ECONOMIC ISSUES

- Referred also as economic problems, which asserts that an economy’s finite resources are
insufficient to satisfy all human needs and wants.
- This also to refer to irregular activity and unfortunate situation of the economy caused by
various factor that would hinder for economic growth and development.

Note: In this chapter, we will discuss three important factors relating to economic affairs and
problems, such as unemployment, globalization and sustainable development.

UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment
-Unemployment refers if a person is determined to look for a job/work yet unable to find a job and
there is no available means of livelihood.
- It is those people in the workforce or pool of people who are available for work that does not have
a job.
-Unemployment does not include people who stopped looking for a job a few time/weeks due to
various reasons such as leaving work to pursue higher education, retirement, disability, and
personal issues. People who are actively seeking for a job anywhere are not considered
unemployed.
-Usually measured by unemployment rate, which is dividing the number of unemployed people by
the total number of people in the workplace, unemployment serves as one of the indicators of an
economy’s status.
- Economy is in its most developed and prime condition if there is full employment which means
that everyone who seeks and is able to work with decent work, professionally or not.
Long-term unemployment vs. Short-term unemployment
Unemployment that lasts longer than 27 weeks even if the individual has sought employment in the
last four weeks is called long-term employment. On the other hand, short –term employment,
for obvious reasons, happens when an individual who sought for work yet had not able to find for a
job for less than 27 weeks.

Types of Unemployment
1. Cyclical unemployment
- Also called the ‘demand deficient unemployment’. When a natural business cycles bring
about a loss of jobs. This is the biggest cause of unemployment that happens especially
during a recession. When there is a reduction in the demand for the company’s products or
services, they will most likely making cut back too in their production, making it
unnecessary to retain a wide workforce within the organization. In effect, workers are laid
off.

2. Seasonal Unemployment
- When seasonal cycles reduce the needs for certain jobs. There are certain jobs that come up
at certain times of the year, or just during a certain seasons. Those seasonal cycles will
reduce the need for certain jobs at certain times of the year.

3. Frictional unemployment
- Refers to workers who are in between jobs. An example is a worker who recently quit or
was fired and is looking for a job in an economy that is not experiencing a recession. It is not
an unhealthy thing because it is usually caused by workers looking for a job that is most
suitable to their skills.

4. Structural unemployment
- Happens when the skills set of a worker does not match the skills the demands of the job
available or if the worker cannot reach the geographical location of the job. It can also
happen when there is a technological change in the organization, such as workflow
automation.

5. Voluntary unemployment
- Happens when a worker decides to leave a job because it is no longer financially fulfilling.
An example is a worker whose take-home pay is less that his cost of living.

6. Casual Unemployment
- Happens when work is available for daily or weekly basis. Example are those who work in
construction.
Causes of employment
Unemployment is caused by various reasons that come from both the demand side (or the
employer), and the supply side (or the worker).
From the demand side, unemployment may be caused by high interest rates, global recession, and
financial crisis. From the supply side, frictional unemployment and structural unemployment play a
great role.

Effects of unemployment
The impact of unemployment can be felt by both the workers and the national economy and can
create a ripple effect.
Unemployment causes workers to suffer financial difficulties that may lead to emotional
destruction. When it happens, consumer spending, which is one of an economy’s key drivers of
growth, goes down, leading a recession or even a depression when left unaddressed.
Unemployment results in lowered purchasing power, which in turn causes lowered profits for
businesses and leads to budget cut and workforce reduction. It creates a cycle that goes on and on
and on. Everyone loses in the end.
These negative effects could be categorized into:
1. Loss / lack of income or money
2. Health issues
3. Economic issues
4. Social issues

Implications of Unemployment to Living and to Development

Unemployment has big impact to the individual, to the industry, and to the country.
Individual
1. Low rate of living
2. Work mismatch
3. Depression and other health problems
Industry
1. Low salary rate
2. Substandard products and services
3. Unmet needs of the community
Government/Country
1. Low collection of taxes
2. Limited projects
3. Greater expenditures for the people’s need
4. Slow performing economy
5. Disturbed or unhealthy international relation
6. May increase crime rates

