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Researched By: Jean Almari Fuderanan

URL: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS2m4KPUK/

TITLE: Budget sa pagkain ng bawat pinoy

AUTHOR: Abs-Cbn news/Atty. Chel

Diokno

DATE PUBLISHED: August 24, 2024

KEY INFO: Other groups speaked up on the National Economic and Development Authority's statement that a Filipino's budget must be 64 php or less to be considered "Food poor"

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1482 likes, 74 comments. “21 pesos per meal? Seryoso ba ’to? Kung ganito ang basehan ng gobyerno, paano nga ba nila makikita ang tunay na hirap ng Pilipino?”

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1) SHORT FORM SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT

2) LOCAL NEWS ARTICLE

3) NATIONAL NEWS ARTICLE

4)INTERNATIONAL NEWS ARTICLE

5) LOCAL OR NATIONAL NEWS VIDEO SEGMENT

6) INTERNATIONAL NEWS VIDEO SEGMENT

7) ADVOCACY POSTER OR PRINT AD

8) PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE OR PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

9) MAGAZINE OR FEATURE ARTICLE

10)VLOG FEATURE

11) DATA INFOGRAPHIC OR STATISTICS

12)GOVERMENT WEBSITE CONTENT

13)NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION OR ACADEMIC INSTITUTON ARTICLE

14)PODCAST OR DOCUMENTARY

15)WEBINAR OR LECTURE OR TED TALK

16)BOOK OR RESEARCH PAPER

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Researched by: Joaquin

URL:

AUTHOR: INQUIRER.net

DATE PUBLISHED: MAY 2020

KEY INFO: The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct investigation and arrest local officials involved in anomalies during the distribution of cash aid under the government’s social amelioration program (SAP).

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DILG to PNP: Go after local officials behind dishonest SAP distribution

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MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct investigation and arrest local

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Researched by: Joey Lasib

URL:

https://www.rappler.com/philippines/mindanao/schools-group-soccsksargen-seeks-probe-delayed-released-ched-funds/

TITLE: Schools’ group seeks probe into delayed release of CHED funds

AUTHOR: Rommel Rebollido

DATE PUBLISHED: May 22, 2023

KEY INFO: GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines- The extended delay in the payment of past-due UNIFAST educational subsidies, which prompted a congressional investigation into the topic, demonstrating the government's inadequate financial support for education.

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Schools’ group seeks probe into delayed release of CHED funds

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In Soccsksargen alone, CHED owes schools about P1 billion for implementing UNIFAST programs, says the head of the region’s Association of Higher Education Institutions

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Researched by: Kahlila Tizon

URL: https://thediplomat.com/2022/09/making-sense-of-the-philippines-latest-poverty-statistics/

TITLE: Making Sense of the Philippines' Latest Poverty Statistics

AUTHOR: Mong Palatino

DATE PUBLISHED: Sept. 7, 2022

KEY INFO:

More Filipinos are poorer today compared to 2018, according to the latest official data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Citing its Family Income and Expenditure Survey, the PSA said the country has 19.99 million individuals living below the poverty threshold. This represents 18.1 percent of the population. In 2018, there were 17.67 million poor Filipinos. Meanwhile, the number of “food-poor” individuals increased by 1.01 million. The PSA also reported a 7.8 percent unemployment rate, which is equivalent to 3.71 million jobless Filipinos.

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More Filipinos are poorer today compared to 2018, according to the latest official data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Citing its Family Income and Expenditure Survey, the PSA said the country has 19.99 million individuals living below the poverty threshold. This represents 18.1 percent of the population. In 2018, there were 17.67 million poor Filipinos. Meanwhile, the number of "food-poor" individuals increased by 1.01 million. The PSA also reported a 7.8 percent unemployment rate, which is equivalent to 3.71 million jobless Filipinos.

The poverty situation could be worse because the PSA survey was done in 2021, and its poverty threshold is considered unrealistic by other experts. Converted into U.S. dollars, a person belonging to a family of five members only needs to earn $1.41 per day in order to survive and meet his or her daily food requirements, according to the Philippine government.

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto, who is a former senator and former head of the National Economic and Development Authority, chided the PSA for using a low food threshold cost to measure poverty.

"I do not know what sample meals were cooked by the PSA people in their test kitchens which prompted them to issue that food threshold cost. Maybe the PSA would like to share their miracle recipe for the enlightenment of families who are having a hard time putting food on the table and making ends meet," he commented sarcastically.

