This study explores the interconnectedness of social networks, the imposition of state control, and management of social behavior by comparing various literature on the operation of repression in Thai and Philippine cyberspaces. It examines the overt and covert policing of daily interactions in digital environments and unpacks governmental technologies' disciplinary mechanisms following Michel Foucault's notion of government and biopolitical power. Subjugation in the context of social networks merits analysis for it sheds light on the practice of active and passive self-censorship-the former driven by the pursuit of a moral self-image and the latter by state-sponsored fear. In tracing various points of convergence and divergence in the practice of cyber control in Thailand and the Philippines, the study found newer domains of regulation of social behavior applicable to today's democracies.
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Critical Studies on Inter-Asian Societies, 2020
The 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippines and China on cooperation on the Belt... more The 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippines and China on cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative ascertained a stronger infrastructure collaboration and interconnectivity in the transportation, telecommunication, and energy sectors. As I explained in an earlier publication, President Rodrigo Duterte welcomed Chinese aid with the hopes of ushering in a “golden age of infrastructure” in the Philippines. Recognizing the economic and geopolitical implications of infrastructure development as spurred by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), this essay appends the discussion on Manila’s closer cooperation with Beijing by analyzing how the Beijing-Manila relationship impacts the state of democracy and the rule of law in the Philippines.
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Critical Studies of Inter-Asian Societies, 2020
The May 2020 report by the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities on the social... more The May 2020 report by the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities on the social and economic impact of the Covid-19 outbreak validates Stefania Milan and Emiliano Treré’s (April 2020) claim that the Global South is “virtually absent” from the “number-based narration of the pandemic.” Although there was an attempt to shed light on the potential ramifications of the pandemic on the Global South, the volume and variety of data presented in the report made the disparity between the Global North and Global South’s capacity to amass data apparent. The lack of data on the spread of Covid-19 in the Global South causes a plethora of problems, as it impairs the region’s ability to develop pragmatic containment plans and implement adequate economic, health, and social solutions. To this end, this article shares the disquieting situation in the Philippines. It provides examples of how the lack of data affects people’s physical and mental health and contributes to government (in)decisions.
International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS) Working Paper Series, 2020
Issues surrounding water reservoir construction and hydropower development in the Philippines pro... more Issues surrounding water reservoir construction and hydropower development in the Philippines provide glimpses of the marginalization of indigenous peoples (IPs). For the sake of “development,” state-sponsored mega dam projects encroach ancestral lands and ultimately threaten IPs’ existence. Hence, while Filipinos from highly urbanized cities recognize the need to increase the country’s water supply and electricity generation, such infrastructure projects are always met with resistance. Using the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice (EJAtlas) database, this paper mapped the mega dam projects in the Philippines that denied or will potentially deny IPs’ rights over water resources and sustainable livelihood. At the same time, it identified several resistance movements against these projects and examined the factors that contributed to their outcomes. Particular attention was given to the actors involved in various dam-related conflicts, as their relationship and actions are deemed crucial in understanding the consistent denial of IPs’ voice in political processes. The research confirmed the findings of several case studies that tell the rampant violations of the “Freedom, Prior, and Informed Consent” (FPIC) policy across the country. It also found that influential members and supporters of anti-dam movements are commonly “red-tagged” by the government—a state practice that legitimizes the surveillance, harassment, or murder of members or supporters of progressive organizations. Through the mapping of the anti-dam movements, the paper exhibited the state’s disconcerting interpretation of the “common good,” as the Manila-centric or urban-centric interpretation of such phrase invariably causes the IPs’ marginalization.
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Asia in Transition in the 21st Century, 2024
User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) designs play a pivotal role in shaping human-to-mach... more User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) designs play a pivotal role in shaping human-to-machine and human-to-human interactions. They not only influence people’s engagement with technology but also shape individual perspectives, political discourses, and social relations. While much research has focused on algorithms and Big Data, less attention has been given to the sociopolitical dimensions of design, especially its impact in the Global South. This essay attempts to contribute to the conversation around how design functions as a form of power that targets and directs user actions and interactions. Through the lens of UI and UX design, I echo digital media scholars’ argument that today’s technologies simultaneously facilitate the following: the commodification of data, perpetuation of disparities, control over people’s access to information, and manipulation of user behavior. These dynamics often reinforce power structures and benefit those with access to user data, hence the need to further interrogate the sociopolitical implications of UI and UX designs. Design, as both a tool and a system of power, demands critical scrutiny if we are to challenge the deep-seated inequalities it perpetuates and reclaim digital spaces for more equitable futures.
