36 Years: Philippine politics, news, and democracy | Hosted by Bea Cupin

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.