At a time when migration policies are beleaguered with controversies brought to the fore by national security and economic concerns, the issue of labor migration has proven to be a polarizing subject that has fueled debates among policymakers and world leaders. Interminable discussions have run the gamut from impacts and challenges of migration to crafting policies that will guarantee equal opportunities ...

The word kafala has two distinct meanings in classical Arabic: to guarantee and to take care of. The kafala system is a timehonored tradition of hospitality, which lays down obligations in the treatment and protection of foreign guests. The customary grant of protection of guests originated from the Bedouins. It is a noble principle, but contemporary practice has been marred by criticisms over the ...

President Rodrigo Duterte launched the war on drugs at the beginning of his term, a high-profile campaign against illicit drug trade that serves as the cornerstone of domestic policy. The Philippines seeks to eradicate drug dealing and addiction, which are seen by the present administration as major obstacles to the country’s economic and social progress. Amidst the polemics against President Duterte’s ...

In the last two years, the Zika virus has commanded worldwide attention due to particular risks to pregnant women. There are scientific studies that confirm that the virus can cause infant neurological disorders such as microcephaly, a severe birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains, and neurological complications like the Guillain-Barré syndrome, ...