GOOD CITIZENSHIP

THE PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

 Constitution

- it refers to “that body of rules and maxims in accordance with which the powers of sovereignty are habitually
exercised.”

 Constitution of the Philippines

- may be defined as that written instrument by which the fundamental power of the government are established
limited, and defined and by which these powers are distributed among the several departments or branches for their
safe and usefulness exercise for the benefits of the people.

SEC. 1 OF THE PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

1. Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this constitution;

2. Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines;

3. Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine Citizenship upon reaching the age
of majority;

4. Those who are naturalized in accordance with law.

The Duties and Obligation of Citizens

I. To be Loyal to the Republic – this means that we have faith and confidence in the Republic and love and
devotion to the country. We have to be proud being Filipino, respect our customs, traditions, language and
institution.

II. To defend the State – considering the fact that our country is our home, it is our prime duty to love and defend
the state at all costs regardless of our creed, religious beliefs and wisdom.

III. To contribute to the development and welfare of the State – we are a part of the State and we directly receive
the benefits from the government in the form of infrastructure, peace and order, etc.

IV. To uphold the constitution and obey the laws - it is our prime obligation to uphold the constitution and obey
the laws.

V. To cooperate with duly constituted authorities – in every organization, there is always a leader to manage the
affairs of all constituents.

VI. To exercise rights responsibly and with due regard for the rights of others – in the exercise of our rights, we
have to see to it that we also respect the rights of the other people.

VII. To engage in gainful work – it is our obligation as a citizen of our country to become productive by engaging in a
gainful work.

VIII. To register and vote – it is our prime duty as a citizen of the Philippines to register and vote. Suffrage is both a
privilege and a duty, which every qualified citizen must perform.
How to we become Good Citizenship?

 We can become a good citizens by living in accordance with good citizenship values which we can derive from
the preamble of the constitution such as: Faith in God, Unity, Patriotism, Work, Respect for Life, Respect for
Law and Government, Truth, Justice, Freedom, Love, Equality, Peace, Promotion of the Common Good,
Concern for the Family and Future Generations, Concern for the Environment and Order.

STATE POLICIES

 Just and Dynamic Social Order

Section 9. The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and
independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social
services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living , and an improved quality of life for all.

 Social Justice

Section 10. The state shall promote social justice in all phases of national development.

 Human Dignity

Section 11. The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights.

 Rearing of the Youth for Civic Efficiency and Development of Moral

Section 12. The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a
basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from
conception. The natural and primary right and duty of the parents in rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and
the development of moral character shall receive the support of the government.

 Role of the Youth in Nation Building

Section 13. The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and
protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism
and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.

 Labor as a Primary Social Economic Force

Section 18. The State affirms labor as a primary social economic force. It shall protect the rights of workers
and promote their welfare.

The State recognizes the fact that human labor is not merely an article of commerce or a factor of production to be
similarly treated as land, tools or machinery. It is the obligation of the state to give more concern to the protection of
the rights of workers and the promotion of their welfare (De Leon: 2001)
  Rights of Workers

I. Right to self-organization – Everyone who works in the public or private sector has the right to self-
organization which can be in the form of trade or labor union of his choice for the protection of his economic
and social interest subject to the policy of the state;

II. Right to collective bargaining – collective bargaining means representative of the organization negotiating
with the employer with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment;

III. Right to collective negotiation – this happens when there is a dispute to be resolved between the employer
and employees;

IV. Right to peaceful and concerted activities including the right to strike – this is a mass or group action to enjoy
their special form of freedom of expression guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

V. Right to security of tenure – the state has an obligation to protect the workers in terms of security of tenure.
The employees can only be terminated with a just cause. If the state protects the workers, the employers
have to be protected, too.

VI. Right to just and humane condition of work – the state should see to it that the employers provide safe and
healthful working conditions, equal opportunity to promotion and rest leisure and reasonable limitations of
working hours, a worker has a right to be protected against unfair labor practices;

VII. Right to a living wage – this means that the employer should provide sufficient and lawful wage to enable the
worker and his family to live in reasonable and frugal comfort, provide education for his children and make
some saving to meet the unexpected expenditures;

VIII. Right to participation in policy and decision-making process – for the protection of the interest of the
employees, the employer should exercise participatory management.

Section 22. The State recognizes and promotes the rights of indigenous cultural communities within the framework of
the national unity and development.