Fresh off state visits to Indonesia and Singapore, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to fly to New York City, where he will speak before the United Nations General Assembly.  In this episode of '36 Years,' we talk to lawyer Ross Tugade, an expert on human rights and international law, to talk about what it means to give justice to Martial Law victims and the role international bodies like the United Nations play in holding accountable people behind state atrocities.

In this episode of 36 Years, we zoom in on more recent history: how budgets are made, and what it means to create a truly inclusive and people-centric budget.  We speak to People’s Budget Coalition co-convenor Ken Abante, who’s had experience both as a member of the bureaucracy – in the finance department, working in tandem with the budget department – and now, as an advocate for people’s participation in crafting the budget.

This week on 36 Years we explore the legacy that former president Fidel V. Ramos leaves behind through the lens of someone who knew him better than most – his grandson, Patrick Salazar-Jalasco. How should we make sense of FVR place in Philippine history? What do we – a generation whose consciousness had yet to be properly formed during the Ramos presidency – need to know about the lessons from the former general and president? Join Bea Cupin in this conversation.

What do democracy and governance mean for communities who have long been deprived of both opportunity and their fair share of the pie? In this episode, Rappler's Bea Cupin talks to Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong about Marawi, the BARMM, and the future of a region in transition under a new administration.

The years 2016 to 2022 have been especially taxing for Filipino journalists under the administration of one Rodrigo Duterte. But his exit has brought about a new challenge: a new administration headed by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. In this episode of 36 Years, we talk to National Union of Journalists of the Philippines chairperson Jonathan de Santos about the state of the media today, the privilege and burden of journalism, and how he views the changing media landscape.

The second highest office in the land is both everything and nothing that the title suggests. In the Philippines, the post’s duties are undefined by the Constitution, although vice presidents are often assigned Cabinet posts – so long as they’re close allies of the president. This episode of 36 Years features Part 2 of our conversation with historian and columnist Manolo Quezon. We talk about the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and how it’s changed through the years – from the pre-EDSA...

This episode of 36 Years is a primer of sorts for the first State of the Nation Address. We talk to historian Manolo Quezon about the beginnings of the second Marcos presidency, the delicate balance of power in Malacañang, and his picks for the Cabinet so far.

With the new Marcos administration entering its 2nd week, we take a pause to look back at the week that’s been – what journalists should think about when covering the new president, and times have barely changed from nearly 40 years ago, when the Philippines ousted the first Marcos president. In this episode is Rappler’s head of regions, Inday Espina-Varona, who’s had the privilege of having both a journalism career outside and inside Metro Manila. We talk about the challenges of being a...

Cliche as it may sound, each and every presidential inauguration is one for the books. On June 30, 2022, the country bears witness to another transfer of power: from President Rodrigo Duterte to president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. In this episode, Rappler senior reporter Bea Cupin talks to historian Xiao Chua about inaugural traditions, the story behind these traditions, and why inaugurations matter in our democracy.

In this episode, we try to understand (in part) Mindanao’s voting patterns, why representation is so hard to come by in Philippine politics, and how the Duterte administration has changed politics in the region and beyond. Rappler's Bea Cupin talks to Ateneo de Davao University professor Ramon Beleno, who teaches both history and political science.

It’s impossible to talk about the state of democracy and its future without talking specifically about LGBTQ+ rights, especially during Pride Month. In this episode of 36 Years, we celebrate Pride by taking stock of where we are in our collective struggle for true equality in the Philippines. Rappler's Bea Cupin is joined by Ging Cristobal, the project coordinator for Asia and the Pacific Islands at OutRight Action International, and Nicky Castillo from MM Pride.

For the first episode of '36 Years', Rappler senior reporter Bea Cupin talks to historian Lisandro “Leloy” Claudio, a University of California-Berkeley assistant professor and Rappler contributor who has written about Philippine history and liberalism, and more importantly, told us on Election Day that when it comes to disinformation in the Philippines, it’s likely to get worse before it gets better.