Dara Janelle Eoy
International affairs researcher focused on cognitive warfare
Ms. Dara Janelle Eoy (pronounced ē-yǒy) is a Filipino graduate student currently pursuing a Master in International Affairs at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines Baguio under the BA Social Sciences program, majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Political Science.
Her undergraduate thesis, “An Anthropological Assessment of the Baguio Smart City Framework,” has been submitted to the Office of the Mayor of Baguio City, where it contributes to ongoing policy considerations in digital governance and inclusive urban development.
As an academic and policy researcher, Ms. Eoy is deeply invested in the intersection of cybersecurity, foreign influence operations, and the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. Her work blends cultural insight with strategic policy thinking—linking digital-age threats to lived realities on the ground.
She recently completed the Women in Strategic Policy (WISP) program hosted by the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University and Girls Run the World, further solidifying her role in regional security discourse. Her writings on cognitive warfare and strategic narratives have been featured in the Quarterly Digests of the Office of Strategic Studies and Strategy Management (OSSSM), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The boon and bane of the ASEAN Way: a conventional constructivist perspective (Preprint/essay, Jan 2020). An undergraduate research paper examining the ASEAN Way (the region’s consensus-driven diplomatic norms) through a constructivist lens. The essay discusses the advantages and drawbacks of ASEAN’s consultative approach to regional cooperationresearchgate.net. Co-authors: none. (Listed on research repositories/ResearchGateresearchgate.net.)
An anthropological assessment of the Baguio smart city framework (Master’s thesis, June 2022). A graduate research study (UP Baguio) using anthropological methods to evaluate the early phase of the Baguio Smart City project. Eoy finds that while Baguio’s cool climate and unique location support growth in business, education, and tourism, these rapid developments have also strained the city’s infrastructure and environmentresearchgate.net. (Available via the UP Libraries TUKLAS catalogtuklas.up.edu.ph.)
Lessons for Countering Foreign Influence Operations: The Case of Japan and the Philippines (Conference presentation, Nov 2024). Presented at the 6th Katipunan Conference (UP CIDS), this paper compares how Japan and the Philippines have experienced and responded to foreign influence activities (diplomatic, informational, military, economic) by other states. Eoy identifies each country’s vulnerabilities and countermeasures, and draws lessons for strengthening the Philippines’ resilience against covert influence operationscids.up.edu.ph. Co-authors: none. (Abstract and presentation listed on the UP CIDS conference webpagecids.up.edu.ph.)
Fighting the Future Wars: Countering China’s Malign Influence Operations (Academic article, Apr 2025). An article in which Eoy conceptualizes state-led information campaigns by China (and Russia) as “malign influence operations” within a new generation of cognitive warfare. She analyzes how these authoritarian influence tactics aim to sway domestic politics and public opinion in target states and reviews how democratic governments (including the Philippines’ military public affairs) are countering themresearchgate.netresearchgate.net. The paper offers policy recommendations for the Philippines to protect its information environment against such covert threats. Co-authors: none. (Full text available via ResearchGateresearchgate.net.