HUMAN DIGNITY AS INVIOLABLE AND INALIENABLE

The human person is by nature a social being. They are relational beings, who
are free and responsible, recognizes the necessity of integrating themselves in
cooperation with fellow human beings, and who is capable of communion with them.
They belong to various societies such as family, civil and religious communities, and are
bound together by a principle of unity and common good that goes beyond each one of
them.

The human person is an image of God. Since he resembles the communion of

the divine persons in the Trinity, he must therefore establish himself a community with
other persons in order to live in a society. Society is a requirement of man‘s nature
through exchange, mutual service and dialogue with others. By this he develops and
responds to his vocation – love for neighbor and love for God.

A society is a group of persons bound together organically by a principle of unity

that goes beyond each one of them. As an assembly that is at once visible and spiritual,
a society endures through time: it gathers up the past and prepares for the future. By
means of society, each man is established as an heir and receives certain talents that
enrich his identity and whose fruits he must develop. He rightly owes loyalty to the
communities in which he is part and respect for those in authority who have charge of
the common good. Each community is defined by its purpose and consequently obeys
specific rules; but the human person is and ought to be the principle, the subject and the
end of all social institutions.28

Certain societies, such as the family and the state, correspond more directly to
the nature of man; they are necessary to him. To promote the participation of the
greatest number in the life of a society, the creation of voluntary associations and
institutions must be encouraged on both national and international levels, which relate
to economic and social goals, to cultural and recreational activities, to sport, to various
professions, and to political affairs.

Article XIII of the Philippine Constitution under ―Social Justice and Human
Rights‖ and the Civil Code of Philippines supports formation of these organizations:

1987 Philippine Constitution Section 23. The State shall encourage non-
governmental, community-based, or sectoral organizations that promote the
welfare of the nation.

Civil Code of the Philippines Article 32. Any public officer or employee, or any
private individual, who directly or indirectly obstructs, defeats, violates or in any
manner impedes or impairs any of the following rights and liberties of another
 person shall be liable to the latter for damages: ... (12) The right to become a
member of associations or societies for purposes not contrary to law;

This socialization also expresses the natural tendency for human beings to
associate with one another for the sake of attaining objectives that exceed individual
capacities. It develops the qualities of the person, especially the sense of initiative and
responsibility, and helps guarantee his/her rights. But socialization also presents
dangers. Excessive intervention by the state can threaten personal freedom and
initiative. The teaching of the Church has elaborated the principle of subsidiarity,
according to which a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life
of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should
support it in case of need and help to co-ordinate its activity with the activities of the rest
of society, always with a view to the common good.29

In keeping with the social nature of man, the good of each individual is
necessarily related to the common good, which in turn can be defined only in reference
to the human person. By common good, it is to be understood as the sum total of social
conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their
fulfillment more fully and more easily. The common good concerns the life of all. It calls
for prudence from each, and even more from those who exercise the office of authority.
It consists of three essential elements:30

First, the common good presupposes respect for the person as such. In the
name of the common good, public authorities are bound to respect the fundamental and
inalienable rights of the human person. Society should permit each of its members to
fulfill his vocation. In particular, the common good resides in the conditions for the
exercise of the natural freedoms indispensable for the development of the human
vocation, such as the right to act according to a sound norm of conscience and to
safeguard privacy, and rightful freedom also in matters of religion.31

Second, the common good requires the social well-being and development of the
group itself. Development is the epitome of all social duties. Certainly, it is the proper
function of authority to arbitrate, in the name of the common good, between various
particular interests; but it should make accessible to each what is needed to lead a truly
human life: food, clothing, health, work, education and culture, suitable information, the
right to establish a family, and so on.32

Finally, the common good requires peace, that is, the stability and security of a
just order. It presupposes that authority should ensure by morally acceptable means the
security of society and its members. It is the basis of the right to legitimate personal and
collective defense.33

Each human community possesses a common good which permits it to be

recognized as such; it is in the political community that its most complete realization is
found. It is the role of the state to defend and promote the common good of civil society,
its citizens, and intermediate bodies.34 Authority is exercised legitimately if it is committed
to the common good of society. To attain this it must employ morally acceptable
means.35

