Sammy Westfall
In the 'Spirit of Reciprocity,' China and the US Trade Jabs Over Media Organizations
The US demanded that Chinese state-run media outlets release the details of their operations in the United States. China demanded the same of US outlets. Then it happened all over again.
Is It OK to Break Quarantine to Protest As Coronavirus Cases Continue to Rise in the Philippines?
Protesting in large groups could open up the possibility of spreading the coronavirus but for many, the alternative — silence — is much more grave.
The Police's Killing of Four Army Men in the Philippines Raises Questions of Impunity
After years of police successfully claiming "self-defense" as bodies piled up in the country's bloody drug war, will the same rationale work when the victims are on-duty intelligence officers?
20 People Were Arrested When Police Broke up Manila's Pride Protest
“This should be a significant reminder as to why Pride isn't just mere celebration, but rather a protest. Pride has and always will be a protest.”
Racist Statues Are Toppling Around the World. In Thailand, It’s Democratic Statues in the Crosshairs.
Exactly 88 years ago, a military coup toppled absolute monarchy in Thailand. Now, monuments memorializing the revolution are disappearing in what some see as an ideological battle over history.
How ‘Locker Room Talk’ at a Cookie Company Helped Fuel a Movement Against Toxic Masculinity in the Philippines
Filipino women are speaking up against the casual misogyny men engage in behind closed doors, calling out lewd talk for what it really is—a stepping stone to sexual abuse.
Thai Officials Are Launching a Sterilization Campaign to Take Their Town Back From Ravenous Monkeys
A huge pandemic-related drop in tourists—and the food they have long handed out—has made Lopburi’s monkeys more belligerent than ever.
Johnson & Johnson Pulled Whitening Creams off Shelves in Asia. But Can That Dent a Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry?
It remains to be seen whether one US-based company can make waves of change in the hyper-competitive market—not to mention in societies that have striven toward whiteness for centuries.
We Speak With the Guy Who Stood Outside the UN Office Alone for Hours to Protest Duterte
Based in the U.S., he wanted to stand in solidarity with people back home after reading news about the Philippine government going after its vocal critics.
Malaysia Is Planning to Send a Boat Full of Rohingya Refugees Back Out to Sea
"Sending them back out to sea is just throwing them into a killing field."
Women Feel More Anxious Because The Pandemic Is Forcing Them to Do More Unpaid Care Work
While entrenched gender roles have slowly broken down over decades, the ongoing global pandemic may be causing this progress to backslide.
The Philippine Gov’t Wants Distance Learning for Public School Students. It’s Far From Ready.
Spotty access to technology for students and teachers alike may see some taking classes via transistor radio.