In an editorial, the Manila Times advised the PSA to adopt the global standard for determining the country's state of poverty.

"Reducing and ideally eliminating poverty is an aspiration of every administration, but no administration will be successful if it does not fully understand the scope of the problem. It cannot possibly do so given the inadequacy of the data indicators it is given to work with under the current model used by the PSA," it stated in an editorial.

Independent think-tank Ibon Foundation pointed out that "the reality of daily poverty is being made invisible to official statistics." It urged the government to reconsider its methodology in counting the poor and aim to uplift the conditions of more Filipinos and not just those categorized to be living on extreme subsistence levels.

"The government can and should have a more expansive view. A high poverty threshold can be the expression of ambition to raise more Filipinos, not just the extremely poor, out of their daily lived experience of poverty," Ibon said.

For its part, the PSA clarified that it does not pass judgment in gathering information about the quality of living of individuals as it merely subscribes to what nutritionists have identified as the basic food requirements for a person to survive on a single day.

Compared to the PSA report, the survey done by the private polling firm Social Weather Station (SWS) showed a higher number of Filipinos who rated themselves as poor and "borderline poor." The report pegged the number of poor families at around 48 percent of the population, which is considered more accurate given the unprecedented loss of jobs and livelihoods in the past two years.

Despite doubts about the reliability of the PSA model, it cannot be denied that poverty has worsened. This can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the role of governance should not be overlooked. Senator Grace Poe indirectly made reference to the devastating impact of the prolonged militarized lockdowns imposed by the previous Rodrigo Duterte government in dealing with the public health crisis.

"Our people are hardworking and raring to find livelihood for their families. The government must pave the way to make them productive," Poe said, as she pressed the government to allow more public utility vehicles to resume operations.

The PSA report also confirmed the glaring poverty gap between cities and rural areas. The Metro Manila region has the lowest poverty incidence while the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao recorded the highest. The government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which plans to reduce the poverty rate to a single digit over the next six years, can invoke the PSA statistics to realign more funds into the provinces and address the imbalance in the delivery of services and projects, which is tilted grossly in favor of vote-rich urban areas. This is feasible since Congress is still deliberating the proposed 2023 budget submitted by the Marcos government.

The former deputy governor of the Philippines' Central Bank, Diwa C. Guinigundo, emphasizes the need for urgent government action if it wants to reverse the rapid decline of the economy.

"By 2024, unless the national government shapes up its health mitigation program, social amelioration and small business support and economic recovery efforts, the severe economic scarring in both the academe and the labor market could further trigger several million people more joining the ranks of the poor," he wrote in his column for the Manila Bulletin.

Authors

Contributing Author

Mong Palatino

Mong Palatino served for two terms in the House of Representatives in the Philippines representing the youth sector.

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Making Sense of the Philippines' Latest Poverty Statistics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Philippine Statistics Authority says that nearly 1 in 5 Filipinos are living below the poverty line - but the real number could be a lot higher.

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Researched by: Katrelle Crauss G. Calpo

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADEpcUhCex4

AUTHOR: ANC

DATE PUBLISHED: December 8, 2023

KEY INFO: Advocacy group Philippine Business for Education says the poor state of education in the Philippines is due to decades of neglect. It appeals to the country's leaders to prioritize issues hounding the education sector.

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PBED: Poor PH education due to decades of neglect | ANC

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Researched by: Kahlila Tizon

URL:

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/video/2018/05/29/making-growth-work-for-the-poor-in-the-philippines

TITLE: Making Growth Work for the Poor in the Philippines

AUTHOR: World Bank Organization

DATE PUBLISHED: May 29, 2018

KEY INFO: Robust growth in the Philippines over the past decade has helped to reduce the national poverty rate. Despite these gains, however, a significant number of Filipinos still live below poverty line.

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Robust growth in the Philippines over the past decade has helped to reduce the national poverty rate. Despite these gains, however, a significant number of Filipinos still live below poverty line. What are the hurdles that prevent the country from achieving poverty reduction faster than its neighbors, and can it hasten the pace of poverty reduction?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Making Growth Work for the Poor in the Philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Robust growth in the Philippines over the past decade has helped to reduce the national poverty rate. Despite these gains, however, a significant number of Filipinos still live below poverty line. Why?

