Vol.63 No.1

2023（No.447）［Abstracts］

President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr.
Elected: Philippine Politics and Democracy
OTA Kazuhiro＊
Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. was elected as the 17th president of the Republic of thePhilippines in May, 2022. Why did the Filipino people choose the son of the late ʻdictatorʼ
President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who had been ousted by ʻpeople power revolutionʼ in 1986?
This question is examined with the focuses on the election campaign strategy by Bongbong
Marcos, peopleʼs frustration at the social reality after people power democratization, andhistorical revisionism to refresh the negative memory of the past martial law regime. It also
refers to the political orientation of the new Bongbong Marcosʼ administration.
＊AAIJ member

Professor, Kobe University― 82 ―

What Links President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr.
and Economic Technocrat:
Where does the “Strong Politics” Lead “Fragile Economy”?
FUKUSHIMA Koji＊
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. won the country's presidency. He secured over 30
million votes, which was around 60% of the vote in election giving him the strongest mandatefor president. It is well known that his father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. ruled the Philippines for
21 years and during that period he imposed nine years of nationwide martial law and brutallyquashed political dissent. Why did people choose Bongbong Marcos Jr. as a new president?
What are people expecting him to be changed present society?
This paper analyzes background for the restoration of strong politics from three economic
point of view, inﬂation, supply-chain and migration. Under COVID-19 and ongoing RussianUkraine war, semiconductor manufacturing and global migration which are both main-driverof the Philippines economy has taken a big blow with intricately interwind with inflation
hardly experienced ever before. In conclusion, although people might vote for strong politics
as a new leader expecting to build strong economy, reinforced idea for development strategy,“Build, Build, Build” is one symbolic example aimed at upgrade in the global value chain in
ASEAN economy, based on neoliberalism implemented by strong politics and economic
technocrat will fall into even unequitable society. It does possibly lead strong growth in sightof GDP, but we should keep an eye on “strong economy” critically and speciﬁcally.
＊AAIJ member

Associate Professor, Komazawa University― 83 ―

Mindanao Conﬂict and Peace Process in the Philippines:
Decommissioning of the MILF Combatants and Security Problems
YAMANE Takeshi＊
Conflict in Mindanao region has intensified under the authoritarian regime of thepresident Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s. After democratization in 1986 and subsequent peace
negotiations, which took long time and sometimes halted by sporadic armed crush, peace
process has been making progress especially after 2010s.
One of the most important parts on the ongoing peace process is “decommissioning” ofMILF combatants. Despite it is running behind schedule, the decommissioning process has
been conducted step by step.
However, despite that the decommissioning process is inevitable for sustainable peace,
there are still a lot of things that have to be done regarding security problems. Especially, it isindispensable to make a mechanism to solve clan feuds inside judicial system.
＊AAIJ member

Associate Professor, Fukuoka Womenʼs University― 84 ―

Oﬀshoring and the Urban Space in Manila

FUJIWARA Naoki＊
Oﬀshoring around the world has caused the restructuring of many various spaces, bothurban and otherwise. The implementation of neoliberal policies such as deregulation and free
trade have accelerated offshoring since the late 1970s. While the offshoring creates many
opportunities, generates new employment, revenue and businesses, it concomitantly involves
the transformation of many urban spaces. In this paper, I explore how oﬀshoring has aﬀected
the urban space in Manila, the Philippines, from the 2010s up to present, focusing on threecases. First, I argue the relationship between the rise of the Information Technology andBusiness Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry and the transformation of urban space.
Second, I trace how the offshore gaming industry, which introduced from China under theDuterte administration, caused drastic rises and declines in the real estate market in addition toan increase in employment and taxes. Third, drawing on the case of oﬀshoring of waste fromCanada to a port in Manila in 2013, I examine the process of offshoring the waste and theconﬂicts engendered in the context of expanding global logistics.
＊― 85 ―

Researcher, Kobe University