PhilS4 | Inequality and Political Dynasties in the Philippines

Join Professor Ronald Mendoza (Ateneo de Manila University) to discuss the inequality trap in the Philippines, and how political dynasties are contributing to the entrenchment of power imbalances. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines was among the fastest growing economies in Asia, expected to reach upper middle-income status in only a few years. Unfortunately, the pandemic has revealed — and is likely to exacerbate — the deep-seated inequality in the country. Issues on this lingering inequality will undoubtedly be at the forefront in the upcoming May 2022 Philippine elections that will determine, among others, the successor of current president Rodrigo Duterte. Elections in the country heavily underscore the concentration of power in the hands of a few political dynasties. This threatens to lock the Philippines in a cycle of weak accountability, imbalanced and unequal growth benefits, and citizens’ disempowerment. This talk examines the different and often mutually reinforcing features of inequality in the Philippines and highlights some of the possible pathways to break from the inequality trap.