Optional Solutions caused by Unemployment

Usually, if unemployment is high and serious, there is a greater need to look for solution to
problems of unemployment. There are two policies the government may opt.
1. Expansionary Monetary Policy
- When the central bank (national bank) uses its tool to simulate the economy. That increases
the money supply, lower interest rates, and increase aggregate demands. It boosts growth
as measures by gross domestic product. It lowers the value of the currency, thereby
decreasing the exchange rate.
- The usual primary solution is to decrease the interest rate to encourage the people to
borrow money from the government. This money can be used to defray the expenditures of
economy activities.
- In this manner, there will be demands and needs to the products and services at will lead to
availability and opportunity of work.

2. Expansionary Fiscal Policy

- Involves the decreasing taxes, increasing government expenditures or both, in order to fight
recessionary pressures.
- This refers to the direct manipulation of the government to the economy.
- If there is high increase in unemployment rate, expansionary monetary policy will not work.
The government will spend money by purchasing products or acquiring services to
encourage opportunities for works.
 --------------------------------------------o0o--------------------------------------------
GLOBALIZATION
Globalization
- It describes the way countries and people of the world interact and integrate.
- this is the process of interaction and integration of the people, companies, goods, ideas, and
government of different and various states or countries. This is a process motivated by
international affairs and global governance through the aid of technical and technological
knowledge.
 - The spread of products, technology, information, and jobs across national borders and
cultures. In economic terms, it describes an interdependence of nations around the globe
fostered through free trade.
- This process has effect to the environment, culture, political system, economic
advancement, and development in the capacity of the people in the global community.
- According to Thomas Friedman, “the new phase and status quo of globalization is more
widely, faster, cheaper, and more complicated.”

History of Globalization
Globalization as term came to prominence in the 1980s. Although many consider this process a
relatively new phenomenon, globalization has been happening for millennia. The Roman Empire,
for example, spread its economic and governing systems through significant portions of the ancient
world for centuries. Similarly, the trade routes of the Silk Road carried merchants, goods, and
travelers from China through Central Asia and the Middle east of Europe and represented to
another wave of globalization. European countries had significant investments overseas in the
decades prior to World War I, prompting some economists to label prewar period as earlier golden
age of globalization.
Globalization has ebbed and flowed throughout history, with periods of expansion, as well as
retrenchment. The 21st century has witnessed both. Global stock market plummeted after the
September 11, 2001, terrorist in the United States, but rebounded in subsequent years.
Overall, however, the early 21st century has seen a dramatic increase in the pace of global
integration, driven primarily by raid advances of technology and telecommunications. In general,
money, technology and materials flow more swiftly across national boundaries today than they
ever have in the past. The flow of knowledge, ideas and cultures are flowing with increasing speed
as well enabled by the near instantaneousness of global internet communications.

Benefits of Globalization
Globalization creates new markets and wealth, and promotes greater cultural and social integration
by eliminating barriers.
Proponents of globalization point to the rising economies of poor countries benefiting from
companies moving operations there to minimize costs. Proponents of globalization believe it allows
developing countries to catch up industrialized nations through increased manufacturing,
diversification, economic expansion, and improvements in standards of living.
Experts generally acknowledge globalization brings more tightly integrated global economic
markets. Outsourcing by companies brings jobs and technology to developing countries. Trade
initiatives increase cross-border trading by removing supply-side and trade-related constraints.
Globalization has advanced social justice on an international scale, and advocated report that it has
focused attention on human rights worldwide.
Criticisms/ Risks of globalization
Critics blame the elimination of barriers for undermining national policies and cultures and
destabilizing advanced labor markets in favor of lower-cost wages elsewhere.
Some critics say that moving operations to minimize costs to rise the economies of poor countries
could lower living standards in developed countries by eliminating jobs.
Globalization could carry greater potentials for global recession if countries are not able to work
together to implement effective economic policies that reduce the risk.
One clear result of globalization is that an economic downturn in one country can create a domino
effect through its trade partners.
Globalization detractors argue that is has created a concentration of wealth and power in the hands
of small corporate elite which gobble up smaller competitors around the globe.

