Writer and researcher on AI governance and digital policy in Southeast Asia.
RAINARD DISTOR
I write about how AI gets governed in Southeast Asia, and who gets left out when the rules are written. My work runs from published policy research to international conference stages, and it stays focused on the people furthest from where these decisions get made.
01—writing
Essays on AI governance in Southeast Asia, and the people the policy tends to miss.
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Nobody Ranks "Fast" Anymore. This Is What Gets Content Cited by AI
Google shows an AI summary on nearly half of all searches, and most never get a click. Winning now means being cited by AI, not ranked. Here is what earns a citation.
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The Protest Moved to a Vertical Screen: Filipino Youth Advocacy After the Streets
Filipino youth activism moved from the streets to a vertical screen. Research across Southeast Asia says that shift is a real challenge to power, not a lesser one.
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What Kapwa Can Teach the AI Personhood Debate
Western AI ethics asks whether a machine deserves moral status. Filipino philosophy, starting from kapwa and loob, suggests that is the wrong first question.
about
Rainard Distor is a writer and researcher from the rural Philippines who works on AI governance and digital policy. He studies how artificial intelligence meets ethics and governance, and what happens to the communities that technological progress usually skips.
His background is in classical philosophy, and his hands-on work in AI alignment comes from time at Outlier AI. That mix shapes how he writes, translating what the technology actually does for readers who never get briefed on it, from policymakers in ASEAN boardrooms to farmers' grandchildren in Western Visayas.
His published policy research and international talks feed the same goal. As Champion of the ASEAN-IPR Cybersecurity Youth Essay Competition, he pushes for ordinary people to have a say in how AI gets built, regulated, taught, and lived with, above all the people who have never been asked before.
02—works
Longer research and published pieces, from cybersecurity to philosophy.
- Cybersecurity 2025
PSYBERSECURITY: Empowering Youth to Defend Data in a Digital World
This analysis critiques the psychological impact of the digital panopticon in Southeast Asia and proposes a unified legal framework to balance regional security with individual privacy.
read - Governance 2024
Lumad-Laban: An Exposition Against Corporations on Environmental Destruction
This piece critiques the systemic failure of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) to protect Lumad communities from the socio-environmental impacts of corporate mining and militarization
read - Marketing & Creatives 2026
Indiana State Fairgrounds Explosion
A narrative investigation into the systemic negligence and dereliction of duty that led to the deadliest disaster in Indiana history
read - Marketing & Creatives 2026
The WNBA GOAT's Boyfriend Who Grew Up With Absolutely Nothing (Bam Adebayo)
A biographical study tracing the trajectory of NBA star Bam Adebayo from extreme rural poverty to professional success, highlighting the lack of exposure in marginalized communities.
read - News Article 2017
Church counts on you, archbishop tells youth
An analysis of the role of digital natives in the modern Church, urging youth to leverage social communications for social hope and ethical engagement.
read - Philosophy 2022
The Nietzschean Fallacy: Deconstructing Racism and the Filipino Übermensch
This philosophical inquiry separates the Nazi misinterpretation of Nietzsche's Übermensch from its true meaning of self-conquest, analyzing its relevance—or lack thereof—to contemporary Filipino racial dynamics and colonial legacies.
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03—builds
Apps and tools I've designed and shipped, from a barter marketplace to on-device voice dictation.
- Full-stack marketplace 2026
PeekPick
A swipe-to-swap barter marketplace where people trade items directly, no money involved. Sustainability is the whole point.
- React
- TypeScript
- Express
- SQLite
- Mobile app 2026
FRESHyo
Community-reported grocery prices and five-dimension store ratings for Roxas City, so shoppers compare before they go.
- Expo
- React Native
- TypeScript
- Supabase
- SaaS demo 2026
Marketing Flywheel
A four-stage marketing-automation simulator that shows how a local business turns first-time buyers into repeat customers.
- React
- Vite
- No-code builder 2026
Freelancr
A no-code builder that lets freelancers stand up a professional portfolio without touching a line of code.
- Next.js
- TypeScript
- AI toolbench 2026
Content Forge
An SEO content toolbench of thirteen AI-powered tools for ecommerce and SaaS work: fill a form, get output, copy it out.
- Next.js
- TypeScript
- Anthropic API
- macOS app 2026
FlowDictate
A native macOS voice-dictation app: hold a key, speak, and polished text lands wherever your cursor is, fully on-device.
- Swift
- macOS
- Whisper
- Interactive story 2026
Vietnam 2026
An interactive travel-story site tracing a Roxas to Manila to Sài Gòn journey, told as one scrolling narrative.
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
04—speaking
Talks and panels across the region, from ASEAN cybersecurity to youth diplomacy.
Use of AI in CagAI
Guest Speaker, Human Dignity in Technology
Defined Artificial Intelligence as a simulation of human thinking dependent on human data, emphasized that technological advancements must uphold human dignity, and conducted a practical session on proper prompting for research.
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ASEAN-IPR Regional Conference on Cybersecurity
Presenter (Regional Champion), PSYbersecurity: Empowering Youth to Defend Data in a Digital World
Presented a winning research paper to a delegation of experts, diplomats, and youth leaders, offering insights on cybersecurity's role in fostering a culture of peace within the ASEAN region.
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ASEAN Data Science Explorers (ADSE) National Finals
Co-Founder & Strategy Lead, Circular Economy and Carbon Footprint Reduction (PeekPick)
Pitched an innovative mobile bartering platform concept to a judging panel of industry leaders from SAP and the ASEAN Foundation, utilizing data visualization to model environmental impact.
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AYFN Cultural Exchange Program (Autumn Japan Culture Camp)
National Delegate, Cross-Cultural Leadership and UN Sustainable Development Goals
Facilitated cultural exchange workshops and diplomatic simulations in Osaka, Japan, to build stronger diplomatic ties and leadership skills among international youth leaders.
view05—recognition
Awards and delegate roles from ASEAN institutions and youth networks.
- 2025 Regional Champion (1st Place), Cybersecurity Youth Essay Competition Secured 1st place out of 70+ applicants (Top 1% Performance) for outstanding research on cybersecurity's role in fostering a culture of peace in the ASEAN region. ASEAN Institute of Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR)
- 2023 National Champion & Best Speaker (Preliminary Rounds) Awarded the national championship and individual honors for speaking proficiency in a high-level legal debate competition focused on intellectual property rights. Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Intellectual Property Law Debate
- 2025 Philippine Delegate, Young Leaders Forum (AAYLF) Selected as a Philippine representative to engage in high-level strategic dialogue on the Blue Economy, Maritime Security, and Ocean Sustainability in Cebu, Philippines. ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership (AAYSP)
- 2025 Autumn Japan Culture Camp Chosen to represent the Philippines in Osaka, Japan; participated in intensive workshops on cross-cultural leadership and diplomatic simulations. ASEAN Youth Friendship Network (AYFN) Academy