We’re halfway through spring and this, finally, is the first episode of the spring series. In the Philippines, there’s typhoons and floods and earthquakes and political protests. So to look at what’s happening in that country, we’re joined by journalist Erin Cook, who specialises in South-East Asia.Erin produces the excellent newsletter Dari Mulut ke Mulut, an English-language summary of what's happening in the region, and an occasional newsletter specifically on the Australia-Indonesia relationship, Flat White, Kopi Susu.In this episode we talk about events in the Philippines and provide some background on its politics, both domestic and international. We preview the upcoming ASEAN Summit. And we ask whether fridge magnets are the new souvenir spoons.There's an update on Thai politics, and even a side-trip to talk about Myanmar.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00254/Please consider supporting the podcast:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/