Asian Journal of Political Science, 2024
This article investigates the Marcos golden age narratives on YouTube before the 2022 Philippine ... more This article investigates the Marcos golden age narratives on YouTube before the 2022 Philippine presidential elections. Despite evidence of brutality during the Marcos years, many Filipinos reminisce about his tenure as a period of peace and progress, influenced by selective historical accounts propagated through digital media. Expanding Laclau's theory of populism, we identify affective storytelling techniques prominent pro-Marcos YouTubers employ to glorify the Marcos era and examine them to understand how the populist logic of difference and equivalence guides the articulation of a romanticized past and endorses the vilification of elites and Marcos critics. Our analysis underscores the potency of nostalgia in populist and authoritarian politics, demonstrating their capacity to foster a collective yearning for a mythic past and stoke a collective desire for Marcos-brand authoritarianism. Ultimately, this article contributes to understanding the dynamics of historical revisionism and its implications for political discourse and historical consciousness in the digital age, emphasizing the role of YouTubers in shaping political landscapes through nostalgia and the manipulation of social memory.
Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints, 2024
The article examines the foundation and formation of populist logic in the Philippines, focusing ... more The article examines the foundation and formation of populist logic in the Philippines, focusing on the presidencies of Manuel Quezon, Ramon Magsaysay, and Ferdinand Marcos—leaders who relied heavily on populist rhetoric. Combining grounded theory and critical discourse analysis, I trace the populist logic in past articulations of people’s sentiments and demands to identify populism’s linguistic and discursive features, as well as its reproduction of unifying and polarizing signifiers. By casting historical light on populism, I unveil the rhetorical strategies, moral justifications, and temporal perspectives that shaped and continuously shape its articulation and practice in the country.
Western Pacific Surveillance and Response, 2024
Problem: The spread of mis- and disinformation on mobile and messaging apps during the COVID-19 p... more Problem: The spread of mis- and disinformation on mobile and messaging apps during the COVID-19 pandemic not only fuelled anxieties and mistrust in health authorities but also undermined the effectiveness of the overall public health response. • Context: Mobile and messaging apps help users stay informed and connected to their families, friends, colleagues and communities. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, these apps were also one of the primary channels where mis- and disinformation were circulated. • Action: Recognizing the importance of including mobile and messaging apps in risk communication and emergency response strategies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and some countries in the WHO Western Pacific Region independently piloted initiatives to reach messaging app users, meet their evolving information needs, and streamline health ministry communication. • Outcome: The enhanced use of mobile and messaging apps enabled consistent and timely communication and improved coordination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leveraging their features also helped identify and potentially fill crucial information gaps, mitigating the harms of mis- and disinformation and fostering stronger trust in health authorities. • Discussion: The findings from the work carried out by WHO and countries in the Western Pacific Region identified some promising innovative communication interventions using mobile and messaging apps. While these interventions should be further explored and evaluated, they have demonstrated that interventions need to be proactive, flexible, and able to adapt to changes in mis- and disinformation content being shared through messaging apps.
Asia Review, 2024
This article revisits Duterte's populist and authoritarian performances, analyzing reports that r... more This article revisits Duterte's populist and authoritarian performances, analyzing reports that reflect the connection between the populist logic and democratic backsliding in the Philippines. Through a systematic examination of Duterte's real and perceived achievements, the article explains how rhetorical strategies and actions, guided by the logic of populism, help sustain popularity and justify authoritarian practices. Fulfilled promises celebrated and failures constantly dismissed by Duterte supporters are identified, using them as indicators of their consent to Duterte's leadership approach. The article finds that Duterte supporters welcomed authoritarian measures and considered them as manifestations of their champion's political will crucial for satisfying their practical demands. As Duterte supporters maintained, disciplining or eliminating government opponents and fully supporting the administration were prerequisites for progress. With the Duterte presidency marking a critical juncture in Philippine democracy, there is a pressing need to reevaluate his legacy and delve deeper into the allure of populist rhetoric and authoritarian practices in the Philippines.
