Scholarly contributions on major processes in the Philippines, and not only the ephemeral "newsworthy" ones, are needed in order to inform public discussions with historical and theoretical perspectives. Such processes include substantial shifts in the country's social, economic and political organisation, with considerable changes in identity of nearly 80 million Filipinos at home and more than seven million abroad. Consider, for instance, the rapid succession of political regimes, the rise of NGO activism, the urban sprawl, the substantial changes in the natural environment, the rise and decline of regional insurgencies, the economic downturn after the Asian crisis and the global shock of 11 September 2001. Questions of belonging to visible or imagined communities have emerged at many levels: local, regional, national and diasporic transnational. The rapid nationwide connection to the internet has further expanded the options.
Comparative and connective perspectives on these and other relevant issues are particularly welcomed. Valuable insights may be gained by comparing, for instance, Filipino nation-building projects, centralisation versus decentralisation or federalism, the role of economic elites, the protection of natural resources and the urban heritage, with similar processes in other countries.