*insert clips of people in the Philippines saying the word democracy*
NICKI: Democracy.
Today, the Philippines is still in its transition process to be considered as having a
full democratic system of governance.
But before we dive in deeper to our topic, let us first define what democracy is.
According to Philippe Schmitter and Terry Lynn Karl, Democracy is defined as "a form
of government in which citizens hold rulers accountable for their acts in the public realm
by acting indirectly through the competition and cooperation of their elected
representative."
Jose Abueva gave the three attempts of the Development of Democracy in the
Philippines. The first Attempt was during the Philippine Revolution and the establishment of
the First Philippine Republic that lasted from 1896 to 1898. Second Attempt was during 1934 to
1942 where Colonial Democracy was gradually building-up through Commonwealth. The Third
or Last Attempt was during the EDSA Uprising of February 1986 established a new democratic
government and this attempt lasted from 1986-1987. This attempt opened the way of democracy
to enter take over our government system, where we at least, achieved democracy.
The Philippines is the oldest democracy in Southeast Asia. The Philippines' journey to
democracy after the overthrow of the authoritarian administration in 1986 is marked by the
country's tenacity in the face of many backsliding episodes and ongoing adaptations in the face
of development and governance issues. The 1987 Constitution, enshrined the concepts of
representative democracy and separation of powers, established independent constitutional
commissions, promoted local autonomy, and restored legislative and judicial powers vis-à-vis
the presidency, and was a product of the 1986 People Power Uprising that toppled the Marcos
dictatorship.
More specifically, while the Philippines has embraced democratic traditions of
participation and freedom of choice and speech, the longer-term goal is to improve the quality of
the country's democracy. Despite the progress that has been made, there is clearly more work to
be done in terms of building political parties based on ideology and merit rather than personality,
strengthening accountability mechanisms within government, creating alternative sources of
reliable information, and enabling the electorate to make informed decisions. More specifically,
while the Philippines has embraced democratic traditions of participation and freedom of choice
and speech, the longer-term goal is to improve the quality of the country's democracy. Despite
the progress that has been made, there is clearly more work to be done in terms of building
political parties based on ideology and merit rather than personality, strengthening accountability
mechanisms within government, creating alternative sources of reliable information, and
enabling the electorate to make informed decisions.
In the present time, the youth are trying their best to be involved in the democratic
practices done in the country.
According to national statistics, more than 42% of Filipinos are under the age of 18 and
are prepared to become powerful participants in the country's democracy. However, young
people's excitement is typically met with obstacles, as they are marginalized in political
processes and mainly excluded from elected cabinets, legislatures, and public affairs. These
constraints to democracy represent a threat to the country's democracy, as millennials become
dissatisfied with slow progress and limited ability to influence government decisions. The youth
have long been involved in informal political activities such as student and street activism,
volunteerism, and social media campaigns. Their access to more formal governing systems, on
the other hand, has remained limited or non-existent.
CHLOE: The democratic practices can be seen in a variety of ways. The Philippines has
finally achieved independence after being colonized by numerous countries. Because of the
oppression of others, the Philippines is exceedingly generous when it comes to granting freedom
and hence democracy to its people. When it comes to speech, expression, and, most recently,
information, the government is the one that grants people freedom. Everyone is free to express
their views and beliefs, whether in the press, the media, or social media platforms on the internet,
as long as they follow the regulations. Furthermore, democracy empowers citizens to elect their
leaders through elections. The government also uses inclusive decision-making, which implies
that higher authorities take into account and listen to people's views before making any changes
to the constitution. Another benefit of democracy is that it provides majority rule while still
allowing minorities to exercise their rights. Signed petitions against or in support of government
projects are examples of this.
One of the democratic practices in the Philippines is the Free Election. All of the
Filipinos have the right to vote. The election have given Filipino citizen who are above 18 years
old to vote. The Filipino's don't need any credentials and any educational background for them to
vote. This gives the power for Filipino citizens to vote and choose the most applicable president.