Types of Globalization
1. Economic Globalization
- Since World War I, the result of global economic organizations are seen most readily in
those industries, such as the auto and online retailing, that require vast supply chains.
- Global and regional trade agreements serve as prime movers for economic
globalizations. Among the most impactful global agreement is the General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), from which the World Trade Organization (WTO)
sprung. Significant regional trade agreements include the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA), the Asia-Pacific Economy Cooperation (APEC), and the
European Union (EU).

2. Political Globalization
- The 20th century saw a great rise in governmental and non-governmental organizations
that transcend national political systems that look inward. These organization include
 United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the
Asian Development Bank, the African Union, and among others.
- International tribunals also came into power I the 20 th century, reflecting increased
globalization. They include International Court of Justice (ICJ) which is the principal
judicial organ of UN, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is an
independent judicial body with jurisdiction over persons charged with genocide, crimes
against humanity and war crimes.

3. Cultural Globalization
- Refers to the transmission or exchange of ideas, meanings, values, and artistic
expressions of cultures around the world in such way as to extend and intensify social
relations.
- Global organizations related to cultural globalization had sprung, like the United
Nation International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(UNICESCR), and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- The rapid development of information technology has put much of the world –
particularly industrialized countries- in a state of near-constant contact. Advocates of
cultural globalization point to improved acknowledgement of human rights on a global
scale and shared understanding of impact on the environment.

Institution
- Institution is a set of folkways ad mores into unit which serves a number of social functions.
A social structure in which people cooperate and which influences behavior of people and
the way they live.
- An organized system of social relationships which embodies certain common values and
procedures and meets certain basic needs of society.
- This also to refer ‘Social Institution’ which is a basic and formal structure devised to meet
the basic social needs such as stability, law and order and clearly defined roles of authority
and decision making.
- Every institution plays a vital role in the process of globalization. Through institution the
rise and fall of globalization would be considering to the participation and involvement of
every institution concerned.
Major Social Institutions and their Functions

1. Family. The most basic social institution in a society, and is a system of organized
relationship involving workable and dependable ways of meeting basic social needs. Family
is necessary to procreate or to have children to preserve generations and posterity. In
family nurturing and teaching values starts.
2. Education. The process of socialization which begins informally at home then formally in
educational institutions. Education as an institution helps develop knowledge, skills,
attitude, and understanding of the people and strive to make them competent members of
the society. Education widens the mental horizons of the people and make them receptive
to new ideas. Education creates working, functioning and literate adults.
3. Government. Government as political institution, administers the regulatory functions of
law and order, and maintains security in society. Form of government and its method of
working depends on the accepted patterns of behavior in society. Government provides and
preserve social peace and order.
4. Economics. Economy is the production, consumption and distribution of goods and
services. Economy provides basic physical sustenance of the society by meeting the needs
for food, shelter, clothing and other necessary supply and services. Economic institution
includes agricultural industry, marketing, credit, and banking system, co-operatives, etc.
5. Religion. The belief in supernatural. Religion constitute a set of beliefs regarding the
ultimate power in the universe, the ideal and proper pattern of behavior and ceremonial
ways to expressing these beliefs.
6. Mass Media. It plays a crucial role influencing people’s mind. Media plays a constructive
role in today’s society –from increasing public awareness to collecting views, information,
and also the attitude of the people towards certain issue. The power of mass media has
allowed it to penetrate the lives of more people and therefore influence how they act and
think.
7. Non-government Organization (NGO). NGO activities include, but not limited to,
environmental, social advocacy and human rights work. They can promote social or political
change on a broad scale or very locally. NGOs are important part of democratic society. It
enhances social integration, implementation of the principle of subsidiarity, building civil
society, social dialogue and participatory democracy.