Asia Review, 2021
The increasing incidence of disinformation in the Philippines promotes romanticized recollections... more The increasing incidence of disinformation in the Philippines promotes romanticized recollections of Ferdinand Marcos' martial law (1972–1981). While the general scholarship remembers the era for its horrors and atrocities, narratives circulated online claim that Marcos' rule made the nation great and that several groups and institutions conspired to distort people's memory, serving the purpose of Marcos' political enemies. These narratives, shared by Marcos and Duterte supporters, echo a desire to return to a fantastical "golden age." This study investigates the nostalgia for the Marcos golden age, magnifying the salient features of whitewashed memories of Marcos' martial law in online communities, as well as techniques that turn the Marcos propaganda into a basic grammar that frames people's articulation of their frustrations and aspirations. The study found that the described propaganda embeds the light-darkness-light perspective in its us-versus-them narrative. Within such a framework, nostalgia can set the stage for the expression of polarizing phrases, hate speech, conspiracy theories, discontent, and hope, which complete the grammar of the Marcos propaganda.
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Critical Studies of Inter-Asian Societies, 2022
With the pandemic limiting people's mobility, adopting innovative research methods has never been... more With the pandemic limiting people's mobility, adopting innovative research methods has never been more relevant, especially for researchers in the fields of social sciences and humanities. Learning from the COVID-19 experience, this essay stresses the need to reimagine social research. It explores different research strategies and techniques that can be implemented during public health emergencies, such as online ethnography, online interviews, and focus groups. Social research planning and execution in virtual environments require awareness of behavioral, spatial, and technological factors, some of which are briefly tackled in this essay. As the world struggles to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, this essay invites researchers to consider using existing technologies and adopting digital research methods.
Asia Review
Reexamining Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against Western power blocs and the results of his diplomat... more Reexamining Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against Western power blocs and the results of his diplomatic efforts to obtain Chinese and Russian assistance has never been more relevant, considering the measures his successor adopted to reinforce or reconfigure his foreign policy. To this end, the article revisits Duterte’s pivot to China and Russia, refining the discussion of their rationale and providing a qualitative assessment of their outcomes. Through a critical review of presidential speeches and news reports, the article unpacks the connection of the strategy to the following: first, Duterte’s anti-colonial narrative; second, his drug war; third, the desire to improve the country’s military, trade, tourism, and infrastructure; and fourth, the management of the South China Sea conflict. While the foreign policy considered the country’s geopolitical and economic realities, the article found that it failed to achieve its desired outcomes. With mounting pressure at home to demonstrate the gains of his Beijing-friendly policy and the political and economic repercussions of transacting with Moscow, Duterte appeared to have recalibrated the strategy before he left office. The policy’s failures should offer lessons to international relations researchers, the administration that succeeded Duterte, and, more importantly, to less powerful nations engaging with competing major powers.
Media, Culture, and Society, 2023
While the growing influence of digital platforms on social life is now widely recognized, scholar... more While the growing influence of digital platforms on social life is now widely recognized, scholars continue to grapple with the operation of digital platforms and their mediation of social life. This article examines some of Facebook’s operational logics to shed light on the company’s social imaginary. Our argument is that Facebook imagines a sociality that can be broken down to machine-readable signals which can also be patented for capital accumulation. This argument is based on a critical analysis of Facebook patents that revealed key operational logics underpinning the platform, namely: data extraction, user surveillance, profiling, ranking, and preemption. Through critical patent analysis, we unveil not only the platform’s configuration but also its creators’ orchestration of human actions and interactions. At a time when companies are more inclined to protect their innovations through patents, perhaps now more than ever, is an opportune moment to examine what their inventions ...
Asia Review, 2022
Reexamining Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against Western power blocs and the results of his diplomat... more Reexamining Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against Western power blocs and the results of his diplomatic efforts to obtain Chinese and Russian assistance has never been more relevant, considering the measures his successor adopted to reinforce or reconfigure his foreign policy. To this end, the article revisits Duterte’s pivot to China and Russia, refining the discussion of their rationale and providing a qualitative assessment of their outcomes. Through a critical review of presidential speeches and news reports, the article unpacks the connection of the strategy to the following: first, Duterte’s anti-colonial narrative; second, his drug war; third, the desire to improve the country’s military, trade, tourism, and infrastructure; and fourth, the management of the South China Sea conflict. While the foreign policy considered the country’s geopolitical and economic realities, the article found that it failed to achieve its desired outcomes. With mounting pressure at home to demonstrate the gains of his Beijing-friendly policy and the political and economic repercussions of transacting with Moscow, Duterte appeared to have recalibrated the strategy before he left office. The policy’s failures should offer lessons to international relations researchers, the administration that succeeded Duterte, and, more importantly, to less powerful nations engaging with competing major powers.
