Jul 22Manolo Quezon is #TheExplainer Newsletter — #ProyektoPilipino Omnibus#ProyektoPilipino has made it to its second season. We may agree to disagree on history but civics can provide a shared approach to citizenship and governance. We kick off this omnibus with our episode on Independence Day. …3 min read
Jul 21Manolo Quezon is #TheExplainer Newsletter — Talkathon OmnibusSome interviews in addition to ANC’s inaugural coverage over the past weeks. As part of the catching-up on content, here they are. Essentially these both revisit, and elaborate on, my two story threads on the Rise and Fall of the Fifth Republic, and the 30-year Marcos Restoration. Talkathon links On the 36 Years Podcast: Writer and historian…9 min read
Jul 20Manolo Quezon is #TheExplainer Newsletter — Column and Coverage OmnibusBeing on the road meant an extended hiatus. Thank you for your patience and continuing support. My columns have chronicled the onset of the Marcos Restoration, the end (for now?) of the Duterte Era, and the first weeks of the Marcos Jr. administration. The Banyan column of The Economist last…26 min read
Jun 11Manolo Quezon is #TheExplainer Newsletter — Snapshots of FilipinosMy column this week looked at the emerging image-making of the incoming administration, and the President-elect’s now having to make his mark as president and not heir apparent. Two noteworthy articles, two podcasts, and a book review round up this week’s newsletter. Thank you to my Patreons, old and new…24 min read
Jun 4Manolo Quezon is #TheExplainer Newsletter — An insightAs we approach the inaugural that will seal the Marcos Restoration, we are starting to get glimpses into the President-elect’s approach to the presidency. This week’s The Long View7 min read
May 26Manolo Quezon is #TheExplainer Newsletter — Restoration AccomplishedMy column suggested simply saying “next” or “future” president instead of “presumptive.” We don’t know who’s helping put together his coming Cabinet but we know it’s half technocrat, half politico. The future First Lady is, likely, key. As it turned out, yesterday Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte were proclaimed…14 min read
May 18Manolo Quezon is #TheExplainer Newsletter — History and the National DivideLast night and this morning two more pieces, the first, in Spot.ph identified the political divide in the Philippines and what the dividing line is. It’s not class or education, it’s whether one believes in protest rallies or not. …16 min read
May 16Manolo Quezon is #TheExplainer Newsletter — Roderick Hall Memorial IssuePaying tribute to Rod Hall. He lived a remarkable life and did remarkable things. He made possible the preservation and digitization of our family’s personal papers, for which we will always be grateful. This week’s The Long View6 min read
May 16Manolo Quezon is #TheExplainer Newsletter — New Society 2.0This is the week of the Marcos Restoration and the first glimpses of the New Society redux. A Kodak moment, the New Society 2.0 to capture who’s “in”: L-R: Greggy Araneta, Kevin Tan (Megaworld’s Andrew Tan’s son), FM Jr.,, Sabin Aboitiz, Johnny Velasquez. …11 min read
May 15Manolo Quezon is #TheExplainer Newsletter — The 30 Year Marcos RestorationI am grateful to .@asiasentinel for giving me the liberty and the space, to tell this story in full. The Marcos Restoration accomplished on May 9, 2022 began on May 11, 1992. But many things, including the unexpected, had to happen first. In the Asian Sentinel The Marcos Restoration: 30 Years In The Making…22 min read