Introduction to the Fourth Volume of the Aguipo Global South Journal

1 Imbong Aguipo'Global'South'Journal'vol.'4,'2025,'1-1' ' ISSN$2984-8342$ https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17345239$ ©$Regletto$Aldrich$Imbong ! Introduction*to*the*Fourth*Volume*of*the* Aguipo*Global*South*Journal* Regletto'Aldrich'Imbong' University!of!the!Philippines!Cebu,!Philippines! ! ! ! The!Aguipo'Global'South'Journal'(AGSJ)'is!on!its!fourth!volume.!It!contains!three! articles!and!two!book!reviews,!all!which!concern!major!issues!in!the!Philippines!like!civic! participation,!neocolonial!control,!historical!distortion!and!Martial!Law,!power!dynamics,! and!Marxism.!! ! ! The!first!article!is!by!Arielle!Elaine!Collera,!Anika!Jolie!King,!Christina!Rai!Padilla,! and!Arra!Katrina!Villaruel!entitled!“Studying!Humor!Seriously:!The!Potential!of!Humor!in! Political!Participation.”!The!authors!reflected!on!the!potential!of!humor!as!a!reflective,! critical,! and! creative! tool! especially! in! relation! to! reinforcing! civic! participation! and! engagement.!The!authors!traced!how!humor!could!transform!from!a!negative!and!critical! political! message! to! a! positive! and! creative! advocacy! narrative! helpful! in! realizing! democratic!participation.!The!second!article!is!by!Jhon!Martin!Carlos!entitled!“Why!are!we! Still!Afraid!of!Divorce?:!Marriage!and!the!Traces!of!Neocolonial!Control!in!the!Philippines.”! In!this!article,!Carlos!investigated!(neo)colonial!remnants!in!an!important!institution!in! the!Philippines:!marriage.!Carlos!compellingly!argued!how!capitalism!and!patriarchy,!being! neocolonial!systems!of!control,!continue!to!dominate!the!Filipinos!through!marriage.!His! argument!enlightened!a!new!understanding!of!divorce!which!perhaps!could!be!helpful!in! the!ongoing!debates!in!the!country!over!its!legalization.!The!last!article!is!by!Maurice!Jitty! Villaester! entitled! “Constructing! Counterpublics:! Gen! Z! Students! Reclaim! Martial! Law! Memory!through!DYUP!Sugbo.”!Villaester!explored!the!potential!of!a!student-led!radio! program!of!the!University!of!the!Philippines!Cebu!as!a!platform!for!the!production!of!truth.! Amidst! the! deluge! of! historical! revisionism,! Villaester! elaborated! how! the! local! radio! program!becomes!an!important!counterpublic!that!reinforces!history!education!and!civic! participation.! ! ! The!two!book!reviews!are!by!Epifanio!San!Juan!Jr.!and!Mejedin!Tena.!San!Juan!Jr.! reviewed!Jose!Maria!Sison’s!Reflections'on'Revolution'and'Prospects'while!Tena!reviewed! Mary!Racelis’!The'Dynamics'of'Power'in'a'Philippine'Municipality.!' ! ! ! ! !