The Cordillera Review: Journal of Philippine Culture and Society, 2022
Tourism, as a practice, involves a projection and performance of identity in response to what the... more Tourism, as a practice, involves a projection and performance of identity in response to what the market desires. Museums convey a message through the collection, preservation, and exhibition of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. While the coverage of the two varies, their principles and operations often overlap, especially in the case of indigenous tourism and living museums. This study examines the reproductions of Cordilleran cultural heritage in Tam-awan Village, a "living museum" envisioned to preserve and promote Cordilleran culture and identity. Using ethnographic and historical data, it makes intelligible the complex connections among colonial stereotypes, the commodification of culture, negotiation of identity, and the emergence of paradoxical perspectives in a contemporary living museum. The study found that in the attempted preservation of culture and reappropriation of colonial signifiers, a new culture is generated-one in which the marginalized are simultaneously objectified, commodified, and empowered.
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Critical Studies of Inter-Asian Societies, 2022
This preliminary study analyzes various issues surrounding Foodpanda, a popular online food and g... more This preliminary study analyzes various issues surrounding Foodpanda, a popular online food and grocery delivery platform. Combining information on the platform’s scoring system with riders’ sentiments, the study unpacks contemporary technologies’ creation of new tools for exploitation and various allegations of unfair labor practices to expose the precarity of the riders’ work. Particular attention is given to technologies and policies that take advantage of the riders during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying issues such as fake bookings or the unreasonable cancellation of confirmed orders, the unfavorable pay and working conditions, the endorsement of neoliberal governmentality, among others. The study found evidence of structural abuse embedded within the platform’s design. Foodpanda’s unjust payment schemes and inadequate action toward scams signify the platform’s failure to meet the needs and protect the welfare of their food delivery workers. Evidence analyzed in this preliminary work provides insights on how some platforms today are designed to meet capitalists’ insatiable desire for profit.
Asia Review, 2021
The increasing incidence of disinformation in the Philippines promotes romanticized recollections... more The increasing incidence of disinformation in the Philippines promotes romanticized recollections of Ferdinand Marcos' martial law (1972–1981). While the general scholarship remembers the era for its horrors and atrocities, narratives circulated online claim that Marcos' rule made the nation great and that several groups and institutions conspired to distort people's memory, serving the purpose of Marcos' political enemies. These narratives, shared by Marcos and Duterte supporters, echo a desire to return to a fantastical "golden age." This study investigates the nostalgia for the Marcos golden age, magnifying the salient features of whitewashed memories of Marcos' martial law in online communities, as well as techniques that turn the Marcos propaganda into a basic grammar that frames people's articulation of their frustrations and aspirations. The study found that the described propaganda embeds the light-darkness-light perspective in its us-versus-them narrative. Within such a framework, nostalgia can set the stage for the expression of polarizing phrases, hate speech, conspiracy theories, discontent, and hope, which complete the grammar of the Marcos propaganda.
Southeast Asian Media Studies Journal, 2021
In the 1930s, several advertisements appealing to nationalist sentiments bore the mark of NEPA, o... more In the 1930s, several advertisements appealing to nationalist sentiments bore the mark of NEPA, or the National Economic Protectionism Association. NEPA was formed by Filipino business magnates who embraced Manuel L. Quezon's call for the strengthening of the Philippine economy and its industries. For almost half a decade, NEPA was used as a brand that advanced 'pro-Filipino' consumption behavior. While the brand's pro-Filipino posturing seemed to resist the colonial rhetoric, a more nuanced assessment of the elements, orientation, and mobilization of such branding suggests that it was systematically produced and promoted to serve political and economic elite interests. To shed light on the brand's essence and intentions, this article examines several advertisements for NEPA branded products from 1934 through 1941. It analyzes the brand's historical and institutional contexts to establish the link between its notion of 'nationalism' and the state's and entrepreneurs' political, cultural, and economic motivations. Ultimately, this study demonstrates how NEPA's advertising campaign attempted to engineer Filipino consumption behavior and generate a 'basic grammar' in which the articulation of pro-Filipino in the 1930s was framed.
