Social protection is key to building the human capital especially of those who are poor and vulnerable. It helps economies and communities grow and prosper. Social protection systems address vulnerabilities by building resilience to future shocks and offering coverage against risk and adversity throughout people’s lives and especially during critical…
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Initially proposed as a measure to decongest Metro Manila and to promote growth in the provinces as soon as the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon is lifted, the “Balik Probinsya, Balik Pag-asa Program” (BP2) became a controversial response of the Duterte administration to the growing number of COVID-19 cases in…
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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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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…