Left-Behind Subjects: A Critical Interrogation of Philippine Development from the Margins

Foreword

Karl Arvin F. Hapal

Farmer-Led Agroecology and Peasant Women Empowerment: Stories from the Masipag Network in the Philippines

Maria Corazon Jimenez-Tan

Abstract Through a Participatory Action Research, the peasant women of the MASIPAG network collectively analyzed and drew insights from their involvement in farmer-led agroecology. Their analyses focused on how agroecology helped empower peasant women, how agroecology benefitted their families and communities, the factors or conditions that facilitated or hindered the active participation of the peasant women in agroecology, and strategies to help promote peasant women empowerment in farmer-led agroecology. This study discussed the prevailing gender issues in the agriculture sector and recommended strategies for peasant women empowerment that must be integrated into the programs and policies of organizations promoting and practicing farmer-led agroecology for food sovereignty and social justice. This study is part of the continuing efforts of MASIPAG to strengthen its program for organizing, capacity building, and leadership development among peasant women, which will, in turn, also strengthen the movement for farmer-led agroecology.

Keywords: farmer-led agroecology, peasant women empowerment, food sovereignty, social justice, participatory action research

Kwentong Kasarian ng Kababaihang Kawani: Experiences of Philippine public sector women employees facing and coping with workplace gender discrimination

Clarisse Mae N. Abao

Abstract Gender workplace discrimination continues to be alarming despite the institutionalization of anti-discrimination policies, guidelines, and principles accounting for various social differences at the international, national, and even organizational levels. One of the common policies is the merit system which is commonly employed during the hiring and promotion of individuals in government institutions. Drawing from the narrative inquiry, this study explores the stories of women from selected public sector organizations in the Philippines and how they perceive and experience gender discrimination in the workplace, particularly in hiring, promotion, and delegation of assignments. By capturing their perspectives, the researcher analyzed the different forms of workplace gender discrimination experienced by women in the public sector as well as their coping mechanisms which reflect how this problem is seen in the context of the public sector employment setting.

Keywords: gender discrimination, workplace discrimination, public sector, Philippines, photo-elicitation, auto-photography

Liwanag sa Dilim: The Case of Ronda ng Kababaihan in their Pursuit for Human Security

Kevin David S. Estigoy

Abstract This study interrogates the conventional understanding of human security which is top-down, state-centric and gender-blind. When human security is jeopardized by the erratic tendencies of the state and state actors, social structures, and social institutions, people are forced to create notions and actions that directly address their day-to-day dealings and current realities. It is then argued that human security discourses “shift from the state to the individual” (King & Murray, 2001, p. 589). This study zeroed in on elevating the value of human life and dignity; primarily accounting women’s place and role in the human security agenda. This study gleaned from the shared lived experiences of the members of Ronda ng Kababaihan (RNK), a women’s volunteer group in Santa Ana, Pateros that provides community services during the day and community patrols at night. It explored the interplay of their context, vulnerabilities, strategies, and identities as they navigate through crises. Furthermore, this study outlined the nexus of women empowerment and human security in relation to community development.

Keywords: Human Security, Gendered Human Security, Women Development, Women’s Rights, Human Security from below

Tsikang Kabaklaan sa Disaster: Kuwento at danas ng mga Bakla sa panahon ng disaster sa Aroma Temporary Housing, Brgy. 105, Tondo, Maynila

