NSTP MODULE

LTS-CWTS
A.Y 2021-2022
Introduction
“The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation building and shall promote and protect their
physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and
nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.”

National service programs are a global phenomenon. Contrary to the claims of vocal opponents to
compulsory service, the nation that recognizes civic duty, through one form of mandatory service or
another, span the political, economic and cultural spectrum.

In keeping with the concept of national services, the 1987 Philippine Constitution enshrined in its
Declaration of Principles that the Filipinos are duty-bound to protect the country and, as such, they may
be subjected to undergo service programs. This requirement is premised on the constitutional provision,
which provides that, “The prime duty of the Government is to serve and protect the people. The
Government may call upon the people to defend the state, and in fulfillment thereof, all citizens may be
required, under conditions provided by law, to render personal military or civil service” (Art II, Sec.4,
The Philippine Constitution).

Along this line of thought, the same Constitution, under its State Policies, prescribes the involvement
of the young generation in the community affairs in order to secure the nation. Article II, Section 13, is
clear, to wit: “The State recognizes the vital of the youth in nation-building and social well-being. It shall
inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic
affairs.”

These tenets of the Constitution lend its support to the youth in promotion of general welfare in pursuit
of charting the country’s development roadmap, an affirmation that the youth remains the bastion of hope
for the years ahead, particularly those who are in school, as they constitute rich reservoir of productive
manpower.

Directed towards attaining the collective assertions of these philosophies underpinning the ends of
education and national service, a land mark legislation was made through the passage of Republic Act No.
9163, otherwise known as the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001, premised on the
youth’s pivotal role as a potent force in bringing forth much- avowed goals of development in the
country.

The NSTP Act superseded Republic Act No. 7077 (Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist
Act) which created the Reserve Force providing the base for the expansion of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) mandating military training of the
students enrolled in colleges, universities and other similar institutions of learning.

The primary objective of NSTP is to highlight the role of the youth in building a strong Republic,
invoking gender equality and development through the inclusion of female students in national service
training. As such, it aims to develop the youth to become civic or military leaders and volunteers through
a modified, re- structured and reinforced training package whom could be called upon by the nation in
cases their services are needed and in the event of disasters or emergencies.
It can be summarized that NSTP, however, as a form of citizenship training, affords its student-
trainees the opportunity to demonstrate practical and functional knowledge as well as life skills,
especially problem-solving in daily life, that the Program offers to them in the course of training.
LEARNING EXERCISE

MODULAR UNIT 1
The National Service Training Program
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this modular unit, students are expected to:

1. Explain the history and significance of the NSTP in the purview of national security and
development;
2. Appreciate the value of NSTP as a citizenship training program; and
3. Support NSTP-related activities and endeavors.

Overview

The Philippine Constitution provides that the defense of the state is a prime duty of the government and
the people, and in fulfillment of this duty, all citizens may be required by law to render personal military
or civil service. It further states that it is the duty of the citizen to contribute to our country’s development
in the attainment and preservation of a just and orderly society. The National Service Training Program
(NSTP) Act of 2001 mandates all citizens, both male and female, to fulfill this civic duty.

Responding to the urgent needs of our developing country today and in the foreseeable future, it is
equally vital to develop and enhance civic consciousness among the young generation to ensure national
security and development. NSTP, therefore, enables the youth, as the most valuable resource of the
Filipino nation, to be motivated, developed and utilized in regard to their responsibilities as citizens and
in fulfillment of their civil obligations.

Input No. 1: The Evolution of the National Service Training

Program
The imposition of the national program for service and training of youth in the Philippines
began with the creation of Commonwealth Act No. 1, otherwise known as the National Defense Act. It is
a legislative act providing basis for the national defense of the country, punishing certain violations
thereof, appropriating funds therefore and for other purposes under the government of President Manuel
L. Quezon in 1935. The same law that required college students, particularly males, to finish two years,
equivalent to 4 semesters, of military training as a modality to institutionalize the reservist system in the
Philippines national defense.

In 1980, the National Defense Act was amended to give existence to Presidential Decree No.
1706, otherwise known as the National Service Law. It mandated compulsory national service to all
Filipino citizens. It was composed of three main program components namely: Civic Welfare Service
(CWS), Law Enforcement Service (LES), and Military Service (MS). College students were given an
option to choose one from among these components in compliance with this requirements for tertiary
education.
 The implementation of the National Service Law, except the provision of the Military Service
was suspended by Presidential Memorandum Order No. 1 under the incumbency of former President
Corazon Aquino, paving the way for the conceptualization of the basic Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
(ROTC), embodied under Republic Act No. 7077 (The Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist
Law), effective school year 1986-1987.

The ROTC program aimed to realize the constitutional mandated of developing a strong civilian
base to supplement the professional military in the nation’s defense system. It was designed to initiate the
ROTC trainees in the rudiments of soldiership, instilling in them discipline and correct deportment. The
objective of the said program was to train all able-bodied tertiary students for military skills in case of
war. It cannot be disputed, however, that the law on mandatory military training for male Filipino
students that existed for more than sixty (60) years was tainted with anomalies and irregularities in the
advent of the post-Marcos era that culminated to the unprecedented death of UST ROTC cadet officer
Mark Welson Chua for alleged anomalies of some erring ROTC officials in 2001, thus, defeating the
purpose upon which this military training program was anchored in.

As way to offer an alternative in neutralizing people’s version to this military program during
the school year 2001-2002, ROTC was only made optional under the National Service Program (NSP),
conceiving the so-called Expanded ROTC ( E-ROTC) characterized by deviation from the rigid tactical
training offering alternatives like rendering civil auxiliary sources in the form of helping maintain law and
order, assisting socio-economic development projects and delivery if basic health services or aiding in
addressing local insurgency.

In view of the options, it gave the students the choice, among the following components,
Military Service (MS), Civic Welfare Service (CWS) and Law Enforcement Service (LES).

Many, if not all of the Higher Education Institutions, found the enforcement of NSP confusing
and unmanageable though. Hence, in December 2001, the NSTP Act, envisioned to address public clamor
for reforms in the ROTC and NSP Programs, was signed into law by then President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo as an aggressive modality toward making the former national service training that is
military in nature, relevant to the changing needs of the time.

