Philippine International Studies Organization

04/08/2026

Chapter 8: “Colonial Imaginaries, Disciplinary Afterlives, and Decolonial Reflections: The Philippine Experience in International Thought and Practice”

Authors: Frances Antoinette Cruz, Nassef Manabilang Adiong, John Harvey D. Gamas, Archill Niña Faller-Capistrano, Kebart P. Licayan, Lorna Q. Israel, Melanie Reyes, Patrick Dave Q. Bugarin, Ricardo Roy A. Lopez, and Daniel Orin Levi T. Alatraca

Any account of International Relations (IR), both as study and practice in the Philippines, would be remiss without consideration of the country’s crucial location at the crossings of Western, East Asian, and Islamic civilizations, as well as its archipelagic nature, which has facilitated parallel yet often converging scholarly developments. As a field of study, IR in the Philippines grew largely under the influence of Western positivist theories and diplomatic practitioners, a norm that has persisted in teaching and research. In light of the rise of post-positivist and interdisciplinary approaches throughout academia, we employ the lens of inter-societal relations and the backdrop of history and geography to trace contextual roots of the ‘international’ that go beyond but include state-based approaches. This chapter details further how new prospects for scholarly endeavours in IR in the Philippines have formed, and to what degree these are represented in current teaching and research practices.

Book: A Genealogy of International Relations in Asia
Editors: Yih-Jye Hwang, Karen Smith, Vineet Thakur, and Tung-chieh Tsai
Publisher: Bristol University Press
Publication Date: 11 August 2026
Pages: 121–138

Any account of International Relations (IR), both as study and practice in the Philippines, would be remiss without consideration of the country’s crucial location at the crossings of Western, East Asian, and Islamic civilizations, as well as its archipelagic nature, which has facilitated parallel...

07/02/2026

PHISO is part of the organizing team convening the 2nd Southeast Asian Women’s Summit and 8th National Women’s Summit on March 2-3, 2026, at Miriam College. Under the theme “ASEAN Leadership and Regional Cooperation: Where are the Women?”, this summit strategically aligns with International Women’s Month and the Philippines’ pivotal ASEAN Chairship.

PHISO is part of the organizing team convening the 2nd Southeast Asian Women’s Summit and 8th National Women’s Summit on March 2-3, 2026, at Miriam College. Under the theme “ASEAN…

09/11/2025

This year, the Philippine International Studies Organization (PHISO) marked its tenth anniversary with an international conference held on 7 to 8 November 2025 at Dos Casa de Amena Resort in Caloocan City. The event, titled 2025 PHISO International Conference: “The international, global, and worlding textbook: Exploring global south perspectives and Philippine cases on International Studies, International Relations, and Global Affairs,” highlighted diverse approaches to rethinking knowledge production in the global south.

The conference featured two keynote speakers. Dr. Alan Chong of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU Singapore, delivered a lecture on East Asian peace through relationality, exploring ambiguities, photogenic amity, functionalism, and see-saw logics, and sharing insights from his new book, The International Politics of Communication. Dr. Frances Antoinette Cruz of UP Diliman discussed PHISO and Bandung at 70, underscoring the enduring significance of South-South relations.

The conference also featured workshops and a celebratory gathering that brought together scholars from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore. It was a meaningful milestone that showcased a vibrant and growing community in international studies.



Read: https://phiso.org/2025/11/09/2025-phiso-international-conference/

08/11/2025

Celebrating PHISO 10th anniversary. Thank you for your continuing support. I could never have made it without you. 🙏🤗🎉