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Citizens provide aid denied by government neglect

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Researched by: Katrelle Crauss G. Calpo

URL: https://www.facebook.com/saka.pilipinas/photos/together-we-can-provide-the-aid-denied-by-government-neglectjoin-tulong-anakpawi/542263209729277/

AUTHOR: SAKA Advocacy Group

DATE PUBLISHED: March 20, 2020

KEY INFO: SAKA is reaching out to fellow cultural workers, defenders of the rights of the poor, and friends in the advocacy for genuine agrarian reform. This is an opportune moment to show our #SocialSolidarity for the health of the people #KalusuganNgMamamayan) despite social distancing and the enhanced community quarantine.

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8. PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE OR PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

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8. PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE OR PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

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Researched by: Nicole Pia Pearl Agno

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiITrs2z0WU

TITLE: DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo addresses disappointment over education aid distribution.

AUTHOR: Rappler

DATE PUBLISHED: Aug 20, 2022

KEY INFO: The video shows that DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo addresses disappointment after a day of chaotic education aid distribution saying the department is calling for the help of cities and municipalities in distributing the agency’s highly anticipated education assistance.

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DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo addresses disappointment over education aid distribution

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Researched By: Jean Almari Fuderanan

URL: https://www.ibon.org/ayuda-emergency-crisis-ph/

AUTHOR: IBON.org. IBON Foundation Inc.

DATE PUBLISHED: November 2, 2022

KEY INFO: Philippine government is scrimping on ayuda with the economic team insisting, more than once, that “ayuda is a waste of money”. It is cutting ayuda budgets in 2023, refuses to increase ayuda now, and has actually even reneged on ayuda that it earlier promised.

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It’s an emergency: Help millions of Filipinos in crisis now

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The government’s spending priorities need to be fixed. Social protection needs to be expanded to help families and sectors in need. It is also never too early to start taking steps to develop the national economy and make Filipinos less vulnerable to external economic shocks.

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Researched by: Jean Almari Fuderanan

URL: https://youtu.be/GV7R0c4TIMI?si=8s3i3QUPRAhVYLR9

Title: Manila's poorest slums

Author: Drew Binsky

Date published: July 27, 2024

Key Info: Employment is available but often in low-paying jobs like construction or security, with earnings around 1,000 pesos per day.

The contrast between the wealthy areas of Manila and the slums is stark, highlighting the city's economic disparity.

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13. NON-GOVERMENT ORGANIZATION OR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION ARTICLE

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13. NON-GOVERMENT ORGANIZATION OR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION ARTICLE

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Researched by: Joey Lasib

URL: https://care-philippines.org/2024/08/19/access-gets-%e2%82%b176-million-from-eu-for-mindanao-flood-aid/

AUTHOR: Tanya Mariano

DATE PUBLISHED: August 19, 2024
KEY INFO: It displays how, in contrast to the government, nongovernmental organizations are more committed to responding to emergency circumstances, recognizing critical needs, and providing first aid such as food, help, clean water, sanitary facilities, and basic services.

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The funding will help bring food, clean water, sanitation facilities, and protection assistance to the hardest-hit, least-served, most remote communities

Manila, Philippines, 19 August 2024 - The ACCESS consortium - made up of five international and nine local organizations implementing the ACCESS Project - has secured ₱76 million (€1.2 million) in funding from the European Union (EU) to deliver timely, appropriate, life-saving aid to communities in Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and del Sur, and Sultan Kudarat who were affected by the July 2024 flooding and landslides.

Said Ansherina Talavera, Humanitarian and Peacebuilding Coordinator of consortium lead CARE Philippines: "As humanitarian workers, we're committed to addressing human suffering wherever it is found, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable. This funding from the European Union helps us support the hardest-hit communities, who are not only dealing with the aftermath of floods and landslides but are also facing the ongoing challenges of conflict and climate change."

Existing organizational presence enabled quick response

The consortium had been on the ground when floods and landslides hit the region, allowing it to immediately assess the situation, identify urgent needs, and deliver initial relief. This established presence in Mindanao and across the Philippines is made possible by the ACCESS-initiated Equitable Partnership Alliance - a non-formal network of local, national, and international non-government organizations committed to delivering quality humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding programs in the country.

The funding will help ACCESS provide food assistance, clean water, sanitation facilities, hygiene promotion, and essential services protecting the rights and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of affected families. As with all its emergency response efforts, the consortium will target the hardest hit, least served, difficult-to-reach areas, prioritizing low-income households for whom recovery may be challenging, and including older persons, pregnant and lactating women, persons with disability, female-headed households, and households from indigenous groups.