The main objective of NSTP is to stress the significant role played by youth, male and female
alike, in the task of developing our nation via national service training. As such, it aims to develop the
youth to become civic or military leaders and volunteers through a modified, re-structured and reinforced
training package whom could be called upon by the nation in cases their services are needed and in the
event of disasters or emergencies.

Compared with ROTC, the NSTP Act ensured that three components – Civic Welfare Training Service
(CWTS), Literacy Training Service (LTS) and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), are given the
same and equal implementation in educational institutions. Moreover, it defined the training, coverage
and others.

The non-military program components of NSTP, that is, the CWTS and LTS are committed to
strengthening the values and traits of the youth, improving skills and knowledge on various endeavors,
developing interest in community service and making them responsible for peace and development to
ensure harmony and growth in the Filipino communities.

Legal Bases of NSTP

1. The Philippine Constitution
 2. Commonwealth Act No. (National Defense Act)
3. Presidential Decree No. 1706 (national Service Law)
4. Republic Act No. 7077 (The Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Law)
5. Republic Act No. 9163 (NSTP Act of 2001)0

Input No. 2: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about NSTP

1. What is National Service Training Program Law?
The National Service Training Program (NSTP) Law as embodied in Republic Act 9163 is a
program aimed at enhancing civic consciousness and defense preparedness in the youth by
developing the ethics of service and patriotism while undergoing training in any of its three (3)
program components specially designed to enhance the youth’s active contribution to the general
welfare.

2. What are the Program components of the NSTP?

a. The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is designed to provide military training to
tertiary level students in order to motivate, train, organize, and mobilize them for national
defense preparedness.
b. The Literacy Training Service (LTS) is designed to train the students to teach literacy and
numeracy skills to school children, out-of-school youth and other segments of society in need
of their services.
c. The Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) refers to activities contributory to the general
welfare and the betterment of life for the members of the community or the enhancement of
its facilities, especially those developed to improving health, education, environment,
entrepreneurship, safety, recreation, and moral of the citizenry and other social welfare
services.

3. Who shall take the NSTP? All incoming freshmen students male and female, enrolled in any
baccalaureate and in at least two (2) year technical vocational or associate courses, are required
to complete one (1) NSTP component of their choice as a graduation requirements

4. How will be the NSTP be taken up? Each of the NSTP components shall be undertaken for an
academic period of two (2) semesters and credited for three (3) units per semester with 54 to 90
training hours per semester.
5. What if the NSTP cannot be taken up during the regular semester? A one (1) summer-
program in lieu of the two (2) semester-program may be designed, formulated and adopted by
DND, CHED and TESDA subject to the capability of the school and the AFP to handle the same.

6. What if the NSTP program component chosen by a student is not offered in his/her school?
Schools that do not meet the required numberof students in order to conduct a program
 component or do not offer the component chosen by their students shall allow them to cross-
enroll to other schools irrespective of whether that school is under CHED or TESDA and for
ROTC, whether they are managed by different AFP branches of service.
These students however, shall be subjected to the existing rules and regulations of their
original school and accepting school.

7. Are currently-enrolled students covered by the NSTP? Male students currently enrolled but
have not taken any program component of the previous Expanded ROTC (E-ROTC)/ National
Service Program (NSP) are covered by the NSTP.

8. Will a student who has completed all the academic requirements of his course except ROTC
be allowed to graduate? A student who has completed all his academic requirements except for
ROTC will be allowed to graduate provided that he is a certified candidate by the school on or
before the effectivity of the NSTP which is March 23,2002.

9. What if a male student has completed two semesters of E-ROTC/NSP? He is deemed to have
complied with the NSTP requirement.

10. What if a male students has only taken one (10 semester of Basic ROTC and
E-ROTC/NSP? He shall take one more semester of any of the NSTP components to qualify for
graduation.

11. What will become of NSTP Graduates? Graduates of the non-ROTC components shall belong
to the National Service Reserve Corps (NSRC) that could be tapped by the State for literacy and
civic welfare activities. Graduates of the ROTC component shall form only part of the AFP
Citizen Armed Force, subject to DND requirements.

12. How can student continue to qualify for enlistment in the AFP Reserve Force? He/she may
qualify for enlistment in AFP Reserve Force as long as he/she has completed the two 920
semesters of Basic ROTC

13. How much fee will be charge for an NSTP component? No fees shall be collected for any of
the NSTP component except basic tuition fees, which should not be more than fifty percent
(50%) of the charges of the school per academic unit.

14. What student incentives can be provided by the NSTP? The following incentives to students
are to be provided when they take up NSTP.
A program of assistance/incentives for ROTC students from DND which will be in accordance with
existing laws and regulations and subject to the availability of funds.

School authorities concerned, CHED and TESDA shall ensure that health accident group
insurances are provided to students enrolled in any of the NSTP components.
 A Special Scholarship Program for qualified NSTP shall be administered by CHED and
TESDA subject to the availability of funds.

15. Who responsible for supervising the NSTP? School Authorities shall exercise academic and
administrative supervision over the design, formulation, adoption and implementation of the
different NSTP components in their respective schools.

In case of ROTC, the School Authorities and DND shall exercise joint supervision over its
implementation.

16. What lead agencies will monitor the implementation of the NSTP? CHED Regional Offices,
TESDA Provincial and District Offices and the DND-AFP through the major Service Reserve
Commands and their ROTC Units shall oversee if the trainings conducted are in consonance with
the republic Act.
17. Is the NSTP available in all Schools and Universities? All Higher and Technical Vocational
Educational Institutions shall be offering at least one (1) of the NSTP components, while State
Universities and colleges will offer the ROTC component and at least one other NSTP
component

Lead Agencies Tasked to Monitor the Implementation of NSTP

1. Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
2. Department of National Defense (DND)
3. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)

MODULAR UNIT 2
Good Citizenship
LEARNING OBJETIVES

At the end of this modular unit, students are expected to:

1. Understand the principles underpinning good citizenship, rights and responsibilities of citizens,
service and volunteerism for national development;
2. Describe and analyze issues that relate to the good citizenship values, rights and responsibilities
of student-citizen in the country.
3. Make responsible decisions, address issues, explain concepts and/ or solve problems using
relevant example pertaining to exercise of rights
4. Appreciate the significance of good citizenship towards the attainment of national development.
Overview