MNC

NGO
IO

Mass media family

Social
Instituions

Religion Education

Economics Government
 8. Multinational Corporation (MNC). A worldwide enterprise in which a corporate
organization that owns or controls production of goods and services in at least one country
other than its home country. It has workforce that includes people of diverse backgrounds
in all department and offers them equal opportunity for input and advancement within the
company.
9. International Organization. These are organizations established by a treaty or other
instrument governed by international law and possessing its own international personality.
These are central focus of international relations scholarship as well as policy making
efforts around the world. It can provide and encourage various countries to work together
to achieve common objectives and foster cooperative behavior.

Common Characteristics of an Institution

1. Institutions are the means of controlling individuals
2. Institutions depend upon the collective activities of men
3. Institution has some definite procedures which formed on the basis of customs and dogmas.
4. Institution is more stable than other means of social control
5. Institution has some rules which much be compulsory obeyed by the individual

--------------------------------------------o0o--------------------------------------------

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable Development
- The development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the future
generations to meet their own needs.
- It is an economic and social growth that does not exhaust the resources of the host
country; respects and safeguards it economic, cultural, and natural environments;
creates income chains of enterprises; builds indigenous institutions that involve and
empower citizenry
- The organizing principle for meeting human development goals while simultaneously
sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem
services upon which the economy and society depend.
- Sustainable development ties together concern for the carrying capacity of natural
systems with the social, political, and economic challenges faced by humanity.
- Sustainability can be defined as the practice of maintaining world processes of
productivity indefinitely by replacing resources of equal or greater value without
degrading or endangering natural biotic systems. Sustainability is the foundation for
today’s global framework for international cooperation.
17 Sustainable Development Goals
Applicable to all countries around the world, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a
global agenda, adopted by countries as of 2015, enacted by the United Nations General Assembly,
with a vision of ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring that all the people enjoy peace
and prosperity. The goals are to be implemented and achieved in every country from the year 2016
to 2030.

Primary Objectives of Sustainable Development

1. Economic growth – building a strong,
competitive economy, by ensuring that
sufficient land of the right type is
available in the right places and at the
right time to support growth and
innovation; and identifying then
coordinating development
requirements.
2. Environmental protection –
contributing to protecting and
enhancing our natural and developed
environment, while helping to improve
biodiversity, use natural resources
wisely, minimizing waste and pollution,
and adapting to and helping to decrease
climate change, including a global shift
to low-carbon economy.
3. Social inclusion – supporting strong,
vibrant and healthy communities by
providing the supply of housing
 required to meet the needs of present and future generations; and by creating a high-quality of
development, with accessible local services that respect the community’s needs and support its
health, social and cultural well-being.

Five UN Global Goals (2017) for Sustainable Development

United Nation as the international organ which
promote for the implementation and
embodiment of sustainable goals has
conceptualized the Global Goals which aimed
the realization of Sustainable Development
Goals by 2017.
These Global Goals are the immediate and
primary concerns of entire countries around
the world in the local and international arena.
These goals are summarized into Five (5) Ps:
People
Prosperity
Peace
Partnership
Planet

Challenges of Sustainable Development

Despite of arduous effort the international
organization and every country around the
world, the sustainable development has been
challenge by the present problems of every concerned country. These challenges include:
consumerism, energy sustainability, poverty, and health inequalities.

