LESSON 4: The Philippines Socio-Economic The Philippine Government under the
Development in the 21st Century RAMOS ADMINISTRATION created the
Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) AGENDA 21 – action plan of the United PA 21 – nation’s blueprint for sustainable Nations (UN) related to sustainable development. development and was an outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment - Advocates a fundamental shift in and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de development thinking and approach Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. - Promotes harmony and achieves sustainability by emphasizing: - It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to 1. A scale of intervention that is primarily be taken globally, nationally, and locally by area-based organizations 2. Integrated island development - OBJECTIVES: Require substantial approaches where applicable assistance for developing countries; they 3. People and integrity of nature at the need this additional support to cover the center of development incremental costs of actions to deal with global environmental problems and to SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – “an image accelerate sustainable development. of society and a shared vision of the development path of that society” LONG TERM PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (LTPDP 2000-2025) – this framework - It takes off from an understanding of the recognizes that the new millennium will “state” of Philippine society and proceeds increasingly call for economic development to towards an agreed upon development become less ecologically destructive objective - Development that meets the needs od the MEDIUM TERM DEVELOPMENT PLAN present without compromising the ability of (MTPDP) future generations to meet their own needs. PHILIPPINE AGENDA 21 (PA 21) – It provides 3 KEY PLAYERS: Government, Business, for the creation of an enabling environment Civil Society which would assist various stakeholders to integrate sustainable development in their To promote sustainable development, decision-making processes. One of the “there must be an interplay of market strategies adopted is the institutionalization of forces, state intervention, and civil society the system of: participation” ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN RESOURCES (ENRA) – monitors the stocks MANAGING THE ENVIRONMENT (PRIME) – and stock changes of natural assets; this is the an effort is being made to formulate a Business management tool for integrating environment Agenda 21, pilot test market-based instruments and the economy. (MBIs) in selected industries and ensuring compliance to Environmental Management AGENDA 21 is a global agenda who Systems (EMS) attempted to find the balance between development fueled by the rapid integration 7 DIMENSIONS OF DEVELOPMENT of nations into the world economy and the 1. SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT – Filipinos impacts of this process on the environment can never do justice to the strong sense of and society. Philippine spirituality that permeates PA 21. 2. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT – Human e. GENDER SENSITIVITY (importance of Development Index (HDI) is an existing complementary roles and empowerment measure of human development which are of both women and men in limited to health, education and income, development) indicate some improvement over time. This f. PEACE, ORDER AND NATIONAL improvement has in part been achieved UNITY (right of everyone to a peaceful through greater empowerment of the and secure existence is respected) populace. g. SOCIAL JUSTICE, INTER-AND-INTRA 3. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL GENERATIONAL EQUITY AND DEVELOPMENT – Promoting resource SPATIAL EQUITY (equal distribution of access and upholding property rights; resources to everyone) promoting environmental awareness, h. PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY (puts inculcating environment ethics and value in everyone’s participation in the supporting environment management action decision-making process) 4. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT – i. INSTITUTIONAL VIABILITY (promoting Empowering the people; maintaining peace joint responsibility, unity and partnership and order among all) 5. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – j. VIABLE, SOUND AND BROAD- Maintaining a sustainable population; BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT maintaining productivity and profitability of (requires working for development that environment and natural resources is based on stable economy, where 6. ECOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT – everyone equally shares the benefits of Adopting environmental management progress) weapons in policy and decision making; k. SUSTAINABLE POPULATION (needs protecting the environment and conserving to maintain a number of people that can natural resources be supported by the limited capacity of 7. PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE our natural resources) DEVELOPMENT: l. ECOLOGICAL SOUNDNESS a. PRIMACY OF DEVELOPING FULL (recognizing the earth as a common HUMAN POTENTIAL (man at center of heritage that belongs to all of us, and all development efforts) everyone should care for its capacity to b. HOLISTIC SCIENCE AND support us and the future generations) APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY m. BIO-GEOGRAPHICAL EQUITY AND (developing technology to solve COMMUNITY BASED RESOURCE development problems with due MANAGEMENT (means entrusting to consideration to its impact to society and the people residing near or within an ecology) ecosystem the primary right to manage c. CULTURAL, MORAL AND SPIRITUAL its resources) SENSITIVITY (inherent strengths of n. GLOBAL COOPERATION (requires local and indigenous knowledge, international solidarity of every nation’s practices and beliefs, while respecting effort to build a better life and safer cultural diversity, moral standards and environment) the spiritual nature of the Filipinos) PA 21 VISIONS (envisions a better quality of d. NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY (self- life for all Filipinos through the development of determination at national level to a just, moral and creative, spiritual, achieve human, environmental and food economically vibrant, caring, diverse yet security) cohesive society) 1. POVERTY REDUCTION – Poverty is a central concern of sustainable development; improve employment, productivity and income; and attain food security 2. SOCIAL EQUITY – Social Equity should mean allocation of resources on the bases of efficiency and equity to achieve balanced development. EFFICIENCY AND EQUITY mean the channeling of resources to developing areas where greater economic benefits accumulate when there is greater need, distribution being dependent on the practicality and urgency of needs 3. EMPOWERMENT AND GOOD GOVERNANCE – Empowerment is a precondition of informal choices. GOOD GOVERNANCE is a necessary precondition to empowerment, as empowerment is to good governance. 4. PEACE AND SOLIDARITY – the cycle of poverty and conflict goes on as the costs of war escalate in terms of various kinds of destruction while withholding funds for basic services, resulting in more poverty and underdevelopment 5. ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY – involving heightened and sustained implementation of environmental laws, as well as the continued pursuit of resource conversation, and environmental restoration or enhancement programs.