The citizenship education topic of the national Service Training Program (NSTP) affords the
implementing institutions the opportunity to develop consciousness not only in national terms, but also in
terms of global civic rights and responsibilities.
 The program components of NSTP are structured in a way that the student-trainee’s notion of the
relationship between the state and the people has changed and the service opportunities have been a core
means for learning how citizenship is applied.
The NSTP Law is legislation that sees the youth as partners of the state in promoting civic
consciousness, and aims to develop their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being
through civic service. In so doing, it inculcates patriotism and nationalism in the youth, and advance their
involvement in civic and public affairs.
As an enabling law, it enjoins students and young people to strengthen their social awareness and
civic engagements. It requires implementers to design a program that supports the National Service
Training Program, taken in two semesters or in one summer with at least 54 training hours, and carries a
total credit load of six (6) units. There are two (2) courses: one which provides the theoretical component
and one which supplements theoretical learning by service extension which paved the way for a
curriculum framework on citizenship and civic consciousness.
This framework and vision for students engaging in civic service and community work equip the
trainees with an understanding of citizen rights, duties and roles in a civil society and provides theoretical
and practical learning experiences for civic-mindedness, service and community participation.
Consistent with the aims of Program is broadening the student-trainee’s worldview-from a love of
country, nation and community, to concern, action for others beyond nationalism. Truly, citizenship
cannot and should not be confined to the national boundaries of ones country or to patriotism and loyalty
to one’s own homeland. On the contrary, an intense focus on nationalism and patriotism alone can stand
in contradiction to a broader notion of humanity.
This module focuses on the rights and responsibilities of citizens. More specially, it offers the
following themes:
1. The Bill of Rights of Filipinos
2. Basic Values of Filipinos
3. Nationalism and Patriotism for National Development
4. Community Service and Volunteerism

Input No.1: The Bill Of Rights of Filipinos

“There is no Constitution worthy of the name without a bill or declaration of rights”.

Article III of the Philippine Constitution is the Bill of Rights. It establishes the relationship of the
individual to the State and defines the rights of the individual by limiting the lawful powers of the State. It
is one of the most important political achievements of the Filipinos (Smith, 1945)

Importance of Bill of Rights

A bill of rights is a constitutional enumeration of rights and privileges guaranteed by the State to all
persons within its territory. It is the statement of individual liberties which citizens, residents and
sojourners in the country enjoy abuses in against the exercise of government power. In short, it is the
people’s shield against government abuse.
The peaceful attainment of peace will depend on our nations libertarian use of freedom- freedom of
thought, speech and association. The rights proclaimed in the Bill of Rights are the “ten commandments”
of our constitutional faith. They are the means of self-government and sovereignty. They are the means to
truth. They are the means of and end of security and survival.

Below is the Bill of Rights provided for in Article III, 1987 Philippine constitution:
Section 1.No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall
any person be denied the equal protection of law.

Section 2.The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effect against
unreasonable searches and seizures of whatever nature and for any purpose shall be inviolable, and no
search warrant or warrant of arrest shall issue except upon probable cause to be determined personally by
the judge after examination under oath or affirmation of the complainant and the witnesses he may
produce, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.

Section 3.(1) The privacy of communication and correspondence shall be inviolable except upon lawful
order of the court, or when public safety or order requires otherwise, as prescribed by law.
(2) Any evidence obtained in violation of this or preceding section shall be inadmissible for any
proceeding.

Section 4.No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the
right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.

Section 5.No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or
preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or
political rights.

Section 6.The liberty of abode and changing the same within the limits prescribed by law shall not be
impaired except upon lawful order of the court. Neither shall the right to travel be impaired except in the
interest of national security, public safety, or public health, as may be provided by law.

Section 7.The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access
to official records, and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transaction, or decisions, as
well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen,
subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.

Section 8.The right of the people, including those employed in the public and private sectors, to form
unions, association, or societies for purposes not contrary to law shall not be abridged.

Section 9.Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation.

Section 10.No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be passed.

Section 11.Frees access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance shall not be
denied any person by reason of poverty

Section 12.(1) Any person under investigation for the commission of an offense shall have the right to be
informed of his right to remain silent and to have competent and independent counsel preferably of his
own choice. If the person cannot afford the services of counsel, he must be provided with one. These
rights cannot be waived except in writing and in the presence of counsel.
(2) No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation, or any other means which vitiate the free
will shall be used against him. Secret detention places, solitary, incommunicado, or other similar forms of
detention are prohibited.
(3) Any confession or admission obtained in violation of this or Section 17 hereof shall be
inadmissible in evidence against him.
(4) The Law shall provide for penal and civil sanctions for violations of this section as well as
compensation to rehabilitation of victims of torture or similar practices, and their families.

Section 13.All persons, except those charged with offenses punishable by reclusion perpetua when
evidence of guilt is strong, shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, or be released on
recognizance as may be provided by law. The right to bail shall not be impaired even when the privilege
of the writ of habeas corpus is suspended. Excessive bail shall not be required.

Section 14.(1) No person shall be held to answer for criminal offense without due process of law.
(2) In criminal prosecutions, the accused shall be presumed innocent until the contrary is
proved, and shall enjoy the right to heard by himself and counsel, to be informed of the nature and cause
of accusation against him, to have speedy, impartial, and public trial, to meet the witnesses face to face,
and to have compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence in
his behalf. However, after arraignment, trial may proceed notwithstanding the absence of the accused:
Provided, that he has been duly notified and his failure to appear is unjustifiable.

Section 15.The privilege or writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended except in case of invasion or
rebellion, when the public safety requires it.

Section 16.All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-
judicial, or administrative bodies.

Section 17.No person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.

Section 18.(1) No person shall be detained solely by reason of his political beliefs and aspirations.
(2) No involuntary servitude an any form shall exist except as punishment for a crime whereof
the party shall have been duly convicted.

Section 19.(1) Excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment
inflicted. Neither shall death penalty be imposed, unless, for compelling reasons involving heinous
crimes, the Congress hereafter provides for it. Any death penalty already imposed shall be reduced to
reclusion perpetua.
(2) The employment of physical, psychological, or degrading punishment against any prisoner
or detainee or the use of the use of substandard or inadequate penal facilities under subhuman conditions
shall be dealt with by law.