From El Nino to floods and landslides

The massive flooding and landslides - the result of the interaction of multiple, successive weather systems, including the southwest monsoon - came just as families were recovering from the impacts of El Nino. Many had also been grappling with the protracted, decades-long conflict across Mindanao.

Urgent needs

Among affected and displaced individuals, the consortium found high levels of food insecurity; significant losses in incomes and livelihood assets; poor water supply, sanitation, and hygiene conditions; extensive damages to belongings and the loss of important civil documents; heightened risks of sexual violence and exploitation against women and children; and a need for mental health and psychosocial support.

Said Talavera, "ACCESS is focused on providing urgent aid and helping families rebuild their lives with resilience and dignity."
Photos: © ACCORD Inc., Action Against Hunger Philippines, Save the Children Philippines, Humanity & Inclusion Philippines | 2024
About ACCESS

ACCESS (Assisting the Most Vulnerable Communities and Schools Affected by Complex Emergencies in Accessing Quality and Timely Humanitarian and Disaster Preparedness Services) is a multi-year, multi-sectoral project funded by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). The ACCESS Mindanao flood emergency response will be implemented by consortium members ACCORD, Action Against Hunger Philippines, CARE Philippines, Community Organizers Multiversity, Humanity & Inclusion Philippines, Mindanao Organization for Social and Economic Progress, and Save the Children Philippines, together with Oxfam Pilipinas and United Youth of the Philippines-Women.

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ACCESS gets ₱76 million from EU for Mindanao flood aid - CARE Philippines: International Humanitarian Organization

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The funding will help bring food, clean water, sanitation facilities, and protection assistance to the hardest-hit, least-served, most remote communities

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Researched by: Kahlila Tizon

URL: https://www.pids.gov.ph/details/news/press-releases/pids-study-reveals-serious-school-infrastructure-gaps-in-ph-basic-educ-sector

TITLE: PIDS study reveals serious school infrastructure gaps in PH basic educ sector

AUTHOR: Adoracion Navarro

DATE PUBLISHED: Apr 13, 2022

KEY INFO: The adequacy of school infrastructure in the country’s basic education sector in terms of the adequacy of classrooms; access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities; electricity access; and information and communications technology (ICT) access.

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PIDS study reveals serious school infrastructure gaps in PH basic educ sector

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A recent study by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) found gaps in the country’s school infrastructure, highli

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11. DATA INFOGRAPHIC AND STATISTIC ARTICLE 

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11. DATA INFOGRAPHIC AND STATISTIC ARTICLE 

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Researched by: Joaquin

URL: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1321332/philippines-poverty-incidence-of-families-by-region/

AUTHOR: PIDS

DATE PUBLISHED: August 2024

KEY INFO:  This data highlights one of the numerous reasons of poverty that the government has not been able to address yet, by displaying statistics of families in a given location whose income is below the poverty line.

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Philippines: poverty incidence of families by region 2023 | Statista

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Preliminary estimates for 2023 show that the region of Zamboanga Peninsula had the highest poverty incidence among families in the Philippines at 24.2 percent.

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Researched by: Joey Lasib

URL: https://www.iag.org.ph/think/1790-dynamics-of-poverty-politics-and-peace-mindanao-and-beyond

TITLE: Dynamics of Poverty, Politics and Peace: Mindanao and Beyond

AUTHOR: Atty. Benedicto Bacani

DATE PUBLISHED: December 3 2018

KEY INFO: It explores the complex relationship between poverty, politics, and peace in Mindanao, highlighting how the government neglects Mindanao in financial support even with its 15% contribution in the GDP and 40% of the country’s agricultural production.

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IAG Executive Director Atty. Benedicto Bacani delivered this keynote speech during the 4th Mindanao Peace Studies Conference on November 21, 2018 at the Fr. Saturnino Urios University, Butuan City
Poverty incidence in Mindanao is at 40%, the highest among the three islands with four out of the top 5 poorest regions in the Philippines in Mindanao. Mindanao has one third of the Philippines poor but only a quarter of the country's population. Despite Mindanao having the highest poverty incidence, Mindanao has received only 14.5% share of the national budget in the past five years. This budget is against the backdrop where Mindanao contributes 15% of GDP and 40% of the country's agricultural production.

