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In recent years, several countries in East Asia have tightened censorship rules, leading to an increased risk to journalist safety. This second report in a multipart series will examine shifting dynamics and trends in th...

The Philippine presidential elections on May 9 are likely to trigger similar patterns of violence as previous elections. Private sector personnel are at highest risk for encountering a “wrong-place-wrong-time” scenario i...

Typhoon Rai – locally known as Typhoon Odette – swept through the central Philippines, killing and injuring hundreds, and displacing more than 500,000 people. Nearly a month after the storm struck, this repot looks at ho...

The National People’s Army (NPA) is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and is recognized as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the Philippines. The NPA is one of the regio...

Vaccination rollout against the coronavirus pandemic has been sluggish in the East Asia Pacific region. Originally, the region was among the most successful in the world at implementing successful mitigation measures aga...

As part of a broader COVID-19 crisis response, the Philippine government declared a ceasefire with the New People’s Army (NPA), a domestic terrorist group and armed insurgency. The ceasefire originally lasted from March...

On March 15, the Philippine government announced that all travel – land, sea, or air – would be suspended in an effort to decrease people movement and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This report looks at the variety...

This report examines some security implications stemming from a volcano located in a lake approximately 30 miles south of Metro Manila that has entered a period of intense activity. Spewing lava, a plume of ash and large...

In 2019, there was a global increase in authoritarianism and nationalism as well as unprecedented civil unrest. In the Asia-Pacific region, communities and countries grappled with identity in a modern world, the spread o...

Cyber criminals seeking financial gain and state-sponsored advanced persistent threat (APT) groups looking to cause economic disruption pose the largest threat to private sector organizations operating in the Philippines...

Dengue fever is endemic in over 100 countries and generally non-fatal. According to the World Health Organization, dengue infects 390 million people every year. So far this year, the Philippines has reported 146,000 case...

June 28 marked the first time a Philippines citizen conducted a suicide attack in recent history. Traditionally, Filipinos do not engage in suicide bombing, as the culture generally considers suicide dishonorable. This t...

In 2018, the U.S. Department of State introduced the Travel Advisory system. Fifteen months after the system went into effect, the Department has unveiled its first significant modification: the addition of a new, separa...

This report looks at the extremist landscape in the Philippines a year after terrorist organizations pledging support to ISIS occupied the southern city of Marawi. Tthe government responded with a harsh period of martial...

The following is a summary of key takeaways presented during the ISMA-OSAC East Asia-Pacific Regional Security Conference held in Manila, Philippines from March 18-20, 2018. The intent of the conference was to inform org...

In the early hours of June 2, an armed assailant attacked the Resorts World Manila complex, igniting fires that ultimately led to the death of more than 30 people. Although the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in...

Recent advisories of potential kidnapping operations targeting foreigners in the central Philippines have raised concerns among the U.S. private sector that the threat of kidnapping in the country could be expanding nort...

On April 11, security forces clashed with heavily armed militants on the Philippine island of Bohol, resulting in at least nine deaths. The incident occurred just two days after an advisory from the U.S. Embassy in Manil...

ISIL’s broad and inclusive guidance, coupled with its decentralized command and control structures outside of Iraq and Syria, has granted its global sympathizers considerable discretion in determining the targets of thei...

On January 9, millions of Filipinos are expected to join the Black Nazarene procession in Manila, likely resulting in significant logistical disruptions and delays. Although OSAC is not aware of any specific threats to t...