Section 20.No person shall be imprisoned for debt or non-payment of a poll tax.

Section 21.No person shall be twice put in jeopardy of punishment for the same offense. If an act is
punished by a law and an ordinance, conviction or acquittal under either shall constitute a bar to another
prosecution for the same act.

Section 22.No ex post facto law or bill of attainder shall be enacted.

Input No.2: The Basic Values of the Filipinos
NSTP as a citizenship training scheme focuses on translating the good citizenship values as reflected
in the Preamble of the Constitution into concrete action in building a better Philippines. Hence, emphasis
in this input is placed on the 16 basic Filipino values based on the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Meaning of Preamble

The term preamble is derived from the Latin word “preambulare” which means “to walk before”.
It is the prologue of the Constitution. Cluster below are the good citizenship values that are reflected in
the Preamble of the 1987 Philippine Constitution:

The Good Citizenship Values Clusters

Faith in the Almighty God
The Bible says, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe
that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6)
Respect for Life
We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for
spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although
there came to them Our messengers with clear sign, yet, even after that, many of them continued to
commit excesses in the land (5:32) Qur’an.

Order
Assuredly, We have sent down the Book to you in right form for the good of man. Whoso guided himself
by it does so to his own advantage, and whoso turns away from it does so at his own loss. You certainly
are not their keeper (39:41) Qur’an.

Work
Confucius says, “Give fish to a man, he will have food to eat for a day; teach him how to fish and he shall
have food throughout his lifetime.” And, “if man will not work, he shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

Concern for the Family and Future Generations

“The family is an essential factor in the general, social and even political life. Constant living together of
husband and wife, and of parents and children, contributes to the development of a strong sense of duty,
of an aptitude for heroic sacrifices, and of the love by future generations of the traditional and moral
conquest of those who preceded them. The family is an indispensable element of social cohesion and
equilibrium”.
I shall live a life that is based on the right values and serve as an inspiration to others who may be
struggling to strengthen their own faith in God.

1. I have the gift of faith in God;

2. The gift of faith in God in me needs to be nurtured;
3. My life is strengthened by my faith in God; and
4. A strong faith in God, coupled with other important values, will improve my life and those of
others.

The Maka-Tao Cluster

Love
“When man has love, he is no longer at the mercy of forces greater than himself, so he, himself becomes
the powerful force” ( LeoBuscaglia). Moreover, “love is the will to extend oneself for the purpose of
nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth” (M. Scott Peck).

Freedom
According to Pope John Paul II, “freedom consist not in doing what we like, but in having the right to
do what we ought”.
Peace
It is always great to remember, what the Bible says, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called
children of God”.( Matthew 5:9)
 An unknown author wrote about the value of peace, as such:

Juanito was an idealistic person. He wanted everybody to be happy and lead meaningful lives. So one
day, he strode to church and prayed hard for World Peace. He continued praying for the same intention
for a year, yet nothing seemed to change.

One day, he decided to narrow down his scope and pray for peace in his own country instead. He
prayed for the same intension for another year, yet violence and disturbance still seemed to be in an

upsurge.

Anxious for his prayer to be finally heard, he decided to pray for peace within his family instead. He
kept this intention for another year with no significant result.

Finally, on the verge of frustration, he decided to pray for peace. He prayed for this intention for the
next year. Each time he did so, he felt more at peace with himself and his personal issues, his family, his
neighbors until it reached a point in time that Juanito was considered a man of peace, a friend of
everybody especially of the neediest among his countrymen.

The UNESCO Constitution also reminds us that, “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the
minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed”.

Truth
It is worthwhile to be familiar and understand some of the following famous quotations and anecdotes
which make us better and wiser persons:

1. Quotations
“ A man who seeks truth and loves it must be reckoned precious to any human society.”
(Frederick the Great)

“An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens”.(Thomas
Jefferson)

“No legacy is as rich as honesty.”(William Shakespeare)

2. Anecdotes (complied by J. Maurus)

When Mahatma Gandhi appeared for the London Matriculation Examination, the paper on
general knowledge contained the following question: “What is more golden than gold?”

Justice
According to Martin Luther King Jr., “injustice anywhere is threat to justice everywhere.”

To Jimmy Carter, “the law is not the private property of lawyers, nor is justice the exclusive province
of judges and juries. In the final analysis, true justice is not a matter of courts and law books, but a
commitment in each of us to liberty and mutual respect”.
 In Matthew 7:12, it says, “Treat others the way you want to have them treat you”.

And by the Institute for Development Education Center for Research Communication, “justice is
giving every man his due”.

The Maka-Bayan Cluster

Unity
The value of unity can be realized by practicing the virtues stated in the following quotations:

“Behold how good and pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity.”(Psalm 133.1)

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against
itself, that house will not be able to stand.” (Mark 3:24-25)

“Make my joy complete by being of the same kind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent
on one purpose.”(Philippians 2;2)

“As a body in one, thought it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.”(Corinthians 12-12)

“Remember, upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.” (Alexander the Great)

Equality
To appreciate the value of equality, consider this anecdote
The Maka-Kalikasan Cluster
Concern for the Environment
 Some examples of how participants may cultivate and encourage the value of Concern for the
Environment for student-trainees

1. Develop a more conscious and consistent habit of keeping your surroundings clean as well as
using environmental resources such as water and electricity wisely and prudently.
2. Have a deeper understanding of the dire state of the environment and in your own capacity
contribute to the work of preserving it.
3. Understand the process of recycling and apply this process in school and in your homes.
4. Protect rivers and waterways along the community by teaching people alternative waste disposal
systems and by encouraging them to use the rivers instead for livelihood and other meaningful
purposes.