A. Consumerism
- Consumerism is a social theory or ideology and economic aspects of capitalism to which
basis for the societal civilization is according to production, marketing, consumption and
distribution of money or currency.
- A social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-
increasing amounts. The community is free to choose products and services in the market.
- It has been described through consumerism the continuous pursuit of the people for new,
quality and cheaper products and services. It also demonstrate how people bandwagon in
the shopping malls, fast food and fine dining restaurant, and the patronage to luxury goods.
- According to the critics of consumerism, this has been an economic materialism and selfish
attitude. Consumerism has diminished its value and a waste of money and resources. This
will cause environmental and societal problems and challenges towards attainment of
sustainable development.
- Posterity or the future generation has been endangered through uncontrolled shopping
sprees, establishment of malls, increasing volume of vehicles and production of carbon
 dioxide, production of genetically modified organism for meat consumption, mass
production of electronic gadgets, plastic wares and products, and alike which are causing
pollution and destruction to the environment and community.
- Consumerism is a violation to ecological limitation while economy is developing.
Environment and natural resources has been abused and exploited.
- Consumerism is very rampant in the Philippines and has become part of the economic
culture of the Filipino.

B. Energy Sustainability
- Energy sustainability encompasses the providing the needs for energy in the
contemporaneous time, and the assurance of not compromising the needs of the future
generation.
- Sustainable energy refers to any energy which potentially be properly used in the future
without jeopardizing the next generation. This two elements: renewable energy and
energy efficiency.
- Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources, which are
naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and
geothermal heat. Renewable energy includes solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric and
ocean energy. These are alternatives foe fossil fuels.
- Energy efficiency simply means using less energy to perform the same task –that is
eliminating energy waste. Energy efficiency brings a variety of benefits: reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, reducing demands for energy imports, and lowering our costs on
a household and economy-wide level.
- Recently, burning and using of fossil fuels (including Carmon, gasoline, petroleum, and
natural gas) as source of energy has been so rampant. Burning of fossil fuels means mass
production of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas which
primarily causes climate change and global warming.
- The comprehensive program and projects of United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) give way to international and sustainable energy services. These programs focus
on energy access and energy efficiency. These will lead to global development, low-carbon
energy, greener economy, alleviation of poverty, and most especially sustainable
development,
- The Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513) is an essential law in the Philippines which
focuses to make 50% the energy production and consumption will be renewable energy-
dependent by 2030.
- By 2013, the Climate Change Commission of the Philippines started to cooperate with
Worldwatch Institutute for a sustainable energy roadmap. It aims to make 100%
renewable-based energy as source of energy that would supply electricity in the next
decade.
Alternative Energy Sources
- Solar energy is the most widespread, safest and most efficient source of renewable energy.
It is usually used through using of solar panels.
 - Wind energy is as well commonly used, especially to the seamen in their voyages. Many
companies have invested in production of windmills, wind farms, and energy grids to
advertise and market the use of this alternative energy.
- Geothermal energy is taken beneath the ground through geothermal energy stations. Even
it is limited, it has been the efficient source of electrical power.
- Because the earth is composed of 70% of water (ocean), there is much potential to ocean
energy as a source of sustainable and renewable energy. Waves produce energy through
ocean thermal plants.
- Moreover, rivers and waterfalls are good source of hydroelectric energy.

C. Poverty
- Poverty is not having enough material possessions or income for person’s needs as
multifaceted concept which may include social, economic, and political elements.
- According to World Bank, poverty is hunger, having no shelter, being sickly and having no
means for health services, illiteracy and no access to education, unemployment, unsettled
future, and living stagnantly and contemporaneously.

