Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Treat or Threat: Dr. Santarita explores Chinese financing in ‘Build Build Build’ program

Details
In a recent book chapter, “Treat and Threat: Chinese Financing of Duterte's Build! Build! Build! Programs,” Professor Joefe B. Santarita of the UP Asian Center explores the effects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on President Rodrigo Duterte’s Build! Build! Build! initiatives.

Overview

Adapting an independent foreign policy, the Duterte administration tried to normalize the Philippine relations with China and tapped the Chinese ODA to support the administration’s Build! Build! Build! (BBB) Program as one of the priority projects. President Duterte has acknowledged the infrastructure backlogs in the country and concentrated his administration’s efforts to push numerous infrastructure projects to encourage investments and promote economic growth in the archipelago. To bankroll the projects, the current administration has tapped several external sources of funds, including China. However, in recent years, the BRI and BBB tandem did not settle well with several sectors of the Philippine society. There is a growing concern among the Filipinos about the Philippines defaulting on its concessional loans to China due to the Chinese financing of Duterte’s BBB projects.
The book presents an overview of China Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) as well as of the Philippines’ Build Build Build Program. It then proceeds to examine the “advantages to the economy and investment links and political advancement” and explore the question of “debt traps and labor issues”

About the Book and Author

Dr. Santarita’s chapter was published in March 2022 in the volume, “China's Belt and Road Initiative in ASEAN: Growing Presence, Recent Progress and Future Challenges” by World Scientific. The book was edited by Suthipand Chirathivat, Buddhagarn Rutchatorn and Anupama Devendrakumar.

Dr. Joefe B. Santarita is Professor at the UP Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. He has taught South and Southeast Asia-related graduate courses at the UP Asian Center. His research interests range from Indian studies, migration studies, Philippine culture and society, maritime history, to Southeast Asian political economy. He obtained his Ph.D. in South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore.

His publications include “Plying the Straits: Batel Mobilities in Central Philippines;” Panyupayana: The Emergence of Hindu Polities in the Pre-Islamic Philippines;" and “Migration and Business: A Survey of Indian Communities in the Philippines.” View full profile here.

The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D.  program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. The Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. For other news and upcoming events at the Asian Center, click here.