Local communities depend on their citizens to help make it a great place to live and work.
Good Citizenship and Good Governance for National Transformation
How do we become good citizens?
● These values define our identity as a people.
● We become good citizens by living according to these values.
● We become good citizens by being good Filipinos.
All Filipinos must be good citizens.
● All Filipinos are citizens of our republic
● All Filipinos must live according to these values, whether rich or poor, young or old,
Catholic, Muslim or Protestant.
● We must live according to these values in all our actions, at all times, in all circumstances.
● Living according to these values is not going to be easy.
● However, living according to these values will bring good fruit.
Good Citizenship contributes to nation-building
● The good fruit of good citizenship actions will not only benefit us personally but will benefit
our country as well.
● The fruit of good citizenship is what contributes to nation-building Good Citizenship
engenders love of country.
● Good citizenship, no matter how small, contributes to nation-building.
● Through good citizenship
- Even the poor can contribute to nation-building
- Even children can contribute to nation-building
● Through good citizenship, we show our love for our country
● Through good citizenship, we develop our sense of nationhood, which has heretofore eluded
us, as a people.
Good Citizenship engenders unity
● Our core Filipino values are our shared values
 ● A sense of our shared values can be strong face to unite us, as a people, despite our
differences.
● Citizenship based on shared values can be a basis for unity.

Input No. 3: Nationalism and Patriotism

The history of nationalism and patriotism in our country is as old as the history of humankind.
The term “nationalism” is generally used to describe two things, first the attitude that the members
of a nation have which includes the concept of national identity such as common origin, ethnicity and
cultural ties. The other one is the actions that the members of the nation take when seeking to achieve (or
sustain) self-determination. These involve having full statehood with complete authority over domestic
and international affairs. On the other hand, “patriotism” is love of and/ or devotion to one’s country.
However, patriotism has had different meanings over time, and its meaning is highly dependent upon
context, geography and philosophy. Although patriotism is used in certain vernaculars as a synonym for
nationalism, nationalism is not necessarily considered an inherent part of patriotism. Likewise, patriotism
is strengthened by adherence to a native religion, particularly because such a community usually has its
holy places inside its motherland. This also implies a value preference for a specific civic or political
community.
Nationalism is characterized by an attachment of superiority to one’s country, an aspiration for its
continuity, prosperity, and maintaining a high regard and respect for the laws, principle and policies of
that country.

Salient Provisions of Flag and Heraldic Code of the

Philippines (as embodied in Republic Act No. 8491)
The Philippine Flag

A flags is a sacred and respected feature of the nation which it symbolizes. Each nation’s flag has a
specific way in which it should be displayed and folded.
 Our national flag is symbol of our country. It shows our unity as a people. It stands for our high
ideals and noble heritage. Therefore, when you show respect for the flag, you also show respect for our
country and people. One way to show respect is to handle the flag properly.
The Philippine National flag is said to be the primary symbol of the nation’s camaraderie, solidarity
and unity. It is therefore, the symbol of nationalism and patriotism in our country. And so, let us learn
more about its history and origin.
The national flag of the Philippines is a horizontal bicolor with equal bands of blue and red, and
with a white equilateral triangle based at the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a golden yellow sun
with eight primary rays, each containing three individual rays; and at each corner of the triangle is a five-
pointed golden yellow star.
The flag was first conceptualized by Emilio Aguinaldo. The first flag was sewn in Hong Kong by
Marcela Agoncillo, her daughter Lorenza, and Dona DelfinaHerbosa de Natividad, niece of Jose Rizal,
the Philippines national hero. The flag is displayed with the blue field on top in times of peace, and with
the red field on top in times of war .The Philippine flag is unique in the sense that it can indicate a state of
war when the red field is displayed on top or on the observer’s left when the flag is displayed vertically,
with the white equilateral triangle at the top end.

Construction
The Flag’s length is twice its width, which translates into an aspect ratio of 1:2 The length of all the
sides or the white triangle is equal to the width of the flag. Each star is oriented in such manner that one
of its tips points toward the vertex at which it is located.

Flag Protocol
The flag should be displayed in all government buildings, official residences, public plazas, and
schools every day throughout the year. The days of the 28th of May (National Flag Day) and the 12th of
June ( independence Day) are designated as flag days, during which all offices, agencies and
instrumentalities of government, business establishment, institutions of learning and private homes are
enjoined to display the flag. But in recent years, the flag days are now from May 28 to June 30 yearly. By
law, the Philippine flag must be permanently hoisted and illuminated at night at the following locations:

1. Malacanang Palace, the Presidencial Residences

2. The Congress of the Philippines buildings:
a. Senate of the Philippines building
b. House of Representatives of the Philippines building ( BatasangPambansa Complex)
3. Supreme Court of the Philippines building
4. The Rizal Monument in Luneta, Manila
5. Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite
6. Barasoain Shrine in Malolos, Bulacan
7. Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers
8. Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolucion
9. All international ports of entry
10. All other places as may be designated by the National Historical Institute

Half-mast
The flag may be flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning. Upon the official announcement of the
death of the President or a former President or a former President, the flag should be flown at half-mast
for seven days following the death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice, the President of the Senate or
the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The flag may also be required to fly at half-mast upon the death of other persons to be determined
by the National Historical Institute, for a period less than seven days. The flag shall be flown at half-
maston all the building and places where the decedent was holding office, on the day of death until the
day of interment of an incumbent member of the Supreme Court, the Cabinet, the Senate or the House of
Representatives, and such other persons as may be determined by the National Historical Institute.
When flown at half-mast, the flag should be first hoisted to the peak for a moment then lowered to
the half-mast position. It should be raised to the peak again before it is lowered for the day.

Folding the Flag

1. Hold the flag at each of its four corners and pull it taut. The folder holds the corners at the end
with the blue and red fields.
2. Fold the flag in half, lengthwise, with the red field covering the blue field. Pull it taut again
making sure the open side’s edges are flush with one another.
3. Fold it in half again, the closed side over the open side, again maintaining the flattening tension
and parallel, flush edges on the open side. The blue field should now be displayed face up.
4. Take the closed side’s blue field corner and fold it over the open side such that what was the
bottom edge is now parallel and flush with the open side forming a right triangle ( a triangle with
a ninety-degree angle).
5. At the right angle, fold the flag again such that a new right triangle is formed, still keeping the
open edges parallel.
6. Fold the right-angled corner of the new triangle over such that it forms a new right triangle with
what had been the bottom edge now flush with the side of the flag below it.
7. Continue this sequence of folds creating right triangles until the flag is completely folded into a
right triangular bundle. The white field and yellow sun should now predominate in the visible
areas of flag.