29 Ibid., 1882-1883. 30
Ibid., 1905-1906. 31 CCC,
1907. 32 Ibid., 1908. 33
Ibid., 1909. 34 Ibid., 1910.
35 Ibid., 1921.

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Our Constitution promotes common good of all individuals and the society. A
specific example of this law administered by local government units is Republic Act No.
7160 or ―An Act Providing for a Local Government Code of 1991.‖

1987 Philippine
Constitution

Preamble We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order
to build a just and humane society and establish a Government that shall embody our
ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our
patrimony...

An Act Providing for a Local Government Code of 1991 Section 5 (c) The general
welfare provisions in this Code shall be liberally interpreted to give more powers
to local government units in accelerating economic development and upgrading
the quality of life for the people in the community;

Section 16. General Welfare. – Every local government unit shall exercise the
powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied therefrom, as well as
powers necessary, appropriate, or incidental for its efficient and effective
governance, and those which are essential to the promotion of the general
welfare. Within their respective territorial jurisdictions, local government units
shall ensure and support, among other things, the preservation and enrichment
of culture, promote health and safety, enhance the right of the people to a
balanced ecology, encourage and support the development of appropriate and
self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities, improve public morals,
enhance economic prosperity and social justice, promote full employment among
their residents, maintain peace and order, and preserve the comfort and
convenience of their inhabitants.
Section 17. Basic Services and
Facilities.
(1) For a
Barangay:
(i) Agricultural support services which include planting materials
distribution system and operation of farm produce collection and
buying stations; (ii) Health and social welfare services which include
maintenance of barangay health center and day-care center; (iii)
Services and facilities related to general hygiene and sanitation,
beautification, and solid waste collection; (iv) Maintenance of
katarungang pambarangay; (v) Maintenance of barangay roads and
bridges and water supply systems; (vi) Infrastructure facilities such
as multi-purpose hall, multi-purpose pavement, plaza, sports
center, and other similar facilities; (vii) Information and reading
center; and (viii) Satellite or public market, where viable;

Article XIII of our Constitution under ―Social Justice and Human Rights‖ supports
formation of organizations:

Section 23. The State shall encourage non-governmental, community-based,

or sectoral organizations that promote the welfare of the nation.

Both the Church and the State recognizes family as the most important unit of
the society. It is the original cell of social life. A natural society in which husband and
wife are called to give themselves in love and in the gift of life. Authority, stability, and a
life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and
fraternity within society. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can
learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is
an initiation into life in society. The family must be helped and defended by appropriate
social measures.

1987 Philippine Constitution Article XV. The Family Section 1. The State recognizes the
Filipino family as the foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its
solidarity and actively promote its total development. Section 2. Marriage, as an
inviolable social institution, is the foundation of the family and shall be protected by the
State.

Where families cannot fulfill their responsibilities, other social bodies have the
duty of helping them and of supporting the institution of the family. Following the
principle of subsidiarity, larger communities should take care not to usurp the family's
prerogatives or interfere in its life.36 For example, the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) has a mandate to take custody of abandoned children:

In response to inquiries on cases of child abandonment, the Department of

Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) stressed that its primary
mandate is to intervene on behalf of abandoned children to ensure their
welfare and protection. This came at the heels of cases of children being
abandoned in public places, including the incident wherein a newborn
baby boy was found within the premises of one of the DSWD Central
Office buildings. DSWD Director for Community Programs and Services
Bureau Rosalie Dagulo explained that the department will provide care
and protection by taking them to it‟s children‟s centers and facilitating their
documents for possible adoption. The DSWD will also exert effort to find
the children‟s relatives. “For a “foundling” or a child found without any birth
fact, the Department does two important things: trace the family and to
provide the child with a family through legal adoption,” Dir. Dagulo also
appealed to pregnant women who are experiencing emotional distress or
under stressful situation to seek help to avoid similar cases. “They can
approach DSWD social workers or those at the local social welfare offices.
We are ready to listen and provide a shoulder to cry on.”37