As Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr begins his second year as president of the Philippines, how is his administration impacting the lives of ordinary Filipinos? The controversial term of Marcos’ immediate predecessor Rodrigo Duterte was marked by a brutal war on drugs that led to widespread extrajudicial killings as well as attacks on activists, media and dissenting judicial figures. So how is the younger President Marcos, the son of a dictator, putting his own stamp on the country’s leadership and political landscape? And how much is the enviable economic growth of the Philippines in recent years masking a decline in the health of democracy? Seasoned Philippines watchers Dr Adele Webb and David Lozada join host Ali Moore to scrutinise the Philippines’ first year under Bongbong Marcos.

An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. Transcript here.

Image: Ferdinand ‘BongBong’ Marcos making a speech, May 2022. Credit: Prachatai/Flickr.