Nathaniel P. Candelaria

Nathaniel P. Candelaria, MA

Assistant Professor
Assistant College Secretary, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy

Bulwagang Silangang Palma
Africa Street
University of Philippines Diliman, Quezon City

(63 2) 981 8500 local 2380

npcandelaria@up.edu.ph
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Nathaniel Punongbayan Candelaria is an Assistant Professor at the UP Department of Political Science. He currently serves as Assistant College Secretary of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of the Philippines Diliman.

Asst. Prof. Candelaria is a member of the Philippine Political Science Association (PPSA), the International Political Science Association (IPSA), a lifetime member of the Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in the Social Sciences — UP Chapter (Philippine Alpha Chapter), and an associate member of the Social Sciences Division (Division VIII) of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP).

Asst. Prof. Candelaria earned his Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) degree (cum laude) in 2015 at UP Diliman. He also earned his Master of Arts (Political Science) degree in 2022 from the same university, with a thesis entitled “Food Security in the Midst of Climate Change: A Case Study of Cooperation Between the Philippines and the International Rice Research Institute.” Prior to joining the Department faculty, he previously served as Teaching Associate at the UP Department of Political Science, under the UP Teaching Assistantship program. He also previously worked as Senior Project Assistant at the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS), under the following research programs: 1) Strategic Studies Program, 2) Program on Alternative Development, and 3) Program on Social and Political Change, and as Research Assistant at the Institute for Strategic and Development Studies (ISDS Philippines) and at the Foundation for Integrative and Development Studies (FIDS).

Asst. Prof. Candelaria’s research interests cover Non-Traditional Security, International Relations, Religion and Politics, and Southeast Asian Politics. He presented some of his research at the PPSA International Conference, the IPSA World Congress of Political Science, the Asian and Political Studies Association (APISA) International Conference, the Wenzao International Conference on Southeast Asian Studies (ICSEAS), the International Studies Association (ISA) Asia-Pacific Conference, and the National Social Science Congress (NSSC) of the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC). Some of his academic works are published as journal articles in the Philippine Journal of Public Policy: Interdisciplinary Research Perspectives (PJPP), the Journal of Anime and Manga Studies (JAMS) and the Philippine Social Sciences Review (PSSR), and as book chapters in Reimagining Development in Southeast Asia: Alternative Practices from the Grassroots and Social Movements (Springer) and the Southeast Asian Affairs 2025 (ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute). He also contributed academic essays in FACTS Asia, and the UP sa Halalan websites. He was also invited to review papers in refereed journals such as the One Social Science Journal (OSSJ), the Philippine Journal of Social Development (PJSD), and the Aguipo Global South Journal.

As a member of the faculty, Asst. Prof. Candelaria taught General Education courses such as Social Science 2: Social, Economic, and Political Thought (Soc Sci 2). He also taught undergraduate courses in Political Science such as Southeast Asian Politics (POLSC 131), and Politics and Society (POLSC 121).

Education

  • Master of Arts in Political Science, University of the Philippines-Diliman, 2022
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (cum laude), University of the Philippines-Diliman, 2015

Research Interests

Non-Traditional Security, International Relations, Religion and Politics, and Southeast Asian Politics

Recent Publications

Journal Articles:

Book Chapters:

  • Bautista, L., & Candelaria, N. P. (2025). Tightrope Diplomacy: Philippine Foreign Policy Recalibration Under Marcos Jr. amid South China Sea Tensions and Political Rifts. In T. Chong & D. Singh (Eds.), Southeast Asian Affairs 2025 (pp. 255-268). ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. https://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg/publication/7960
  • Candelaria, N. P. (2025). Women Household Heads in Indonesia and Their Role in Addressing Gender Inequality.” In J. M. C. Sy & A. P. Aban (Eds.), Reimagining Development in Southeast Asia: Alternative Practices from the Grassroots and Social Movements (pp. 255-270). Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-97-9140-8_15
  • Candelaria, N. P. (2025). Promoting Food Sovereignty in Thailand and the Task of Civil Society.” In J. M. C. Sy & A. P. Aban (Eds.), Reimagining Development in Southeast Asia: Alternative Practices from the Grassroots and Social Movements (pp. 73-87). Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-97-9140-8_4

Monograph and Monograph Chapters:

Online Articles:

Courses Taught

  • Social Science 2: Social, Economic and Political Thought
  • Political Science 131: Southeast Asian Politics
  • Political Science 121: Society and Politics