Kusog Mindanaw, an annual multi-stakeholders forum has been in the forefont of the 30-30-30 advocacy: Since Mindanao has 30% percent of the country's population then it is entitled to at least 30% share of the national budget; and 30% of positions in all organs of departments, judiciary, constitutional commissions and government owned and/or controlled corporations and institutions.

Mindanao poverty as an issue of greater budget and share in national offices is only one dimension of the complex issue of poverty. Poverty is symptomatic and only one of the products of a greater problem which is injustice. Historical injustice is now commonly regarded as the underlying root of the Mindanao conflict and poverty. Injustice is in various forms: social, political, economic, cultural and environmental.

World Bank (2005), Joint Needs Assessment for Reconstruction and Development of Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao, World Bank Manila Office.

In the World Bank study, injustice in Mindanao has many faces: social exclusion and marginalization, land and natural resources dispossession, ineffective/imposed institutions of governance, law enforcement and service delivery, extreme poverty, deprivation of basic amenities and perceived suppression of Islamic practices, traditional customs and indigenous institutions (and the communist insurgency). There are socio-economic and political factors that fuel and perpetuate injustice such as competition for scarce resources, local election disputes, proliferation of armed groups/militarization, intertribal and inter-ethnic conflict, clan war and unimplemented peace agreements with Moro fronts. I will now add rise of extremism and intolerance in all forms in this list.

In the literature, injustice is form of structural violence that makes the quest for peace elusive and resolution of societal conflicts seemed intractable.

How do we address injustice as the root cause of poverty and lack of peace in Mindanao? In the context of Mindanao, we hear of addressing historical injustice as key to Mindanao peace. The peace process with the Moro fronts-MNLF-MILF has raised national consciousness on the history of Mindanao and the Moro people and the loss of sovereignty, land and identity due to colonization. Public laws have discriminated against the Moro people.

In peace agreements with the Moro fronts, autonomy has been agreed upon as the means to recognize and correct the historical injustice committed against the Moro people. Aside from this political system that will allow the Moro people to evolve their own system of governance according to their identity, culture and way of life, there is the process of normalization and transitional justice in that will remember, acknowledge and provide a system of accountability and reparation for the injustice committed to the Moro people. Learning from the peace process with the MNLF and peace processes elsewhere, the MILF peace process is indeed more comprehensive in recognizing the root causes and the various and contemporary modes of addressing them.

It is significant to note that there is a clear attempt to introduce political reforms in the envisioned Bangsamoro autonomous region by the adoption of a regional parliamentary system that will broaden public participation in politics and governance. According to the BOL, 50% of the members of the regional parliament shall be elected thru proportional representation, 40% will be district representatives and 10% are reserved seats where (2) reserved seats each for non-Moro indigenous peoples and settler communities, 1 seat for Women, youth, traditional leaders, and the Ulama.

Already, this provision that will promote more public participation in governance is now under attack with the filing of a petition in the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of a parliamentary system in the Bangsamoro while the country is under a presidential system. We monitor opposition to the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law by leaders and groups whose political and economic interests will be potentially diminished by these political reforms. At the other end of the spectrum, we see growing skepticism on the political and administrative capacity and commitment of the MILF to good governance as leading the 3-year transition from the ARMM to the new Bangsamoro autonomous region. There are fears about maintaining unity in the Bangsamoro given the political, clans and ethnic divisions and the resurgence of more virulent conflicts for those who will feel excluded in this peace process. Finally, there is growing anxiety over government's capacity to deliver on the much needed resources for meaningful transition and normalization process owing to weak and inefficient bureaucracy and processes.

This brings me to my point: "It is not enough to acknowledge that injustice in history has been committed. Building social justice is the way to building stable peace." Social justice abounds when benefits and burdens are divided fairly among members of the community (Distributive justice as per Aristotle).

Structural violence that breeds conflicts and unpeace can only be addressed in an environment where the work for social justice is thriving and social justice is being pursued at all costs. Social justice is ending all forms of structural violence. It is underpinned by equality, primacy of the dignity of peoples and human rights for all.

Is there an environment, political, legal and social, in the Philippines where the work for social justice is thriving? We pride ourselves as a democratic and republican country. Our constitution in unequivocal terms puts social justice as a national vision. We have the most progressive bill of rights in our constitution. Yet, why are our communities poor while few favored families and groups reap the country's growing economy? Why is justice and the rule of elusive and almost unreachable to the poor while treated as commodity that can be bought and manipulated by the influential few? Why is it that human rights are subordinated to national security and law enforcement as if they are mutually exclusive?