Types of Poverty
There are six types of poverty according to Eric Jensen’s study from Teaching with Poverty in Mind
(2009)
1. Situational. This particular type of poverty is usually temporary as it involves a crisis or
loss occurring. Events connected with situational poverty include environmental disasters,
divorce, or severe health problems.
2. Generational. This type of poverty involves the birth of two generations into poverty.
Because they were born in this situation, they usually don’t have the tools to help to get
themselves out of it.
3. Absolute. This particular type poverty occurs when people don’t have basic necessities like
roof over their head, food, and water. Their focus in on surviving each day as it comes.
4. Relative. This type of poverty is known as relative because it is relative to the average
standard of living in the person’s society. If family’s income isn’t enough to meet the average
standard of living, they are considered relative poverty.
5. Urban. This type of poverty is only for the metropolitan areas with populations over
50,000. Overcrowding, violence, noise and poor community help programs make it more
difficult for people suffering of this type of poverty to get out of it.
6. Rural. This type of poverty occurs only in rural or specific area. These are areas are
nonmetropolitan with population below 50,000. The low population limits services
available for people struggling financially, and a lack of job opportunities only compounds
the problem.
8 Millennium Development Goals
On September 8, 2000, over the course of the Millennium Summit, eight goals (MDG) were rolled
out and adopted by 189 nations. These goals constitute an unprecedented plan in the global fight
against poverty; that target set for their achievement by December 31, 2015

Poverty as a Challenge against Sustainable Development

The implementation of MDG had contributed to the progress of one country, including the
Philippines. However, this had not fully realized because of the various challenges that hinders the
full-blown realization of MDG. Poverty being serious, many conditions, situations and problems had
hindered the achievement of sustainable development. Such:
1. Low quality of education. There are many educational institutions and schools which lack
in facilities. Competencies and capacities of the teachers are as well lacking due to lack of
opportunities for professional development and intellectual growth.
2. Lack of employment opportunities. Economy’s affairs and progress is dependent to the
creation of job opportunities and production of workforce. Many workers lost jobs and
livelihood due to recession.
3. Rampant Graft and Corruption. These had resulted to severe poverty because the
resources and funds of the government are not used and distributed properly which
supposed to be for the development of every citizen.
 4. Serious Calamities and Disasters. Due to unfortunate events caused by different
calamities, millions worth of property, livelihood, agriculture and industries are affected.
5. High Rise of Population. The high rate of rise of population contributed to the problems of
the government to provide public service, such to education, health, water supply, peace
and order, and more.

Poverty in the Philippines

Poverty Incidence is the proportion of population with per capita income less than the per capita
poverty threshold. On the other hand, subsistence incidence is the proportion of the population
with per capita income less than the per capita food threshold.
According to Philippine Statistics Authority, poverty incidence and subsistence incidence in the
Philippines has drastically alarming throughout the years.

Solutions to the Challenges of Poverty

In spite of the challenges, the government has continuously exerted efforts to provide valuable
laws, advocacies, and programs to mitigate the poverty in the country, like in the Philippines. Such:
 1. Conditional Cash Transfer Program. Poor individuals and families are given cash
assistance. For example the 4 P’s project of the government, and the countrywide reforms
of education through Kindergarten Act of 2012 and Enhanced Basic Education Act of
2013.
2. Waste Management and Reforestation. These are just some of the programs by the
government to prevent negative effects of various calamities such flashflood and landslide.
3. Health Services and Support. Government gives importance to health by providing health
care assistance and subsidy. The passing of Universal Health Care (UHC) Act (RA 11223)
on February 2019 has intensified the health care and subsidy provision in the country.
There is also the National Insurance Health Program for the poor senior citizens.
4. Suppression of Corruption. The government exerted arduous effort to suppress graft and
corruption, lack of work opportunities, suppression of drugs, and moderation of the
population increase in the country which worsen the poverty and hinder the attainment of
sustainable development.

