SOC SCI 101 – Readings in Philippine History

Semi-Final Requirement

Below are the socio-economic and political issues in the Philippines. Discuss each factor and

limit your answer in 5 sentences in paragraph form and indicate the role of this issue but

promoting and hindering nation building. You may use primary and secondary sources but

kindly indicate the type of sources you used. You can also give concrete data and facts to

support the issue.

A. Justice System

1The result of judicial cases is manifested in the quality of Philippine justice, which is
notoriously slow, inefficient and prone to corruption. Philippine adjudication can compete for a
world record in slowness, with cases taking from 10 to 20 years for final judgment to be
rendered. The delay often leads to injustice and discontent that can drive people to embrace
insurgencies or short cuts to obtaining justice. Republic Act 11459, which created the 150 new
positions for judges, is a good step in easing court caseloads. I believe that this promotes nation
building, for it benefits the efficiency of our justice system.

Philstar global (secondary source)

B. Corruption

According to an article, the Philippines is losing around P700 billion, or around 20 percent of the
country's total budget appropriation, yearly, due to corruption. The Philippines ranked 6th most
corrupt among Asia Pacific countries. This information is a huge hindrance in our nation
building. With that amount of money being robbed to the people can help a lot to the
improvement of the country. That factor can be a huge factor why our country is still
experiencing poverty.

ABS-CBN News (secondary source)

C. Extra judicial killing

The widespread extrajudicial killings started when President Rodrigo Duterte has carried out the
"war on drugs" campaign. This campaign took the lives of over 12,000 Filipinos, mostly urban
poor. This is a hindrance to our nation building because it is unlawful killing. People are deprived
of their human rights. Vigilants and police take the law in their hands and kill people, some
includes innocent ones, without the proper procedings.

Human Rights Watch (secondary source)

D. State of Prison

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) underspends budget for food of inmates of the New Bilibid
Prison. BuCor has only spent P39 per prisoner of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) as early as July
2018, nearly half of the P60-budget allotted under the budget. Former Bilibid inmate Godfrey
Gamboa said prisoners barely had anything to eat. This is also a hindrance in the nation
building. Even if those people are prisoners, they are still human, and how the Bucor is treating
them is inhumane.

Rappler (secondary source)

E. Police and Security

The 190,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP) has been placed on full alert beginning
Monday, October 28, up to November 3, covering the Undas 2019 in the Philippines.Placing
cops on full alert means that on-duty officers would have to work overtime to comply with
"intensified" intelligence operations, checkpoints, and searches across the country. The PNP will
deploy a total of 35,618 cops assigned to secure cemeteries. The rest of cops would be
deployed in transportation hubs, medical outposts, traffic checkpoints, and and as standby
emergency response teams. This promotes nation building in our society. Our policemen sees to
it that people will be safe in the incoming holidays, given that places will be crowded and
unwanted things might happen.

Rappler (secondary source)

F. Internal Displacement Caused by Conflict

Apart from natural disasters and hazards, frequent conflicts in the Philippines, particularly in
Mindanao, force residents to seek refuge in evacuation centers. Though the Philippine
population in 2016 hit more than 102 million, the United Nations High Commissioner on
Refugees (UNHCR) reported 348,370 persons of concern in the Philippines by the end of 2016.
More than 87,000 of these are internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled home because of
armed clashes, internal wars, and other forms of violence. This is a hindrance in our nation
building. Many innocent people suffer because of continuous wars and conflict.

Rappler (secondary source)

G. Indigenous Peoples' Rights

In an effort to preserve the Lumad indigenous language in Agusan and Surigao, the Save Our
Schools (SOS) Network, an alliance of child rights groups and church-based organizations,
launched a Manobo Dictionary app, a mobile software that compiles Manobo words and their
definitions. This promotes nation building. Having an app for indigenous language helps people
be aware of these dialects and help them re live it. The Manobo dictionary app not just aims to
educate the Lumad but to empower them as well. This will somehow remove the indigenous
peoples' fear of discrimination, because people will be more aware of their existence.

Rappler (secondary source)

H. Violence Against Women

Violence Against Women is any act of gender-based violence that results or is likely to result in
physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats or such acts,
coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty whether occurring in public or private life. Gender-
based violence is any violence inflicted on women because of their sex. This is a hindrance in
our nation building. Nowadays, equal rights is known to all but there are still certain cases
where violence against women is reported. We are all human with equal rights and we should
treat each other equally and with respect.

Department of Health (primary source)

I. Child Labor, Prostitution and Mendicancy

These three may all be referred to as human trafficking. It is the criminal act of recruitment,
transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons within or across national borders. This
happens by means of: threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of
power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim. It is
usually done for the purpose of exploitation, which includes, at a minimum, exploiting the
prostitution of others, other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or
similar practices, and the removal of organs. This is a hindrance to our nation buolding for it
illegal and deprives our rights as a person.

Rappler (secondary source)

J. Labor and Employment

The Department of Labor and Employment's government internship program is now open to
those over 30 years old, victims of armed conflict, rebel returnees, persons with disabilities, and
indigenous people. DOLE said its partner agencies include executive, legislative, and judicial
bodies at both the regional and national levels. Aside from this, PESO offices, public hospitals,
public schools, government financial institutions, government-owned and controlled
corporations, and local government units are also participating in the GIP. This promotes nation
building in our society. This new program of the government gives hope to those people who
thinks that they will never get a proper job because of their state.

Rappler (secondary source)

K. Equal Acces for Persons with Disabilities

To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of
life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access,
on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information
and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and
to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas.
This promotes nation building. A move of the united nations which promotes equality. This also
empowers disabled people despite their disabilities.

United Nations (primary source)

L. Rapid Urbanization
Philippines can harness the benefits of rapid urbanization by making cities more competitive,
inclusive, and better governed, according to a joint study by the government and the World
Bank.The study, Philippines Urbanization Review: Fostering Competitive, Sustainable and
Inclusive Cities, says the Philippines, one of the fastest urbanizing countries in East Asia, is at a
critical juncture. Decisions made now will affect how cities grow and how people benefit from
urbanization through economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction, the report says.
This information promotes nation building. It encourages growth to our economic state.

The World Bank (primary source)

M. Labor Migration

There are 10 million Filipinos live abroad and more than 1 million Filipino leave the country each
year to work abroad. Remittances to the Philippines from around the world continue to grow.
On the other hand, some migrant workers are forced into work against their will. They are
deceived about the nature of work and receive wages that are less than what is promised. Labor
migration can both promote and be a hindrance to nation building, for it has has both good and
bad side.

ilo.org (secondary source)