These are questions that we have been asking ourselves for the longest time. We hoped that after the EDSA revolution, our trajectory towards attaining a high degree of social justice will be clear, certain and sustained. Yes, our economy has grown. Yes, we have freedoms that are envied by others. Yet, there remains no equal opportunities for all Filipinos to better their lives. Not few look at EDSA as a battle between political families and dynasties for control of the Philippines. People hoped change after the fall of the dictatorship. There was positive change indeed but only for the favored few. The majority remained poor and marginalized from the existing political and legal system that they hoped can take them out of poverty.

The election of President Duterte who ran under the platform of change and iron-fisted law enforcement, showed that many Filipinos are desirous of radical change. They saw in President Duterte a leader who is one with the poor, speaks their language and empathizes with them. For the plurality of voters in the last national elections, if there is someone who can instill fear in the oligarchs, feudal lords and the ruling class in the Philippines, it is President Duterte.

The brand of governance of President Duterte is not unique. Globally, there is this growing trend of elected leaders who represent or who present themselves as candidates under a platform that is anti-establishment, nationalist and protectionist, anti-western liberal democracy, populists and strong against crime: Time magazine described them as the "strong men": Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The newly elected right-wing President of Brazil who does not hide his admiration of dictators, Jair Bolsonaro. is now in this list. As an anti-establishment and populist leader, President Donald Trump of the United States is in this club.

The rise of "strong men" including our own President Duterte is a pushback to international global order that is identified with western liberal democracies, of globalization that bred more inequities in global economy and development and to global organizations such as the United Nations and the values that they represent: human rights, democracy, international conventions, and diplomacy. These are values that the Philippines has embraced after the fall of the dictatorship and it looks like for President Duterte, these values that underpinned public policies in the country have not solved the deep-seated problems that ail this country: crime, poverty and lack of justice. If radical change has to happen, a new playbook has to be played.

This playbook has been the subject of scrutiny and debate in and out of the Philippines. Depending on which side of the political fence one is, the war on drugs is brutal, anti-poor and inhuman for some and necessary and unavoidable to protect young Filipinos for others. The principle that the state has to protect human rights as an international obligation is challenged as giving criminals free passes to commit crime against victims who have greater claim to human rights. In this playbook, the military and police are the "bastoneros" that will instill discipline in and out of government. "Militarization" is taking on a new meaning under this administration-those who have been in the military and police force are assumed to be disciplined and efficient and can get things done as government bureaucrats. In foreign relations, the press release is that the Philippines adopt an independent foreign policy but clearly the official actions are drifting away from western liberal democratic countries and closer to China and Russia. Charter change particularly around shifting the country's unitary system to federal system as a way to empower regions and local governments is an agenda in this playbook.

The peace process with the MILF under the Duterte administration has progressed with the passage of the BOL. In a big way, the policy of President Duterte for the implementation of peace agreements in step with legal and constitutional reforms has paved the way for compromises on the BOL that led to its passage in Congress. The peace process with the NDF-CPP-NPA is in now in limbo.

There are still more that we can add in the list of Duterte playbook that horrify critics and praised in high heavens by Duterte supporters. The main battleground for winning adherents or oppositors to this playbook is in social media--- while ironically lauded as democratizing information has in not few instances misused as weapons to peddle lies and stifle dissent.

Is social justice reachable under President Duterte? Will this administration able to dismantle the entrenched structural violence in our political and economic system that hit the poor most? Will there be genuine political reforms under his watch? Is the path we are taking lead us to just and sustainable peace?

I must confess that I have mixed feelings and reviews. I had high hopes when federalism was made the centerpiece of the President's constitutional reform agenda. Federalism is a homegrown Mindanao agenda which is shared even by Moro fronts as a solution to the Mindanao conflict. Under a federal Philippines, social justice can potentially flourish as regions outside Metro Manila can get a more equitable share of the country's resources. Government is also brought closer to the people who can demand accountability from leaders. Yet, we do not see the President's leadership in steering the federalism discourse to an end that majority Filipinos can support. Instead, because of the President's lack of leadership on the issue, this initiative is being hijacked by pseudo-federalist groups with vested interests.

To address structural violence, the response must be structural which is a mix of political, legal and constitutional reforms. Power relations that allow a privileged few to control resources and political powers can only be dismantled thru sustained reforms. Our dysfunctional and slow justice system has to be reformed. Electoral reforms must be implemented to give equal opportunities to everyone not only the moneyed few to take on an elected public office.