D. Health Inequalities
- Health Inequalities can be defined as differences in health status or in the distribution
of health determinants between different population groups.
- According to World Health Organization, health inequalities refer to imbalanced
standing of health between people of one country to another.
- Health inequalities are the unjust and avoidable differences in people’s health across the
population and between specific groups of population.
- Health inequalities go against the principles of social justice because they are avoidable.
They do not occur by chance. They are socially determined by circumstances largely
beyond an individual’s control. These circumstances disadvantage people and limit their
chance to live longer, healthier lives.
Social Determinants of Health
Causes of Health Inequalities

As shown in the diagram above, the fundamental causes of health inequalities are unequal
distribution of income, power and wealth. This can lead to poverty and marginalization of
individuals and groups.
These fundamental causes also influence the distribution of wider environmental influences on
health such s availability of work, education and good quality housing. They can also influence
access to services and social and cultural opportunities in an area and in society.
The wider the environment in which people live and work then shapes their individual experiences
of low income, poor housing, discrimination and access to health services. This environment then
shapes individual experiences across the population and leads to the inequalities of health
outcomes.

Programs to Fight Health Inequalities

WHO established a network of its major public health programs to investigate how it could enable
its own condition-specific programs to (1) widen the discussion on what constitutes public health
interventions by identifying inequities and appropriate interventions to address the situation, and
(2) expand on existing strategies and move, a responsible and systematic way, to innovate and
suggest new paths of actions.
These programs would include:
1. Focus on patient-centered care
2. Promotion of patient dignity and personal responsibility
3. Improve communication
4. Focus on cultural concept
To address health disparities and inequalities, programs are focused on the five key areas:
1. Improving the quality of health care
2. Expanding access to high-quality care
3. Strengthening national efforts and coordination
4. Helping increase the diversity of health professionals and promoting health professional
education
5. Improving research to identify sources of racial, ethnic, and geographic inequalities and
assess promising intervention strategies.

Philippine Programs in battle against Health Inequalities

In the Philippines, one of the programs of the government is the Universal Health Care Act. This
aims to provide quality and comprehensive health care and services as well as health assistance
and incentives. This also aims to promote social justice and prevent unfortunate and undesirable
circumstances caused by improper, unequal and non-availability of health care and service.
The Department of Health (DOH), being the primary executive agency of the government that is
responsible develop national plans, technical standards, and guidelines on health. Aside from being
the regulator of all health services and products, the DOH, is the provider of special tertiary health
care services and technical assistance to health providers and stakeholders.
In order to assure the attainment of sustainable development, the government has formulated and
designated Community Health Team to each barangay as the primary movers of that respective
area for the promotion of health and to monitor that the underprivileged and poor families would
have access to health care and services.
PhilHealth has also initiated valuable health care programs to widen its scope of assistance and
providence to those in needs. The PhilHealth guarantees that membership of the poor families and
those marginalized sectors that would assure them to avail proper and comprehensive health car,
assistance and services.
It is very necessary to assure health budget and appropriation for the agencies of the government
including DOH, PhilHealth, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR),
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) as well as the local government units.
Moreover, to modify the orientation of the health worker and organizations to give priority to
health needs, care and service to the community over self-interests.

Strategies for Sustainable Development

To meet the challenges of sustainable development outlined in the previous section, strategic
planning practices need to become more effective, efficient, credible and lasting. A standardized or
blueprint approach is to be avoided, being at best irrelevant and at worst counter-productive.
Instead, there is a need to restructure existing processes, institutional arrangements and
procedures according to individual countries’ own needs, priorities and resources.
Therefore, a strategy for sustainable development should comprise: A coordinated set of
participatory and continuously improving processes of analysis, debate, capacity-strengthening,
planning and investment, which seeks to integrate the short and long term economic, social and
environmental objectives of society – through mutually supportive approaches wherever possible –
and manages trade-offs where this is not possible.