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Critical Studies of Inter-Asian Societies, 2021
Panagbenga is an annual festival held in Baguio City, Philippines every February, celebrating Cor... more Panagbenga is an annual festival held in Baguio City, Philippines every February, celebrating Cordillera’s flora and promoting the region’s culture and economy. Despite the festival being initiated fairly recently, it has found its way to many Filipinos’ calendars. Every year, it attracts millions of visitors and contributes to the city’s flower industry and tourism. It is curious, however, that even with the festival’s popularity, very few social scientists have been intrigued by the festival’s inception and traditionalization. To address this gap, this study offers a preliminary examination of Panagbenga using nuanced anthropological descriptions of tradition. Central to its analysis of traditionalization is the modification, institutionalization, and multiplication of festival practices that serve various purposes. In exploring the intersection of cultural expressions and economic practices during Panagbenga, the study validated the fluidity of tradition, refuting the prevailing Hobsbawmian distinction between “genuine” and “invented” traditions.
Journal of ASEAN Studies, 2020
Social networking sites have become increasingly relevant in the study of democracy and culture i... more Social networking sites have become increasingly relevant in the study of democracy and culture in recent years. This study explores the interconnectedness of social networks, the imposition of state control, and management of social behavior by comparing various literature on the operation of repression in Thai and Philippine cyberspaces. It examines the overt and covert policing of daily interactions in digital environments and unpacks governmental technologies' disciplinary mechanisms following Michel Foucault's notion of government and biopolitical power. Subjugation in the context of social networks merits analysis for it sheds light on the practice of active and passive self-censorship-the former driven by the pursuit of a moral self-image and the latter by state-sponsored fear. In tracing various points of convergence and divergence in the practice of cyber control in Thailand and the Philippines, the study found newer domains of regulation of social behavior applicable to today's democracies.
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Critical Studies on Inter-Asian Societies, 2020
The 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippines and China on cooperation on the Belt... more The 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippines and China on cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative ascertained a stronger infrastructure collaboration and interconnectivity in the transportation, telecommunication, and energy sectors. As I explained in an earlier publication, President Rodrigo Duterte welcomed Chinese aid with the hopes of ushering in a “golden age of infrastructure” in the Philippines. Recognizing the economic and geopolitical implications of infrastructure development as spurred by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), this essay appends the discussion on Manila’s closer cooperation with Beijing by analyzing how the Beijing-Manila relationship impacts the state of democracy and the rule of law in the Philippines.
Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Critical Studies of Inter-Asian Societies, 2020
The May 2020 report by the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities on the social... more The May 2020 report by the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities on the social and economic impact of the Covid-19 outbreak validates Stefania Milan and Emiliano Treré’s (April 2020) claim that the Global South is “virtually absent” from the “number-based narration of the pandemic.” Although there was an attempt to shed light on the potential ramifications of the pandemic on the Global South, the volume and variety of data presented in the report made the disparity between the Global North and Global South’s capacity to amass data apparent. The lack of data on the spread of Covid-19 in the Global South causes a plethora of problems, as it impairs the region’s ability to develop pragmatic containment plans and implement adequate economic, health, and social solutions. To this end, this article shares the disquieting situation in the Philippines. It provides examples of how the lack of data affects people’s physical and mental health and contributes to government (in)decisions.
International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS) Working Paper Series, 2020
Issues surrounding water reservoir construction and hydropower development in the Philippines pro... more Issues surrounding water reservoir construction and hydropower development in the Philippines provide glimpses of the marginalization of indigenous peoples (IPs). For the sake of “development,” state-sponsored mega dam projects encroach ancestral lands and ultimately threaten IPs’ existence. Hence, while Filipinos from highly urbanized cities recognize the need to increase the country’s water supply and electricity generation, such infrastructure projects are always met with resistance. Using the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice (EJAtlas) database, this paper mapped the mega dam projects in the Philippines that denied or will potentially deny IPs’ rights over water resources and sustainable livelihood. At the same time, it identified several resistance movements against these projects and examined the factors that contributed to their outcomes. Particular attention was given to the actors involved in various dam-related conflicts, as their relationship and actions are deemed crucial in understanding the consistent denial of IPs’ voice in political processes. The research confirmed the findings of several case studies that tell the rampant violations of the “Freedom, Prior, and Informed Consent” (FPIC) policy across the country. It also found that influential members and supporters of anti-dam movements are commonly “red-tagged” by the government—a state practice that legitimizes the surveillance, harassment, or murder of members or supporters of progressive organizations. Through the mapping of the anti-dam movements, the paper exhibited the state’s disconcerting interpretation of the “common good,” as the Manila-centric or urban-centric interpretation of such phrase invariably causes the IPs’ marginalization.