Stratbase Institute

26/08/2026

Prof. Dindo Manhit, President of Stratbase Institute, writes on "Thinking Beyond Politics", a BusinessWorld opinion column:

“The cross-border nature of climate change necessitates collective action among nations. They must increasingly cooperate to protect societies from climate-related shocks.

Strategic partnerships with like-minded countries are becoming increasingly more important. Countries that share an interest in climate resilience, sustainable development, a stable regional order, and effective multilateral cooperation can help strengthen the Philippines’ capabilities through technical expertise, technology transfer, capacity-building, climate finance, research, and investments in sustainable and adaptive systems.”

When it rains continuously for several days on end, much like what we witnessed in the past few weeks, the concerns are many and multi-layered. There is the matter of physical safety when people and communities find themselves submerged in floods. Farmers lose crops. There are health concerns as peo...

25/08/2026

The Philippines, as this year’s chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), should lead efforts to mobilize climate finance, technology and partnerships while making climate resilience part of the region’s security agenda.

This was according to the country’s top environmental officials who spoke at a forum on climate security organized by the Stratbase Group and the German Embassy on Monday.

The Philippines, as this year’s chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), should lead efforts to mobilize climate finance, technology and partnerships while making climate resilience part of the region’s security agenda.   This was according to the country’s top environment...

25/08/2026

Stratbase Institute condemns foreign interference in lawful steel raids

The Stratbase Institute categorically condemns any attempt to pressure the Philippine government to halt or weaken lawful enforcement against illegal, substandard, and environmentally hazardous steel facilities through threats of retaliation.

All enterprises operating in the Philippines, regardless of ownership or affiliation, must be held to the same legal, environmental, and safety standards. Reports of radioactive materials, toxic waste, illegal emissions, and substandard steel products during these raids raise serious concerns for workers, communities, consumers, and the environment. In a disaster-prone country, unsafe construction materials can put lives at risk.

At the same time, the reported threats to arrest Filipinos in China if the detained Chinese workers from these raided steel factories were not released only underscore the need to defend Philippine sovereignty and institutions. We have seen how simply speaking out against violations of our country’s sovereignty could impact anybody, even our own Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro. We must assert that no foreign government can dictate how Philippine agencies and courts enforce domestic laws or intimidate officials carrying out their duties.

We are equally concerned about foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) aimed at distorting legitimate law enforcement, discrediting Philippine officials or evidence, and undermining public trust. This is an issue of accountability and foreign interference, not ethnicity. Legitimate Philippine enforcement must not be mischaracterized as xenophobia, nor should Chinese nationals or Filipino-Chinese communities be unfairly targeted.

We urge the government to pursue these investigations transparently, uphold due process, and hold violators accountable. The Philippines must enforce its laws consistently, protect its people and environment, and defend its sovereign right to govern its territory free from foreign coercion.

25/08/2026

“No ASEAN member state can address these challenges entirely on its own,” Cuna said.

The call was echoed by Stratbase President Victor Andres Manhit, who stressed that strategic partnerships and alignment “will remain essential to strengthening climate security and resilience.

“For the Philippines—and for all ASEAN member-states—it is therefore crucial that we harness strategic partnerships with like-minded countries. Our individual and collective ability to withstand these pressures will ultimately depend on how effectively we work across sectors and borders, and how strategically we build and sustain meaningful partnerships,” Manhit said.

Both Cuna and Manhit also called for greater participation from the private sector, civil society and academe in advancing renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, climate-smart production and nature-positive investments.

The Philippines, as this year’s chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), should lead efforts to mobilize climate finance, technology and partnerships while making climate resilience part of the region’s security agenda, the country’s top environmental officials said. Speaki...

25/08/2026

A think tank urged the Philippine government to accelerate investments in fiber networks, data centers, and other critical digital infrastructure as the country seeks to attract high-value industries under the US-led Pax Silica initiative.

In a statement, Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit said the scale and technological requirements of industries envisioned under Pax Silica require the country to build infrastructure ahead of demand.

The initiative is expected to support industries involving artificial intelligence, semiconductors, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, computing and data infrastructure, Manhit said.

