Recently, the Philippines has been subject to the tumultuous fallout between two political giants. The Marcoses and the Dutertes, once unified through the UniTeam, are now in open conflict. With the administration of Marcos Jr. permitting the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest former President Rodrigo Duterte and the pending impeachment trial of current Vice President Sara Duterte, Philippine politics is witnessing another wave of constant shifts in political allegiances—a development that must be discussed in the midst of the upcoming midterm elections.
With this context in mind, and in partnership with the Association of Political Science Organizations of the Philippines (APSOP), the UP Association of Political Science Majors (UP APSM) proudly presents its third installment of PolSci Month 2025. This month-long flagship event is composed of interactive video reels, a trivia game, and a one-day lecture series to celebrate the field of political science and provide a holistic understanding of the recent upheaval in the Philippine political landscape.
To start off, the event has three interactive video reels to engage with the community. The first among them is the PolSci Quiz Reel, a Q&A that tests students’ knowledge on various political concepts, events, and figures while dispelling common misconceptions. The second video reel, Kandidatos, is a two-part video series that explores the thoughts of voters on the top twelve senatorial bets based on the latest poll results (Kandidatos: Magic 12) and aims to provide succinct information on what party lists are and how to choose them wisely (Kandidatos: Partylist). Lastly, Political Scandal/s Explained in 60 Seconds tackles pressing issues in recent Philippine politics in a concise manner.
Then, as the culminating activity for PolSci Month, a team-based trivia game alongside a three-part lecture series will be held on the 26th of April 2025. The trivia game, titled Dynasty Feud 2.0, is an interactive game based on the game show classic Family Feud. Different teams composed of political science students will be pitted against each other to test their general knowledge of politics, political issues, and critical perspectives about the major and discipline.
Afterwards, the lecture series How to Lose an Ally in 10 Days: A Lecture on the Collapse of Political Alliances and Power Shifts in Philippine Politics will contextualize the Marcos‑Duterte feud in relation to the midterm elections through three subtopics. The first, All’s Fair in Love and Politics: The Marcos‑Duterte Fallout, will analyze the causes of this upheaval and its implications for governance. The second, To All the Parties I’ve Loved Before: The Eternal Cycle of Turncoatism in Philippine Politics, will examine which factions stand to dominate after the split. The final subtopic, Sympathy Games: Duterte’s Sympathy Vote, explores the potential for a sympathy‑driven resurgence of the Dutertes among their fervent supporters.
In the end, UP APSM hopes that these activities, through PolSci Month 2025, will continue to bring the study of political science closer to the community and embolden their participation in the greater discourse of the affairs of the nation.