Prohibited Acts
According to Republic Act 8491 itself, the flag cannot be used in the following rationales:

1. Defacing or ridiculing the flag by dipping the flag as a salute, or adding additional marks on
flag;
2. A drapery, festoon, tablecloth, a covering, or as a part of s costume or a uniform
3. As a trademark or for commercial or agricultural labels or designs; 4. As a part of
merchandise or in any advertisement or infomercial; and
5. As a pennant in the hood, side, back and top of motor vehicles.
Moreover, the flag may not be displayed “horizontally face-up, or under any painting, picture or
platform.” It may also not be displayed in |discotheques, cockpits, night and day clubs, casinos, gambling
joints and places of vice or where frivolity prevails.”

Pledge

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine flag, “PanunumpasaWatawat” (distinct from the Patriotic
Oath of Allegiance, “PanatangMakabayan”) should be recited while standing with the right hand with
palm open raised shoulder high. Individuals whose faith or religious beliefs prohibit them from making
such pledge are permitted to excuse themselves, but are required by law to show full respect when the
pledge is being rendered by standing at attention.
 The law makes no statement regarding the language in which the pledge must be recited, but the pledge
is written (and therefore recited) in Filipino Language.

The National Anthem

The National Anthem is entitled LupangHinirang.

The National Anthem shall always be sung in national language within or without the country. The
following shall be the lyrics of National Anthem:
 The rendition of the National Anthem, whether played or sung, shall be in accordance with the musical
arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe.
When the national anthem is played at public gathering, whether by a band or by singing or both, or
reproduced by any means, the attending public shall sing the anthem. The singing must be done with
fervor.
As a sign of respect, all persons shall stand at attention and face the Philippine flag, if there is one
displayed, and if there is none, they shall face the band or the conductor. At first note, all person shall
execute a salute by placing their right palms over their left chests. Those in military, scouting, citizens
military training and security guard uniforms shall give the salute prescribed by their regulations. The
salute shall be completed upon the last note of the anthem.

The anthem shall not be played and sung for mere recreation, amusement or entertainment purposes
except on the following occasions:
1. International competitions where Philippines is the host or has a representative;
2. Local competition
3. During the “signing off” and “signing on” of radio broadcasting and television stations; 4.
Before the initial and last screening of films and before the opening of theater
performances; and
5. Other occasions as may be allowed by the Institute.
All officials and employees of the national and local government, and any agency or instrumentality
thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations, privately-owned entities or offices
displaying the national flag and government institutions of learning are hereby directed to comply strictly
with the rules prescribed for the rendition of the anthem. Failure to observe the rules shall be a ground for
administrative discipline.

The National Motto

The National Motto shall be “Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan at Makabansa.”

The National Coat-of-Arms

The National Coat-of-Arms shall have: Paleways of two(2) pieces, azure and gules; a chief argent
studded with three(3) mullets equidistant from each other; and, in point of honor, ovoid argent over all the
sun rayonnant with eight minor and lesser rays. Beneath shall be the scroll with the words “REPUBLIKA
NG PILIPINAS”, inscribed thereon.

The Great Seal

The Great Seal shall be circular in form, with the arms as described in the preceding section, but
without the scroll and inscription thereon. Surrounding the whole shall be double marginal circle within
which shall appear the words “REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS”. For the purpose of placing The Great
Seal, the color of the arms shall not be deemed essential but tincture representation must be used.

The Great Seal shall also bear the National Motto.

The Great Seal shall be affixed to or places upon all commission signed by the President and upon
such other official document and papers of Republic of the Philippines as may be provided by law, or as
may be required by custom and usage. The President shall have custody of the Great Seal.
Input No. 4: Leadership and the Youth
Leadership is the highest potent quality of an individual to be greatly successful in life. It is the
key dynamic factor that can encourage one to actively participate in many ventures that lead to the
attainment of goals. It is also the key force to developing teamwork to ensure completion of common
goals or purpose.
It is in this premise that the youth, in their role as nation-builders, must develop leadership
potentials such as knowledge, skills and positive attitude to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in
meeting their goals and develop spirit and ethics of service for the good of others. Hence, the need for
training the youth to be servant leaders is very essential.

Leadership Defined
Leadership is a process of giving control, guidance, headship, direction and governance to a
group or organization. It is a key dynamic factor that motivates and coordinates organizations to
accomplish their objectives. Without being inspired by a leader, the whole organization or department
might drift along with no definite focus on key objectives such as trying to improve the workers safety.
Leadership is the art of influencing and directing others to do assigned tasks or goals, in such a
way as to attain them. There is obedience, respect, loyalty and cooperation. Leadership can be exercised
by anyone irrespective of the framework of command. Also, it is the process of guiding and directing the
behavior of the people in the work environment.
● Leadership is the ability to inspire, to build confidence and gain support among the people to
attain organizational goals.
● Leader as a Guide is one who assumes the role of a director, organizer, mentor, guru or adviser.
● Leader as a Frontrunner is one who can spearhead, shading light , a trailblazer, and
groundbreaker.
● Leader as a Head is one who can be called as chief, manager, superior, principal, boss and
superior.
Servant Leadership is a kind of servanthood and done as a sense of vocation. It also implies
stewardship of good citizenship and community. It is means of serving others more than oneself.
To internalize the deeper meaning of servant leadership, one must apply the following process:

1. Reflecting on It. As a leader, one must reflect about himself to determine who he is as a peron
and identify his inner leadership intention.
“Where is your heart when it comes to serving others? Do you desire to become a leader for
the perks and benefits? Or are you motivated by manipulation of self-promotion?”
If you really want to become the kind of leader that people want to follow, you will have to
settle the issue of servanthood. If your attitude is to be serve, you may be headed for trouble. If this is
an issue your life, then heed this advice.
a. Stop lording people, and start listening to them.
b. Role play for advancement, and start risking your own interest for other’s benefit.
c. Stop seeking your own way, and start serving others.
d. It is true that one who would be great must be like the least and servant of all.