Stratbase: PH must boost digital infrastructure for Pax Silica https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2291144/stratbase-ph-must-boost-digital-infrastructure-for-pax-silica

25/08/2026

Toni Yulo-Loyzaga, former environment chief of the Philippines and now its special envoy for disaster risk reduction and management, said climate risks “can further escalate the potential for conflict and migration.”

Environment chief Juan Miguel Cuna cites the need for ‘greater coherence’ in articulating ASEAN’s demands to address the impact of climate change

25/08/2026

Representatives from government, the private sector, academia, and the media gather to explore the security implications of climate change and current policies of climate resilience. Happening now at the Fairmont Hotel, Makati City. The event "Towards a Peaceful and Sustainable Future: Addressing the Climate-Conflict Nexus in ASEAN" is organized by Stratbase Institute, in partnership with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Philippines.

H.E. Dr. Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, Ambassador
of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Philippines, delivers his opening remarks to formally open the event.

25/08/2026

Speaking at a climate security forum co-organized by think tank Stratbase Institute and the German Embassy, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna called for climate resilience to become part of ASEAN’s regional security architecture.

Mr. Cuna said ASEAN must recognize that regional peace and prosperity heavily depend on the region’s collective ability to anticipate and manage climate risk.

THE PHILIPPINES needs to take the lead on climate security within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), making climate resilience part of the region’s security agenda, officials said. Speaking at a climate security forum co-organized by think tank Stratbase Institute and the German E...

25/08/2026

Yesterday, the Stratbase Institute, in partnership with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Philippines, convened a high-level conference entitled “Towards a Peaceful and Sustainable Future: Addressing Climate Security in ASEAN” at Fairmont Makati. The event brought together key stakeholders from government, the private sector, diplomatic missions, academe, and civil society to examine the security implications of climate change, explore policy responses to strengthen climate resilience, and identify opportunities to advance regional cooperation under the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship.

In his opening remarks, H.E. Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Philippines, underscored the importance of understanding the climate-conflict nexus. He outlined five priorities for ASEAN: making prevention the organizing principle; ensuring that climate adaptation is conflict-sensitive; placing vulnerable communities at the center of climate-security policies; strengthening regional cooperation on shared resources; and connecting peacebuilding with climate finance. He stressed the need to move beyond treating climate change solely as an environmental issue, conflict as a security issue, and development as an economic issue, stressing that these are interconnected dimensions that require equally integrated responses.

In his keynote message, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna stressed that climate change acts as a threat multiplier and that environmental resilience must be regarded as fundamental to national security. He emphasized that climate resilience must increasingly become part of ASEAN’s regional security architecture and that there must be a recognition that regional peace and prosperity depend on the collective ability of Member States to anticipate and manage climate risks.

Echoing this, Special Envoy for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga stressed that climate change presents a convergent risk arising from the intersection of environmental hazards and socio-cultural, economic, and geopolitical change. She further emphasized that regional solutions must have local roots and that stronger climate security ultimately depends on resilient communities effective local action and sustained social cohesion.

In his closing remarks, Stratbase Institute President Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit emphasized that, given the transboundary and increasingly complex nature of climate-related challenges, no nation can stand alone. Strategic partnerships and alignment will remain essential to strengthening climate security and resilience. For the Philippines and all ASEAN Member States, he stressed the importance of harnessing meaningful partnerships with like-minded countries such as Germany to strengthen collective resilience.

The Stratbase Institute remains committed to supporting efforts to strengthen climate security and regional resilience as the Philippines advances its ASEAN Chairship, while continuing to work with like-minded partners such as Germany to promote sustained cooperation and concrete action on shared climate-security challenges.

24/08/2026

The Philippines, as this year’s chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), should spearhead efforts to integrate climate resilience into the region’s security agenda while mobilizing climate finance, technology and strategic partnerships, the country’s top environmental officials said.

“The region should speak with greater coherence in mobilizing the finance, technology, and partnerships needed for a just transition,” Cuna said in a video message at a climate security forum organized by Stratbase Group and the German Embassy on Monday.

The forum, “Towards a Peaceful and Sustainable Future: Addressing the Climate-Conflict Nexus in Asean,” brought together stakeholders from government, diplomatic missions, the private sector, academe, and civil society to tackle the growing security implications of climate change in Asean.

The forum "Towards a Peaceful and Sustainable Future: Addressing the Climate-Conflict Nexus in Asean," on August 24 gathered representatives from government, diplomatic missions, the