We are yet to see structural reforms under the current dispensation. In the war against drugs, we see that due process and rule of law take a backseat in favor of swift and dramatic results. Structural reforms to make law enforcement effective as a deterrent to crime is not there yet.

Finally, human rights is the foundation of social justice. If we want to achieve social justice, we need to recognize and respect more not less human rights. For human rights to deter and not misused to the destruction of innocent lives, the only way is to observe not contravene due process. Efficient and effective policing, prosecution and conviction is the key to address the problems of drugs and criminality.

We may be getting desperate but should the military and police be always and preferred "go to guy" for everything that needs to be fixed in this country? It looks though that the lines between military, police and civilian functions are getting blurred. One of the supposedly good things we are hearing about martial law in Mindanao is that it has improved governance especially in Moro areas. Local political leaders are accountable to their constituents and governing out of fear of the military promotes a culture of violence not peace.

Let me summarize my main points:

First, in the context of Mindanao, sustainable peace does not only require acknowledging historical injustice but most critically, promoting social justice. We have to reform our politics and constitutional and legal framework, in order to provide equal opportunities and burdens to people especially the poor. The shift to a federal system, when done right in process and substance, can potentially bring about these needed reforms.

Second, the primacy of the dignity of persons and human rights must be observed for genuine social justice to be achieved.

Third, we need to reform our political and justice institutions. Institution-building is the antidote to structural violence.

Fourth, non-violent and democratic process may be slow, frustrating and incremental yet this is the only way by which genuine peace and social justice can be achieved.

As peace builders, peace scholars and researchers, we need to be critical of the policy choices our leaders make. These policy choices are underpinned by values that must as well be critically examined. There are policy choices that this current administration that we may not agree on but it does not mean other administrations have done better. People seemed desperate for change that they are even willing to barter their freedoms and rights for some sense of security. We cannot be partisan because if we do so, we stop listening. We must have the courage to facilitate dialogues, especially political dialogues on how best we can build institutions that will promote social justice. Finally, we must have the perseverance to assess and examine the dynamics of peace and conflict in your own context. If we are the first to give up on non-violent and democratic process for peace, we will be taking away any hope in our communities.

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Dynamics of Poverty, Politics and Peace: Mindanao and Beyond

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IAG Executive Director Atty. Benedicto Bacani delivered this keynote speech during the 4th Mindanao Peace Studies Conference on November 21, 2018 at the Fr. Saturnino Urios University, Butuan City Poverty incidence in Mindanao is at 40%, the highest among the three islands with fo...

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Researched by: Nicole Pia Pearl Agno

URL:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/ERx73jY9fVKYfpfG/?mibextid=oFDknk

TITLE: Webinar on Examining Fiscal and Governance Gaps among Municipalities in the Philippines

AUTHOR: PIDS

DATE PUBLISHED: July 16,2020

KEY INFO: This webinar features two PIDS studies conducted in collaboration with the Department of Interior and Local Government. The first study identified policy and governance gaps in infrastructure and planning to provide baseline data on key areas and current planning practices of municipalities while the second one looked at the mechanism of development for local governments and mapped out the current planning and budget framework.

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Webinar on Examining Fiscal and Governance Gaps among Municipalities in the Philippines | HAPPENING NOW: Webinar on Examining Fiscal and Governance Gaps among Municipalities in the Philippines PIDS Research Fellow Charlotte Justine... | By Philippine Institute For Development Studies | Facebook

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HAPPENING NOW: Webinar on Examining Fiscal and Governance Gaps among Municipalities in the Philippines PIDS Research Fellow Charlotte Justine…

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Rappler's Newsbreak Podcast: Beyond the Stories, Episode: Bakit palaging kulang ang tulong ng Duterte gov't sa mga mahihirap?

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Researched by: Katrelle Crauss G. Calpo

URL:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Z6kmoJ3F5kySxINnvGQaT?si=0b135dc7fe384ff3

TITLE: Bakit palaging kulang ang tulong ng Duterte gov't sa mga mahihirap?

AUTHOR: Rappler, Jodesz Gavilan

DATE PUBLISHED: March 2022

KEY INFO: This episode from Rappler’s podcast series discusses the broader implications of conflict in Mindanao, especially how it exacerbates poverty and how government responses have been inadequate in addressing the needs of the region's poor.