Philippines
A fast-growing economy anchored by remittances and outsourcing, with a security relationship with Washington that keeps getting tested in new ways.
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Jun- 2026 -30 JuneEarth
Southeast Asia traded oil dependence for Chinese solar panels
The Philippines imported 4,000 megawatts of Chinese modules in four months after the Strait of Hormuz closure, making it Beijing's second-largest solar customer worldwide.
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29 JuneEarth
Philippines became solar’s top buyer by accident, not ambition
A median household now spends 12% of income on electricity, forcing families to buy Chinese panels to escape volatile grid prices set by global fuel markets.
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29 JuneEarth
Asia’s harvest is about to fail on a warmer planet
The FAO warns a strong El Niño arriving within weeks will cut staple-crop yields across South and Southeast Asia, threatening 8.8 million people in 22 countries even as adaptation money…
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27 JuneTech & AI
China’s AI microdramas are already half the top shows
Forty to fifty percent of China's highest-ranked short dramas are now AI-generated or AI-assisted, according to Media Partners Asia, reshaping how platforms compete through volume rather than budget.
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27 JunePower
America’s Southeast Asia problem has a Northeast Asia solution
When the US pools resources with Japan, South Korea, and Australia, their combined trade share with ASEAN (25.9%) exceeds China's (19%), but only if four democracies can act as one…
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26 JuneEarth
The Philippines is building renewable power on Chinese supply chains
With 98% of solar imports from China and residential rates at $0.22 per kilowatt-hour, Manila is trading fuel dependence for manufacturing dependence.
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25 JunePower
South Korea’s arms sales to Southeast Asia remain a vendor relationship, not a partnership
Seoul has doubled its share of global defense exports in five years, but converting frigate and fighter deals into lasting strategic ties requires training and co-production work it has not…
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25 JuneCapital
Southeast Asia is locking itself into Chinese EVs
Laos banned petrol car imports through 2026, while Thailand and the Philippines cut tariffs to zero, creating a policy-built market that Chinese manufacturers are flooding with 448,000 vehicles monthly.
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23 JuneTech & AI
Lazada cuts staff again. Better process changed nothing.
The Alibaba-owned platform laid off 5% of its Southeast Asia workforce on June 23, 2026, this time consulting Singapore's union first—yet the outcome remained identical to the unannounced 2024 cuts.
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23 JuneEarth
El Niño and Middle East chaos could starve Southeast Asia this year
NOAA confirmed El Niño conditions on June 13, while Hormuz instability threatens 70% of the region's crude imports—two shocks hitting rice farms simultaneously.