2. Bringing It Home. To improve your skill in servanthood, you must do the following:
a. Perform small acts. When was the last time you performed acts of kindness to others? Start
with those closest to you: your spouse, children, and parents. Find ways today to do small
things that show others you care.
b. Learn to walk slowly through the crowd. One of the greatest lessons I learned as a young
leader came from my father. I call it walking slowly through the crowd. The next leagues, or
employees, make it your goal to connect with others by circulating among them and talking to
people. Focus on each person you meet. Learn his name. If you know it already , make your
 agenda of getting to know each person’s needs, wants and desires. Then later whwn you go
home, make a note to yourself to do something beneficial for half a dozen of those people
(anecdote of a leader, anonymous).
c. Move into action. If an attitude of servanthood is conspicuously absent from your life, the
best way to acquire it is to start serving. Begin serving with your body and your heart will catch
up. Sign up to serve others for six months at your Church, a community agency of a volunteer
organization. If your heart changes then it works.
d. Daily Take-Away. Albert Schweitzer wisely stated, “I don’t know what your destiny will be,
but one thing I know. The ones among you who will be really happy are those who have
sought and found how to serve”. If you want to lead on highest level, be willing to serve on the
lowest.

In the truest sense, servanthood is the gift of doing good for others which sometimes include
the exclusion of meeting personal needs. Servants look for ways to do for others both within
and beyond the congregation and community. Servants do not choose to serve, but serve
from a sense of identity and call. Gifted servants never feel put upon or taken advantage of,
but see each opportunity to do for others as a way to be true to self and in service to others.
As leaders, the need to reflect on it, bring it home and take it away daily is a great passion for
going along with one’s inner intention for the good of others.

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

(by Steven covey)

Covey presents an approach to being effective in attaining goals by aligning oneself with the
principles of character ethic that he presents as universal and timeless.

I. Independenceor Self-Mystery. The first three habits surround moving from independence
to independence (i.e. self mastery)

Habit 1: Be Proactive. Take initiative in life by realizing that your decisions ( and how they
align with life’s principles) are the primary determining factor for effectiveness in your life.
Take responsibility for your choices and the subsequent consequences that follow.

Habit 2:Begin with the End in Mind. Self-discover and clarify your deeply important
character values and life goals. Envision the ideal characteristics for each of your various
roles and relationships in life.

Habit 3: Put First Things First. Plan, prioritize, and execute your week’s tasks based on
importance rather than urgency. Evaluating if your efforts exemplify your desired character
values, propel you towards goals, and enrich the roles and relationships that were
elaborated in Habit 2.

II. Interdependence. The next three have to do with interdependence ( i.e. working with
others):

Habit 4: Think Win-Win. Genuinely strive for mutually beneficial solutions or agreements in
your relationships. Valuing and respecting people by understanding a “win” for all is
ultimately a better long-term resolution than if only one person in the situation had gotten
his way.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Use empathetic listening to be

genuinely influenced by a person, which compels them to reciprocate the listening and take
 an open mind to being influenced by you. This creates an atmosphere of caring, respect,
and positive problem solving.

Habit 6: Synergize. Combine the strengths of people through positive teamwork, so as to

achieve goals no one person could have done alone. Get the best performance out of a
group of people through encouraging meaningful contribution, and modeling inspirational
and supportive leadership.

III. Self Renewal. The Last Habit relates to self-rejuvenation:

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. Balance and renew your resources, energy, and health to create
a sustainable, long-term, effective lifestyle.

MODULAR UNIT 3
Drug and Substance Abuse Prevention and Control
Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills society.

If we’re looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn’t test people for drugs, we should test them for
stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.

P.J. O’Rourke

Learning Objectives

At the end of this modular unit, students are expected to:

1. Explore the nature and effects of drugs of abuse and substances such as alcohol, tabacco, and
others on personal health and social relationships;
 2. Synthesize accurate information on the health, legal, and social consequences of drug and
substance abuse and examine how this negatively impacts the person who uses the drug, and
his or her family, friends and community; and
3. Make a personal commitment to remain drug free and develop a plan to address drug and
substance abuse.

Overview
Drug education program for the youth is a significant undertaking in order to free them
from danger and keep them away from drugs. The youth of today comprise the most vulnerable group
that can be affected by prohibited drugs that are commonly abused. According to General Edgar C.
Galvante, Former Executive Director, Dangerous Drugs Board, most drug user start their habit early,
usually during their teenage years. They are particularly susceptible to the drug experience because
adolescence is the period of experimentation, exploration, curiosity, and search for identity. It is
believed that young people with problematic backgrounds are more vulnerable and are more likely to
continue abusing drugs, once they have started, and to develop other aggravating problems, if not
processed. These young people in difficult circumstances are associated with poverty, family
disintegration, relocation, discrimination, and lack of suitable alternative activities.

Drug abuse prevention, done through problem awareness, education and strategy
implementation, is very vital to the success in controlling and stopping drug abuse. Positive behavior,
including the constructive handling of feelings and responsibilities, should be installed and encouraged
in our own families during the early life of young family members and carried on up to the large stage of
life. These should be nurtured by a caring and understanding community.

It has been known that the foremost reason why our youth is dragged into the abyss of drug
abuse is the lack of guidance from the family itself. There are aspects of this reason. First, maybe the
parents are too busy with their jobs, giving less time to their children. Second, parents have not finished
schooling, making them less informed and less aware of the effect of drugs. Third, the type of discipline
of the parents includes physical violence, thus, in most cases in the Philippines, drives away the kid from
home.

The second predominant reason.

Adolescence is the period where wants exceed necessities. A teenager spends more time
with friends or peers rather than at home. It is the stage where a youngster has continuing searching of
identity and place in the society. The influence of the peers, either friends or activity partners, has been
proven as a strong force of initiation into drug addiction among the youth.

The drug addict is generally an emotionally unstable individual before he or she acquires the
habit. The person cannot face painful situations without help. He has little or no self-control. He or she
hates physical, mental or moral sufferings. Every individual cannot stand alone, as we say it.

A person will try to use drugs if a friend insists, for the sake of friendship. This weakness is a
predator and hard to dismantle for most teenagers.

Truly, drug abuse is a predator, a monster that preys on innocent, curious mind like those of
teenagers. Hence, this module zeroes in on uncovering problem of drug abuse among the youngsters
and on finding ways and means by which this societal menace could be lessened, if not totally
annihilated.
Input No. 1: The Nature of Drug and drug Abuse(FAQs)
What is a drug?
A drug is a chemical substances that brings about physical, emotional or behavioral change in a
person taking it.

