Deepening Critical Engagements with Power, Identity, and Development in the Philippine Context

The second issue of the Social Science and Development Review (SSDR) for the year 2025 continues the intellectual direction set by Volume 17, Number 1. While the previous issue emphasized the need to scrutinize the prevailing social conditions in the Philippines, the current volume deepens and broadens this inquiry by discussing the relationship between power, identity, governance, and development. Overall, the articles included here affirm the aspiration of SSDR to serve as a place for rigorous, interdisciplinary, and national research. An important feature of this issue is the ongoing understanding of the formation of political consciousness and the structures of the state. Studies examine issues of political socialization, political disengagement or engagement, the logic of bureaucracy, and theoretical perspectives on governance. By linking religious identity and political stance, rethinking citizenship, and examining legal and governmental institutions, the complex negotiations of individuals and institutions within existing frameworks of power are revealed. A deepening discourse on gender and identity is also clearly emerging in this issue. From the lenses of feminism, queer theory, development studies, and cultural and digital analysis, women’s representation in politics, the role of women in shaping rural development, the relationship between faith and women’s advocacy, the symbolic constructions of gender, and the identity formation of marginalized youth are examined. These contributions demonstrate that gender issues are not separate from politics and development, but rather are an important factor in understanding social change. The volume also features studies focused on social policy and everyday experience. Empirical analyses of the evaluation of livelihood programs, and the documentation of family memories during the Enhanced Community Quarantine demonstrate the important role of social science in understanding vulnerability, resiliency, and creating evidence-based policies. The inclusion of articles written in Filipino also demonstrates SSDR’s commitment to promoting the production of knowledge rooted in the national language and experience. This issue reflects methodological diversity—from theoretical reconceptualization and critical analysis to econometric modeling and qualitative research. It reflects the vitality and development of social science in the Philippines, where diverse methods converge to examine the complex realities of society. Overall, this issue does not end the discussions begun in the previous issue; rather, it deepens and expands them. The articles reinforce the need for continuous critical engagement with the structures that shape Philippine society. SSDR remains true to its goal of serving as a channel for meaningful, critical, and meaningful discourse for the people. We sincerely thank the authors, reviewers, editorial board members, and readers who continue to support this cause. May this issue serve as a contribution to ongoing understanding and social change.