MANILA, Philippines – More than 150 organizations part of #CourageON: No lockdown on Rights and #PHVote coalitions, and led by Rappler’s civic engagement arm MovePH, united to make the #AtinAngPilipinas agenda – a helpful framework voters can use to assess candidates in the 2022 Philippine elections. It covers the following issues:
- Health and pandemic response
- Livelihood and economy
- Education
- Environment and climate change
- Peace, order, respect for human rights
Below is the full agenda:
Health and pandemic response
#WeDecide to elect leaders with clear and effective plans for pandemic response and Filipinos’ healthcare.
- SMART PANDEMIC RESPONSE. Timely, transparent, inclusive, data-driven, and science-led pandemic response, especially when it comes to providing assistance to the poor and marginalized, improving information dissemination and science-based communication, ensuring equal distribution of vaccines, and creating pandemic-related policies that will impact the nation.
- RESPONSIVE PUBLIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. Strengthened healthcare system, characterized by free services, sufficient medicine supplies, increased capacity for community health management systems from the national level down to the barangay level. Improve access to HIV/AIDS testing, treatment and care; sexual and RH/counseling and services.
- STRENGTHEN HEALTHCARE WORKERS WELFARE. Mass hiring of public health workers and ensuring the timely distribution and just compensation of special risk allowance (SRA).
- CLEAR COMMUNICATION OF SOUND POLICIES. Aside from crafting logical and science-based policies, credible information about the pandemic and other health concerns must be disseminated clearly to all people, from urban to rural areas.
- HOLD OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE. Exacting accountability from officials responsible for flawed responses, corruption, and abuse of pandemic resources.
Livelihood and economy
#WeDecide to choose leaders with concrete plans for those who lost their jobs, closed down their businesses, and for other sectors affected by a poorly executed pandemic response.
- COMPREHENSIVE, HUMANE LABOR RIGHTS AMID PANDEMIC.
- An end to contractualization and enforcement of a policy providing support and protection for contractual workers, gig workers, platform-based workers, creatives, informal workers, women, and LGBTIQ+ individuals who were disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
- Implementation of a national minimum wage system.
- Protection and strengthening of unionism.
- Provision of safeguards for returning OFWs who wish to start anew in the country.
- CLEAR & FEASIBLE PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN FOR MSMES. Ample support for, and tapping of, medium, small and micro enterprises in pandemic response. Opening opportunities for home-based women entrepreneurs through access to capital, market linkage, and digital literacy
- DETAILED, INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN. Genuine economic stimulus to spur recovery and accessible credit facilities and substantial cash assistance for low-income households grappling with economic crisis
- ADDRESS RISING PRICES OF GOODS. Enactment of legislation for guaranteed regulation of prices of goods and services.
- INVESTMENT IN THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY. Support for fisherfolks and farmers by not only improving their know-how, but also enabling and empowering them to defend their right to fish in our waters and to own lands that are rightfully theirs.
Education
#WeDecide to choose leaders who will acknowledge education as a right – where it’s safe for children, and free from red-tagging.
- SAFE REOPENING OF SCHOOLS. Clear roadmap towards the safe reopening of schools and academic ease policies and appropriate subsidies for teachers amid remote learning set-up.
- RESPECT FOR ACADEMIC FREEDOM. Institutionalization of the UP-DND accord and implementation of similar accords in other schools.
- ADDRESS HEALTH AND WELFARE OF STUDENTS. Accessible mental health services for all students, teachers, and staff and the passage of the Students Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Act.
- SUFFICIENT BUDGET ALLOCATION TO THE EDUCATION SECTOR. Allocation of at least 6% of the Gross National Product to education. Rechanneling funding from other budget items such as debt servicing and military spending.
- AN EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT INTEGRATES HUMAN RIGHTS, MEDIA LITERACY, DEMOCRACY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs) IN THE CURRICULUM. This includes:
- Digital literacy and digital rights, inclusive and empowering Reproductive Rights education.
- Improve Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) and values education.
- Review and future-proof the K-12 program to make it flexible in times of national emergencies.
Environment and climate change
#WeDecide to choose leaders who will act on the effects of climate change and protect environmental defenders.
- PROACTIVE ACTION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE. An inclusive, multi-stakeholder implementation plan for the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement with increased unconditional targets and identified community-based mitigation and adaptation options
- JUST TRANSITION TO RENEWABLE ENERGY. Acceleration of the transition to a new, just clean energy economy by supporting community-led energy solutions, increasing financial incentives for renewable energy development, divesting from coal, and increasing the share of renewable energy in the energy mix
- SUSTAINABLE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION. Promotion and development of more sustainable modes of public transport and encouragement of cycling, walking, and other active mobility options for citizens.
- PROMOTION OF ZERO-WASTE MOVEMENT. Passage of HB 9147 (Single-Use Plastic Products Regulation Act), allowing extended producer’s responsibility (EPR) schemes from private sector, research and development for sustainable alternatives, and transition towards circular economy. Investing in scaled up community-level zero waste management models and grassroots initiatives for people-centered sustainable consumption and production.
- ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES FOR BIODIVERSITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION. Initiatives that will protect the country’s natural spaces, expand climate education, and triple the number of forest rangers, sea wardens, defenders, and other environmental workers
- PASSAGE OF THE ALTERNATIVE MINERAL MANAGEMENT BILL. Putting in place a moratorium on mining, dredging, reclamation, plantations, infrastructure, incinerators, fossil fuel power plants, and other extractive and destructive projects being touted as COVID-19 response and economic recovery strategies.
Peace, order, respect for human rights
#WeDecide to choose leaders who will protect human rights and defend our sovereignty.
- AN END TO THE WAR ON DRUGS. Adoption of rights-based approaches in combating illegal drugs and the revocation of the memorandum circular launching Tokhang.
- JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN ALL PLATFORMS. Continuation of, cooperation with, or support for, the investigation into alleged abuse of resources and violation of human rights in all platforms (inclusive of Congress, International Criminal Court, UNHRC, and truth commission).
- UPHOLDING A HUMANE APPROACH TO ENDING INSURGENCY. Abolition of NTF-ELCAC, the repressive counterinsurgency program that targeted advocates, human rights workers, and critics of the government; Address roots of armed conflict in the country, open peace negotiations with rebel groups in the Philippines.
- INCLUDE RIGHTS-BASED APPROACHES TO OUR ICT LEGISLATION. Revival and revision of the Magna Carta for Philippine Internet Freedom as a blueprint for digital rights anchored on the Philippine Declaration on Internet Rights and Principles. Repeal and revision of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 – especially because of problematic sections such as criminal offense for online libel, etc.
- EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN, SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITIES. An end to gender-based violence and discrimination through legislation and mainstreaming executive policies, gender equality education, and training for all law enforcement, health, and private sector stakeholders
- UPHOLDING SOVEREIGNTY. Assertion of the Hague ruling to defend the West Philippine Sea.
- PROTECTION OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS. Strengthening press freedom and freedom of expression, and protection of civic spaces and provision of safe and easily accessible avenues for citizens to engage, consult with government regarding programs and policies; Freeing of political prisoners, critics, members of the opposition.
– Rappler.com
To be part of the #CourageON: No Lockdown on Rights and #PHVote coalitions, email move.ph@rappler.com.