Another democratic practice is maintaining the separation of Church and State. It was
during Cory Aquino's presidency when the separation of church and state began, and until this
time, this democratic practice was still apparent.
With the development of liberal democracy and secular states throughout history, the
unity of Church and state has been replaced by the separation of Church and state. The Church
lost its privileged status, but it was a blessing in disguise because it eliminated not just the state's
patronage of the Church, but also the state's intervention and control over it. Surprisingly, state
control of religion today occurs only in communist countries – but without state sponsorship or
patronage.
Last democratic practice is the Citizen Participation. Protesting is one of the most
visible democratic practices in the Philippines. It allows Filipinos to be informed and contribute
to the growth of the country. This allows Filipinos to have a stronger voice in decision-making
institutions and to adopt progressive policies in a democratic country. Many concerns have come
up during protests, and one of the most controversial is the EJK, or extrajudicial murders, which
are occurring all throughout the Philippines.
PAULA: Now that we're talking about democratic practices in our society, I believe we should
also not forget about the undemocratic practices that exist as well. There are numerous
undemocratic practices that we should be aware of so that we can help one another in
overcoming them.
First, we have the Gender Biases, which is defined as the tendency to favor one gender
over another. It's a type of unconscious bias, also known as implicit bias, in which one person or
group of individuals is subconsciously distributed with specific attitudes and stereotypes. The
way a person views and interacts with others is influenced by these assigned behaviors.
Gender bias refers to how men and women are regarded differently in today's culture. It's
frequently referred to as "sexism," and it refers to prejudice towards women based on their
gender. Professional settings are the places where gender bias is most obvious.
A number of statistics about diversity and gender prejudice in the workplace were
gathered to further illustrate the impact gender bias plays in the workplace:
• At work, 42% of women face discrimination based on their gender.
• There were 25,000 sex-based discrimination cases filed in 2017.
• Discrimination and gender bias account for five of the top 14 job barriers for women.
In the Philippines, the gender situation is marked by strong contradictions. It visually
depicts examples of women's political growth, academic and professional accomplishment, and
even legislation. Images of prostituted women, abused wives, economically impoverished
women, and exploited migrant workers, on the other hand, stand in contrast.
The MTV and online generation are fighting with socio-cultural traditions. The long
history of colonization has instilled in Filipinos a patriarchal culture. Modern women exerting
themselves in many aspects of life are undermining the stereotypes of women as full-time
homemakers, submissive to males, victims of private violence, reserve labor force, and sexual
objects. The harsh realities of global business and consumerism, on the other hand, have
marginalized, discriminated, and even exploited some people.
Bias is present in every area of life. Our brains are designed to categorize the objects we
encounter in order to make sense of the complex world around us. Biases, on the other hand, can
lead to prejudices against others, resulting in significant inequity across groups. Bias can be
found in every part of our lives. Our brains are built to categorize the objects we encounter in
order to make sense of the complex world around us. Biases, on the other hand, can lead to
prejudices against others, resulting in significant inequity between groups.
CLARENCE: Second undemocratic practice is Poverty. Have you ever wondered what
would happen if you will live in the slums of Metro Manila? Houses in Manila is considered to
be the biggest slums in the world. It's because the city of Manila accounts for 89 percent of the
country's GDP. As a result, Filipinos from other areas have flocked to Manila in search of better
opportunities. Manila grew overcrowded as a result of the flood of migrants from the regions.
And, due to a lack of sufficient housing options and bad city planning, these migrants find up
living in dirty slums. They can be found in floodways such as the one in Manggahan East, at the
Baseco compound along the Pasig River, along roads and highways in Commonwealth Avenue,
and in Payatas waste sites in Tondo. The waste dump site is so large that it has already developed
a mountain of garbage.
