TRENDS

• Democracy

  Government ruled 'by the people'
• Kratus


  Power or rule
• Abraham Lincoln 'Government of the people, by the people, for the people'
• Democracy


  • 'By the people' - those who choose the officials who make up the government
  • 'Of the people' - the composition of the government which is made up of 'people'
  • 'For the people' - the government should promote, protect and preserve the rights and equality among its citizens
• Vox Populi, Vox Dei


  The Voice of the People is the Voice of God, as the people are superior to the government
• Elements of Democracy


  • Separation and Balance of Power
  • Pluralistic System of Political Parties and Organization
  • Respect to the Rule of Law
  • Accountability and Transparency
  • Free and Independent Media
  • Respect for Human Rights
• Separation and Balance of Power


  • The democratic government is divided into legislative, executive and judicial powers which act independently to prevent concentration of power and maintain check and balance
• Legislative Branch


  • Enacts the laws of the state according to the desires of the constituents. Mainly comprised of the House of Representatives and the Senate ( Law Making )
• Executive Branch


  • Implements the policy. The President and Cabinet Members carry out these functions, ensuring approved laws are executed
• Judicial Branch


  • Responsible for giving meaning to the established laws and bringing to justice those who violate the fundamental laws of the land
• Pluralistic System of Political Parties and Organization


  • Allow the rule of political organization and parties that will represent different interests and sectors in the society
• Rule of Law


  • No one is above the law, all are subject to abide with the laws in the country, even the highest leader and the lawmakers
• Accountability and Transparency


  • All public offices are a public trust - government agencies and officials should not hide important information from the general public
• Free and Independent Media

  • Freedom of expression is a necessary element in a democratic society. Through media, citizens are informed about events and dealings in society
• Respect for Human Rights


  • The right to vote, to form political parties, to own property or to marry are necessary for democracy
• Rights in a Democracy


  • Right of suffrage (the right to vote in political elections)
  • Protest against fraud
  • Communication between local government
  • Public assembly and consultation
  • Conduct Plebiscite (a direct vote by eligible voters to decide an important public question)
• Democracy evolved out of the refinement of its component to respond to the needs and demands of the citizenry
• Equality before the law


  • Equality under the law is equality in the eyes of the law. The law must guarantee that no person should be prejudiced. Everyone must be treated equally regardless of race, gender, national origin, color, ethnicity, religion, disability
• Political Freedom


  • Freedom from oppression and compulsion. Freedom of speech and exercise of social rights and civil liberties protected by the state
• Rule of Law


  • Every law is a product of people represented by their congressman. The law is the supreme factor that runs the government, and nobody is above the law. The right to suffrage where all voters can participate freely and fully in the life of their society
• Types of Democracy


  • Direct or Participatory Democracy - Citizens directly participate in public assemblies to decide on laws, governance initiatives, appointing or dismissing state rules
  • Representative Democracy - People control the government by electing the head of the state and choosing the members of the legislative which supervise over the people's behalf
• Undemocratic Practice


  A system, process, or decision that is controlled or made by one person or a small number of people, rather than by all the people involved
• There is NO STRENGTH without UNITY
• Ill Effects of Undemocratic Practices


  • Gender Biases
  • Poverty
  • Political Marginalization
  • Racial Inequality
  • Cultural Domination
• Gender Biases


  The tendency to provide preferential treatment toward one gender over another or have prejudice against a certain gender
• Poverty


  Entails more than the lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making
• Political Marginalization


  The minority is excluded, and their needs ignored. Marginalization limits the enjoyment of certain rights by minority groups
• Marginalized Groups in the Philippines 2023 (PSA)


  • Women
  • Youth
  • Children
  • Senior citizens
  • Individuals residing in urban areas
  • Migrant
  • Farmers
  • Fishermen
  • Self-employed and unpaid family workers
• Racial or Ethnic Inequality


  The result of hierarchical social distinctions between racial and ethnic categories. Even though race has no biological connection, it has become a socially constructed category capable of restricting or enabling social status, unequal treatment and opportunities are given to people depending on the category they belong to
• Laws that Protect Against Discrimination in the Philippines


  • The Bill of Rights in the 1987 Constitution guarantees equal protection for every Filipino, and prohibits discrimination of persons based on ethnicity, race, religion or belief, political inclination, social class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, civil status, medical condition, or any other status in the enjoyment of rights
• Cultural Domination


  The creation and maintenance of unequal relationships between and among cultures. Some more powerful cultures are more favored than the others. This concept is almost like cultural imperialism and ethnocentrism
• Cultural Imperialism


  The practice of promoting and imposing a culture of a more powerful group over the less potent one
• Cultural Ethnocentrism


  The belief that one's culture is superior to other cultures