Mara Cepeda
Philippines Correspondent
Mara is Philippines correspondent at The Straits Times and a journalism lecturer at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She specialises in stories on politics, diplomacy, and defence and security. She joined ST in 2022 after working for seven years as a political reporter for Rappler. She is a fellow of the NUS-IPS and Temasek Foundation’s Asia Journalism Fellowship and the United Nations’ Reham al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship.
Latest articles
Bondi shooting puts gunmen’s Philippines trip under scrutiny, but training claims remain unproven
Seized buildings, other assets linked to Marcos dictatorship’s corruption fall into neglect
Manila’s turn towards Seoul to bolster defence versus China reflects shifting security framework
Marcos at his weakest in his presidency, as he fights fires amid flood-control scandal
My local eatery’s Michelin moment: Not just prestige but brighter future for owner’s family
Beijing’s influence comes under scrutiny as Philippines-China Studies Center debuts in Manila
Philippines’ 2026 chairmanship of Asean to test Marcos’ balancing act on regional issues
Back-to-back typhoons a test of Philippine resilience as Fung-wong claims 25 lives
Philippines steps up front-line role in Indo-Pacific with new US-linked task force
Asean is already economically divided. AI will make it worse