Poverty is caused by government failures. Some may argue that being poor should not be
used as an excuse to stay poor. Some may even argue that all that is required is hard effort and
dedication. Despite the fact that there are several rags to riches stories, this is not always the
case. As a result, the question we must ask is why? The reason for this is simple: a lack of
opportunity. People in the lowest socioeconomic groups suffer from a severe lack of opportunity
as a result of the large difference between the poor, middle class, and wealthy. This can be
attributed to a variety of factors. The root of the problem, though, is a lack of knowledge. A lack
of an educational system that allows pupils to excel in life rather than just academics.
In today's educational system, people that are "hardworking" when studying are highly
rewarded. Governments reduce budgets for educational plans, so better programs are placed
aside. Tests are frequently used to determine how much a pupil "remembers" rather than how
much they "understand." As a result, before we can begin to solve the challenges of poverty, we
must first address the educational system's problems.
CHLOE: For the third undemocratic practice, we have the Political Marginalization. The
term "marginalization" refers to the extremely visible actions or tendencies of human
communities in which those who appear to be without value or function are removed or excluded
from the dominant systems of protection and integration, hence reducing their chances and
means of survival. Marginality is a phenomena that hinders or limits the enjoyment of certain
rights as a result of exclusion. It can be found in all aspects of society, including politics.
Political marginalization refers to the inability of certain groups of individuals to engage
democratically in decision-making.
It's challenging to get your voice heard if you don't have a seat at the table. And, given
how difficult it is for us to do so already, politicians will find it extremely easy to continue to
overlook your needs in favor of the demands of the majority. It is quite likely that someone who
is socially marginalized is both economically and politically marginalized. We have a lot to be
grateful for in free, democratic countries.
We may have good schools and hospitals, a thriving economy based on sound
infrastructure, and the ability to select who represents us in government. Even in such a society,
however, not everyone has equal access to opportunities, services, and advantages. Even in the
world's strongest and wealthiest countries, this inequity, known as marginalization, exists.
Democracy is more likely to grow and endure when all parts of a community are free to
engage in and influence political results without fear of bias or punishment. However, huge
segments of the population are excluded from politics in many new and emerging democracies
because of their ethnicity, religion, age, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. Marginalization
is defined as long-term inequity and adversity caused by discrimination, social stigma, and
stereotypes. Significant barriers to participation in the political process exist for those on the
margins, ranging from inaccessible polling locations to information unavailable in minority
languages to discriminatory laws and a lack of information.
PAULA: Fourth undemocratic practice is Racial Inequality. The experience of racism is
nothing new among Filipinos, nor is it so simple. The term “Filipino” after all began as the racial
designation for Spaniards born in the Philippines to distinguish them from those born in the
Peninsula.
Filipinos, like Americans, were labeled "creoles" due to an accident of birth. Raised in
the colonies' apparently "backward" conditions, creoles were classed as a separate race,
considered beneath Europeans. Only in the closing years of the nineteenth century could young
nationalists reclaim the name "Filipino," transforming it from a racial slur to a nationalist slogan
to refer to all persons who shared the fate of Spanish oppression and shared a stake in the
colony's future.
Due to the lack of a history of racialized slavery, the issue of race is frequently linked
with the language of class. The conflict between the wealthy and middle class vs the poor is
transformed from the binary of white supremacy and black oppression (and the non-Christian).
Anti-Chinese racism can also take on a class dimension when the Filipino sees himself as a poor
local being exploited by a wealthy predatory foreigner (even though, of course, most Chinese are
neither wealthy nor predatory, much less foreign).
We may observe the complex nature of racial identification once more. When confronted
with the poor's black Otherness, the middle class can take on the role of white colonizer. When
confronted with what it perceives to be an exploitive foreign presence, it can take on the role of
the poor - the "people" in the nationalist image. Like its creole forerunners, the post-colonial
middle class appears to be able to have it both ways. When it feels attacked from below, it pulls
respect from above, and when threatened from above, it takes prestige from below.