Louis Justin “Kahel” J. Rebadolla

Abstract Patuloy na umuunlad ang mga pananaliksik at pagkilala sa mga bakla sa Pilipinas; mayroon ng mga pag-aaral tungkol sa kanilang kalusugan, pangangailangan, pag-oorganisa, karapatan, at iba pa, ngunit kaunti ang pananaliksik sa kanilang karanasan sa panahon ng disaster at sa pangangasiwa nito. Ang pag-aaral na ito ay magpapatampok ng mga kuwento at danas ng mga bakla mula sa Aroma Temporary Housing, Brgy. 105, Tondo, Maynila sa nangyaring sunog noong Abril 2020. Ang kanilang mga kuwento at danas ay nakuha sa pamamagitan ng pakikipag-tsikahan. Ilalahad ang mga tsika sa pag-angkla sa apat na aspekto ng pangangasiwa ng disaster—mitigasyon, paghahanda, pagtugon, at pagbangon at ito ay susuriin sa pamamagitan ng intersectional analysis. Lumalabas sa mga tsika ng mga bakla ng Aroma ang kanilang mga espisipikong karanasan at pangangailangan sa panahon ng disaster kasabay ng paghamon ng pag-aaral sa pag-unawa na ang disaster ay isang “great equalizer.” Ipapakita ng pag-aaral na ito na ang mga tsika ng mga bakla ay mahalagang sangkap sa paglikha ng inklusibong pamamaraan at proseso sa pangangasiwa ng disaster na walang napag-iiwanan.

Keywords: Disaster, Bakla, Karanasan, Pakikipag-tsikahan, Intersectional Analysis

Indigenous People’s Participation: A Case Study on the “Surat Mangyan and Ambahan Teaching” Community Project

Leizl Pautan Agad

Abstract The case study on the Surat Mangyan and Ambahan Teaching Community Project explores Indigenous people’s participation and the processes that facilitate or hinder participatory development. There has been literature on Indigenous People’s community processes, such as identity construction and cultural reproduction, and Indigenous People’s development planning. The study was conducted to identify the context and manifestations of Indigenous people’s participation in the context of a development project, and to identify the factors that facilitate or hinder participatory development. The study assumes that Indigenous Peoples can make informed decisions according to what they have decided will contribute to the development and sustainability of their community and processes, such as community organizing and development partners are facilitating or hindering factors. The study collected primary data through key informant interviews and focus group discussions among Mangyan community members and project implementers who were directly engaged in the project. Community immersion and integration were also conducted, and secondary data came from a review of documents regarding the project. Based on the results of the study, Indigenous peoples aspire to preserve their land, protect their language, and promote their culture for generations to come and this is where they are coming from in planning, organizing, and participating in development projects. Development partners facilitate participatory development practice through their years of constant engagement with community stakeholders, organizational structures and processes that allow participation, and championing the voice of the community.

Keywords: Indigenous Peoples, participation, participatory development practice, preservation of culture

Deepening Divides: The Marginalization of Non-Moro IPs in BARMM

Jennie Lyn C. Reyes

Abstract This study looks at the marginalization of the Tëduray, one of the 18 major non-Islamic Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) in Mindanao, at the crossroads of the formation of the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), two watershed legislation aiming to address the rights to self-determination of ICCs/IPs in the Philippines. The paper seeks to uncover the invaluable contributions of Indigenous peoples to the rich tapestry of Mindanao and the nation despite the historical, political, and cultural narratives that have perpetuated their cycle of marginalization further in the periphery. Through an exploration of historical and contemporary political economy, key legal frameworks, and the role of identity where it competes, overlaps, or coexists, this paper aims to shed light on the opportunities for and evolving challenges that hinder the empowerment and inclusion of non-Moro Indigenous communities in the process of state formation in the Philippines.

Keywords: Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples, Bangsamoro, marginalization, Mindanao, structural inequality, internal colonization

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The Philippine Journal of Social Development is a peer-reviewed journal published by the College of Social Work and Community Development, University of the Philippines Diliman. The views and opinions expressed in this journal are solely the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of the College of Social Work and Community Development.

Philippine Copyright ©2024

University of the Philippines, Diliman

Published Online December 2024

ISSN 2094-523X

All rights reserved.

No part of this journal may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher.

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Issue Editor

Karl Arvin F. Hapal

Managing Editor

Soleil Anniah C. Santoalla

Editorial Board

Lenore Polotan-dela Cruz

John Erwin S. Bañez, DSD

Sabrina Laya S. Gacad

Justin Francis Leon V. Nicolas, PhD

Rosalie T. Quilicol

Celeste F. Vallejos

Technical Editor

Alexa M. Carreon

Layout

Soleil Anniah C. Santoalla

Published by

College of Social Work and Community Development

University of the Philippines

Diliman, Quezon City