Strategies and Policies to Attain Sustainable Development

UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) created guidelines for the
preparation of sustainable development strategies. These have been anchored in the five principles:
1. Integration and balanced an economic, social, and environmental goals
2. Assurance for widespread participation and cooperation
3. Advancement for demand and implementation of programs
4. Development of capacities and conducive environment
5. Giving importance to the its implementation and results
In accordance to the five principles, these are the certain policies and strategies to attain
sustainable development:
1. Integration of policies
2. Long-term vision of policies
3. Evaluation and forecasting
4. Cooperation by various institutions
5. Domestic management
6. Participation of stakeholders
7. Target and indicator
8. Monitoring and Assessment

Key Principles of Strategies for Sustainable Development

These are principles towards which strategies should aspire. They are all important and no order of
priority is implied. They do not represent a checklist of criteria to be met but encompass a set of
desirable processes and outcomes which also allow for local differences.
1. People-centered. An effective strategy requires a people-centered approach, ensuring long-
term beneficial impacts on disadvantaged and marginalized groups, such as the poor.
2. Consensus on long-term vision. Strategic planning frameworks are more likely to be
successful when they are based on a long-term vision with a clear timeframe upon which
 stakeholders agree. At the same time, they need to include ways of dealing with short- and
medium-term necessities and change. A long-term vision needs to have the commitment.
3. Comprehensive and integrated. Strategies should seek to integrate, where possible,
economic, social and environmental objectives. But where integration cannot be achieved,
trade-offs need to be negotiated. The entitlements and possible needs of future generations
must be factored into this process.
4. Targeted with clear budgetary priorities. A sustainable development strategy must be fully
integrated in existing budget processes to ensure that plans have the financial resources to
achieve their objectives, and do not represent mere “wish lists”. Targets need to be challenging
– but realistic in relation to these constraints.
5. Based on comprehensive and reliable analysis. Identification of priorities must be based on
a comprehensive analysis of the present situation. External pressures on a country – such as
those resulting from globalization, or the impacts of global climate change – need to be factored
in this analysis. Such analysis requires credible and reliable information on changing
environmental, social and economic conditions, pressures and responses, and their correlations
with strategy objectives and indicators.
6. Incorporate monitoring, learning and continuous improvement. Monitoring and evaluation
needs to be based on clear indicators and built into strategies to steer processes, track progress,
distill and capture lessons, and signal when a change of direction is necessary.
7. Country-led and nationally-owned. Past strategies have often resulted from external
pressure and development agency requirements. It is essential that countries take the lead and
initiative in developing their own strategies if they are to be enduring.
8. High-level government commitment and influential lead institutions. Such commitment –
on a long-term basis – is essential if policy and institutional changes are to occur, financial
resources are to be committed and for there to be clear responsibility for implementation.
9. Building on existing processes and strategies. A strategy for sustainable development
should not be thought of as a new planning process but instead build on what already exists in
the country, thus enabling convergence, complementarity and coherence between different
planning frameworks and policies.
10. Effective participation. Broad participation helps to open up debate to new ideas and sources
of information; expose issues that need to be addressed; enable problems, needs and
preferences to be expressed; identify the capabilities required to address them; and develop a
consensus on the need for action that leads to better implementation.
11. Link national and local levels. Strategies should be two-way iterative processes within and
between national and decentralized levels. The main strategic principles and directions should
be set at the central level (here, economic, fiscal and trade policy, legislative changes,
international affairs and external relations, etc., are key responsibilities).
12. Develop and build on existing capacity. At the outset of a strategy process, it is important to
assess the political, institutional, human, scientific and financial capacity of potential state,
market and civil society participants. A strategy should optimize local skills and capacity both
within and outside government.

Philippine Strategies for Sustainable Development

The aim of Philippine Strategy for Sustainable Development (PSSD) is to attain a progressive
and productive economy with respective protection to the biological resources, diversity,
ecosystem and holistic quality of the community
PSSD has implemented strategies. It’s purposive to solve, relate and/or provide various and
different issues of the community, economy, demography and environment. These strategies
include:
1. Integration of environmental consideration for formulation of decision
2. Proper and preservation of natural resources
3. Reforms of property rights
4. Rehabilitation of endangered ecosystem
5. Strengthening of industrial residual management
6. Integration of social justice and common good towards planning
7. Encouragement of development of rural areas
8. Promotion of environmental awareness
9. Strengthening of social cooperation