Manila
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation promotes democracy, human rights, economic freedom, and curbing climate change. FNF Philippines focuses on open and digital society, as well as a social market economy. It is also involved in the creation of innovative tools. FNF Philippines team works with local organization partners such as Center for Liberalism and Democracy, Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, Rappler, Philippine Economic Society, and Impact Leadership. Should you have questions or suggestions about our work, please contact us. You can also meet our team here.
News
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Liberals in the 2025 Midterm Elections and Beyond
Parliamentary elections were held in the Philippines on May 12. These midterm elections, in which the winners take office midway through President Marcos' term, will elect all 317 seats in the House of Representatives and 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate to form the 20th Philippine Congress. Local elections for the executive and legislative branches were also held in all municipalities, cities and provinces across the country. As in Canada and Australia, the elections showed that liberalism is neither dead nor obsolete. Liberal forces are needed and wanted. There is no other explanation for the surprising election result, especially with regard to the Senate elections.
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CLD Prepares Trainers for Voter Education and Vote Protection Ahead of 2025 Philippine Elections
To capacitate aspiring trainers for voter education and vote protection in the lead-up to the upcoming national and local elections on May 12, 2025, the Center for Liberalism and Democracy (CLD), in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation FNF Philippines, hosted two-parter Training of Trainers (TOT) across various regions of the Philippines starting March 2025.
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“Fighting Starts When Talking Stops”: The South China Sea Conflict in the Light of a New US Foreign Policy
Donald Trump's second term in office is causing unrest in the Pacific. Many countries bordering the South China Sea fear that US support will wane and that China's behaviour could become even more aggressive. Will Trump's isolationism also affect the Indo-Pacific region, giving China ‘free rein’?
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Kababaihang Liberal Holds Second General Assembly to Empower Women and Tackle Election Challenges
On March 16, 2025, Kababaihang Liberal (Liberal women) held its second General Assembly at the Gerry Roxas Training Center in Cubao, Quezon City. The event built on discussions from the recent Training of Trainers, shifting the focus to educating voters in preparation for the upcoming elections.
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Demokrasya sa Barangay: Kababaihang Liberal’s New Approach to Strengthening Women’s Voices in Communities
In celebration of Women’s Month, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) Philippines collaborated with Kababaihang Liberal (Liberal women) to launch the Demokrasya sa Barangay (Democracy in the Barangay) initiative. This program, aimed at empowering women in local communities, included a series of events such as a Training of Trainers, Kwentuhan sa Barangay (Conversations in the Barangay) sessions in 10 sites, a General Assembly, and consultations with women community leaders.
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Arrest of Rodrigo Duterte: A Step Towards Accountability
On March 11, 2025, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for crimes against humanity. This development marks a significant milestone in the ICC's over eight-year investigation into the thousands of deaths linked to Duterte's "war on drugs”.
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CLD Voter Education Program Kicks Off with Film Screening and Panel Discussion
On March 1, 2025, the Center for Liberalism and Democracy (CLD), in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) Philippines and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines' (PUP) academic organizations, successfully launched #YouthVote2025, CLD’sVote Protection Program at the Tanghalang PUP Theater in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
Social Media
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With the winners of the 2025 elections now being proclaimed, we at FNF Philippines feel hopeful about what lies ahead. Our country is slowly but steadily moving forward and the "hope" remains strong. In the years to come, we look forward to seeing more Filipinos think critically about the future of our nation. We hope this election marks the beginning of a meaningful change towards a truly free and democratic Philippines.
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Today, FNF Philippines joins the world in observing 𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐓—𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚, 𝐁𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚. This day commemorates May 17, 1990, when the World Health Organization declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder. Since then, IDAHOBIT has evolved into a worldwide call for unity, raising awareness, promoting solidarity, and amplifying the visibility of LGBTQIA+ communities. It brings together individuals, organizations, and governments to spotlight the ongoing challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ people around the world. In the Philippines, one stark reminder that these forms of discrimination still exist is the ongoing failure to pass the SOGIESC Equality Bill (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, and Sex Characteristics). It’s been more than 20 years since the bill was first filed in Congress. Legislative records show the first version of what would later come to be known as the SOGIESC Equality Bill was filed in the House of Representatives on Jan. 26, 2000. Until today it continues to face strong resistance often fueled by disinformation and misunderstanding. To help set the record straight, here are common myths about the SOGIESC Bill and the facts that people need to know in order to understand it better.
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With support from FNF Philippines, Rappler launched the 2025 Movers Program to train and empower community volunteers known as Movers to produce local election stories. The goal is to help communities make informed voting decisions, promote grassroots journalism and civic participation, and foster greater trust in journalism, one community at a time. Hear from these trained citizen journalists from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao as they amplified local voices, monitored local races, and held candidates accountable despite long hours, unpredictable weather, and on-the-ground challenges.
