Hello from Manila, where people are already preparing for the Christmas festivities. While the ongoing feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte dominates the local headlines, I was surprised to learn that the political turmoil in South Korea is also receiving significant attention here. Local media people told me this was probably partly due to lingering dark memories of the martial law era imposed by the current president's father in the early 1970s.
They said that many Filipinos admired how South Korean politicians, despite soldiers surrounding the National Assembly, scaled the building's walls in the middle of the night and voted to reject President Yoon Suk Yeol's unexpected declaration of martial law -- the country's first in 44 years. Social media was filled with comments like, "This is unthinkable for Filipino politicians who are afraid to even cross the street."
On the other hand, I've heard that some Filipinos from the martial law generation look back on those days with a sense of nostalgia. For them, the negative aspects of that dark period when democracy was denied may have gradually faded from memory, replaced with an appreciation for the public order and discipline that was enforced under authoritarian rule. To some extent, this sentiment may explain why former President Rodrigo Duterte, known for his kamay na bakal (iron fist) approach to cracking down on drug criminals, still enjoys some popularity.
Another parallel in the political dramas playing out in South Korea and the Philippines is the impeachment moves against the president and vice president of those nations, respectively. In South Korea, a legislative vote to impeach the president is imminent. In the Philippines, meanwhile, a long-term battle appears to be shaping up between two political families with an eye toward next year's midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race.
Send your 2025 predictions
This is just a reminder that Dec. 9 will be your last chance to submit your predictions for what 2025 has in store for Asia. We're asking our readers to share their forecasts of what they think will be the biggest events of next year. The results will be published on Jan. 4 in Nikkei Asia's first Big in Asia feature of 2025.
The survey will take around five minutes. Please click this link and share your predictions by Dec. 9. I look forward to reading all of your responses!
My suggested reads
1. Gautam Adani's indictment in the U.S. forced investors to rethink their appetite for corporate governance risk in Indian investments. The new crisis in rising Indian conglomerate Adani Group managed to raise eyebrows of lawmakers and authorities, which are set to investigate whether the conglomerate is guilty of other misdeeds, raising concerns that the shock waves may linger.
2. The amount of money Indonesians owe to online lending platforms has soared 400% in the last five years, to 66 trillion rupiah ($4.15 billion), as tens of millions of people struggle with lower spending power in the wake of the pandemic. The authorities have clamped down on illegal lenders and capped interest rates, but the level of online lending and number of people resorting to it show little sign of abating.
3. Two and a half years after joining hands, Sony Group and Honda Motor are preparing to start taking orders for their first EV in the U.S. But the American debut of the software-heavy Afeela comes at a time of political uncertainty and intense competition, most notably from local market leader Tesla.
4. Even as debate rages on whether it is environmentally sound to mine the seabed for valuable minerals, the remote Pacific island of Nauru and its contractor are lining up an application for what would be the first commercial license issued anywhere in the world for deep-sea mining.
5. Fujianese cuisine, often overshadowed by dishes from other regions of China, is experiencing a renaissance both locally and abroad. A growing number of restaurants are now showcasing the province's specialty dishes, which reflect its unique culinary heritage and diverse geography and climate.
Through the lens
This week's top photo pick: Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the House of Representatives, in Quezon City, Philippines, on Nov. 25. Duterte said on Nov. 23 that she has ordered a hit against the Marcoses that is to be carried out if she is killed. (Photo by Getty Images)
Check out more of our photo coverage here.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Shin Nakayama
Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @ShinNakayama_NA
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