Who asked for a white sand beach in Manila Bay? Definitely not the 15,000 or so families languishing in poverty, hunger, and joblessness in Baseco, the biggest coastal informal settlement in Manila. Of course, the truckloads of crushed dolomite boulders that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) allowed…
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On September 12, 2020, the John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues (JJCICSI) and the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB) held an online presentation of the national situation titled “See, Judge, Act: An Analysis of Social Issues and Discernment on Action, Guided by the Catholic Social Teaching”. Attended online by more…
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I recently came across a news article about the country’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) which read, “CARP did more harm than good to farm sector, says economist.” The program, the article said, caused the fragmentation of agricultural lands and the eventual disempowerment of farmers who could not sustain the…
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I was deeply shaken by the recent torture and death of Randall “Randy” Echanis, chair of Anakpawis and tireless advocate for the poor and landless. When the first reports emerged, I thought it was strange that his killing departed from the usual modus operandi of hired assassins, with which we…
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It was with a sense of horror that I read the headline a while ago: US buys nearly all global stock of coronavirus drug remdesivir. “President Trump has struck an amazing deal to ensure Americans have access to the first authorized therapeutic for COVID-19,” the US health and human services…
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The enormity of the crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic invites reflection on the critical role of government in steering the behaviors and interests of people in a direction that would be conducive to meeting the challenges of the situation. The Philippine government has been roundly criticized for its…
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Lawmakers defending the anti-terrorism bill have reacted to what they perceive to be exaggerated fears among the bill’s critics. The fears could be exaggerated, but they make a lot of sense coming from a traumatized people. I do not refer to the trauma of martial law to which a number…
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Despite opposition from indigenous communities, environmental groups, and cause-oriented organizations as well as “red flags” raised by the Commission on Audit referring to violations of bidding rules, President Duterte is determined to have the controversial Kaliwa Dam constructed soonest to prevent another water crisis in Metro Manila and surrounding areas.…
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The spread of COVID-19 has brought into sharp relief the good, the bad, and the ugly in human nature. To start with the good: We all know the heroic story of whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang in Wuhan, who died in the course of his fight against the virus. We rely…
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Tapping our experience in bottom-up development
Development organizations and practitioners have long acknowledged the benefits of inclusive and participatory processes in the planning and execution of development projects. including those funded by the government. The Philippines has a well-established and long-running program under the DSWD that embodies the principles of bottom-up development through an approach called…