When people think about that history and present societal patterns, they might wonder:
Do today's geographic concentrations of race and poverty play a role in preserving racial
inequality? The answer to that question relies on whether the social and physical environment in
which people reside has a substantial impact on the outcomes they accomplish in terms of
educational attainment, income, and employment.
MJ: Fifth, we have the Cultural Domination. Our culture is a powerful reflection of our long
and complicated past. Most of the people we've met have had an impact on it. People have
resided in the Philippines from the beginning of time. Originally, the islands were inhabited by
rival tribes, each with its own king and queen. The culture of the Philippines is a mix of
traditional Filipino and Spanish Catholic traditions, as well as influences from America and other
regions of Asia. Filipinos are devoted to their families and are often religious, with a passion for
art, food, music, and fashion. Filipinos are also friendly individuals who like having a good time.
The annual calendar is packed with festivals, many of which combine costumes and rituals from
the country's pre-Christian past with Catholic beliefs and ideology of today. Filipino Cultural
Domination is unique in comparison to other Asian countries and beliefs that apply every day in
the lives of Filipinos, demonstrating how rich and blessed the people's culture is. This is
immensely influential because in a culture, religion, behaviors, values, rituals, and social
conventions are the standards for the society as a whole.
However, the minority of cultural communities fight for cultural autonomy and survival
against the dominant mainstream culture. There are said to be six phases of cultural domination:
denial and withdrawal, destruction and desecration, denigration and marginalization, redefinition
and token utilization, transformation and mainstreaming, and commercialization and
commodification.
Second to the last is Crisis of Representation. According to the Aquino administration,
they think they have made progress in promoting openness and accountability, and there is
empirical evidence for this. However, corruption is not the only problem affecting Philippine
democracy. Additionally, the government's responsiveness, political involvement, and popular
involvement must all be improved. Because there is reason to suppose that the current political
leadership is unconcerned about these democratic features.
Many of the 1987 constitution's progressive provisions, such as the prohibition of
political dynasties, freedom of information, campaign finance, popular initiative, and local
sectoral representation, have languished in Congress, with only slight adjustments lifting their
term limits or removing the provision from the country's economy. The oligarchic interests in
charter revision talks, rather than a desire for people empowerment and political
institutionalization, are particularly interesting given that the constitution was born out of a cruel
and corrupt regime.
NICKI: Last undemocratic practice is the Politics of Recognition. Recognition (Anerkennung)
is commonly regarded as a formative and political term that stretches from the core of people's
identities to the institutional realm. This indicates that our identities are influenced by other
people's opinions and judgments. Being acknowledged is regarded as a basic human need, and
hence societies can be defined only in terms of their ability to offer the acknowledgment that
their members desire. Individuals' ability to act, live a good life, and relate to themselves has
been harmed by a lack of respect, regard, and care for a long time. Individual political activities,
collective political movements, and the emergence of new political concepts can all be motivated
by the negative impacts of misrecognition and non-recognition. Various forms of identity
politics, in particular, might be viewed as conflicts for public acknowledgment.
Georg Hegel proposed that individual identity is produced through a process of reciprocal
recognition between different persons or subjects, which gave rise to the concept of politics of
recognition. As a result, social acceptability, or acknowledgment, is critical for the formation of
one's sense of self. Political philosophers such as Charles Taylor and Nancy Fraser developed
recognition politics, which played an important role in the fight for the rights of sexual, ethnic,
linguistic, and religious minorities who saw themselves as both equal and distinct from the
dominant majority within a nation-state.
CLARENCE: There may be more undemocratic practices than democratic practices in the
Philippines, but what counts is that we must never forget the importance of democracy.
Democracy is still developing in our country, and we, Filipinos, must work together to achieve
the full democratic government that we have been striving for. According to Archibald Macleish,
“ Democracy is never a thing done. Democracy is always something that a nation must be
doing.”
*insert clips of people saying democracy + last clip: a person saiying something important about
democracy (could be a Filipino speaking in english or tagalog))*
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