How are drugs taken?

1. Ingestion
2. Inhalation
3. Injection
4. Used as suppository
5. Applied topically

When are drugs harmful?

Any drug may be harmful when taken in excess. Some drugs can also be harmful if taken in dangerous
combinations or by hypersensitive (allergic) person in ordinary or even small amounts.

Why do people turn to drugs?

There are various reasons – ranging from the reason that “medicines” can solve problems, to
widespread access to various drugs, to “peer pressure”, to the notion that drugs give enjoyment to
users and in the context that it is used as an alcoholic substitute.

What is drug abuse?

Drug abuse is the use of chemical substance, licit or illicit, which results in an individual’s physical,
mental or social impairment. It may refer to any of the following practices:

1. Using, without benefit or prescription, useful drugs which have the capacity to alter mood or
behavior;
2. Using drugs and substances for purpose different from the one for which the drugs has been
prescribed; and
3. Using drugs and substances having no legitimate medical application for purposes other than
research.

Are there products other than drugs ever abused?

Substances like glue, paint thinners, gasoline and other volatile (breathable) solvents contain a variety of
dangerous chemicals. They should be sold and used with caution.

What are the types of drugs

Drugs that are commonly abused, depending on pharmacological effects, may be classified into:

1. Stimulants. Drugs which increase alertness and physical disposition Examples:

amphetamine, cocaine, caffeine, nicotine

2. Hallucinogens (Psychedelics). Drugs which affect sensation, thinking, self-awareness

and emotion. Changes in time and space perception, delusions (false beliefs) and
 hallucinations may be mild or overwhelming, depending on dose and quantity of the
drug. Examples: LSD, Mescaline and Marijuana

3. Sedatives. Drugs which may reduce anxiety and excitement Examples: Barbiturates,
Non-Barbiturates, Tranquilizers, Alcohol
4. Narcotics. Drugs that relieve pain and often induce sleep
Examples: Opium and its derivatives such as Morphine, Heroin, Codeine

What is drug abuser?

Anyone can be a drug abuser. Drug abuse is no respecter of age, sex and social status. It is very difficult
to come up with an accurate profile of a drug abuser that can be applied to all because people are
different in many ways.

How can you tell when one is abusing drugs?

A lot of changes- in behavior, in appearance and in mood- occur in a person who is abusing drugs.
Sudden changes occur in the person’s disposition from pleasant to unpleasant.

Thus, he:
1. is often associated with known drug abusers;
2. is irritable, discourteous, defiant and aggressive;
3. is untrustworthy and lacks self-confidence;
4. is unhealthy and unconcerned with good grooming;
5. has low frustration tolerance;
6. lacks interest in his studies/work;
7. blames everybody but not himself for his problems;
8. develops changes in normal capabilities in school/work; and 9. borrows money and at times
steals various items unusually.

Common Signs of Drug Abuse

1. Injection marks of an addict
2. Unusual effort made to cover arms in order to hide needle marks
3. Stealing items which can be readily sold for cash to support a drug habit
4. Changes in mood—depending on the drug taken Examples: depressed or becoming elated
and euphoric
5. Association with known drug abusers
6. Change from normal capabilities (work habits, efficiency etc.)
7. Change in attendance at work or school
8. Wearing sunglasses constantly at inappropriate times (for instance, indoors or at night) or
only to hide dilated or constricted pupils but also to compensate for the eye’s inability to
adjust to sunlight. Marijuana causes bloodshot eyes.
9. Poor physical appearance including inattention to dress and personal hygiene

Input No.2: The National Drug Situation

National Drug Situation

All of us are very much aware of the nature of the drug problem. It has been condemned by
governments all over the world and billions in resources have been spent to contain it, yet drug
trafficking and/ or drug abuse is still here.
 In fact, it is today’s most profitable underground business which has spawned, yet considered as
another crime and source of money laundering on a goal scale. The Vienna-based International
Narcotics
Control Board (INCB) point out that “No country, rich and poor, large or small, equipped with
sophisticated machinery to fight money-laundering or not, can consider itself safe from money-
laundering activities”.

The Philippine situation is not any different from another countries of the world that are affected by
drug problem and is in fact following the trends in other countries. In 1978, there were only about
20,000 drug users in the country. Almost all of them were from in Metro Manila. Today, the Dangerous
Drugs Board (DDB) estimates that the approximate 6.7 M drug users are now down to 1.7 million.

Three (3) major abused drugs dominate the drug scene in the country. The first is
methamphetamine hydrochloride commonly known as “Shabu”, which is main drug used by drug
abusers. The second is marijuana. According to some sources, the Philippines has become the world’s
second biggest source of marijuana after Mexico, producing about 1.4 billion worth each year. The third
is methylene dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or ecstacy, which is now sweeping the elite market.

Commonly Abused Drugs

1. Shabu (Methamphetamine Hydrocloride). Methamphetamine is the most popular abused drug
in the country today. In the 1990s stimulant abuse emerged in many ASEAN countries. This
major change in the pattern of substance abuse can perhaps be considered as the first stimulant
epidemic of the region. The Philippines is probably the first ASEAN country that faced severe
stimulant abuse. The abuse of methamphetamine was noted in 1986 among the affluent,
entertainment and artist population. The status of methamphetamine or “shabu” abuse at that
time seemed well confined. However, in 1987, the abuse spread to the general population.
Today, methamphetamine is available in varying degrees throughout the country. This
widespread availability is illustrated by increasing methamphetamine seizures, arrest, and cases
filed in court. Over a six year period, the increase is almost 50. In 1996, some 792kgs of shabu
was seized; in 2001, the total seizure was some 1,561kgs.
Of all the regions in the country, methamphetamine is more widely available throughout
Regions 1,2,3,4 CAR, ARMM, and the NCR.

2. Ecstacy or Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).Ecstacy is fast making its presence felt

in the country. There is an increase in reports about the use of “ecstacy” among young people,
particularly in nightclubs. Ecstacy, or MDMA, is a synthetic drug that acts simultaneously as a
stimulant and as a hallucinogen. It is strongly linked to music and dance culture and has a
growing user based among the elites (Class A and B). While some users confine their
consumption to occasional use at social, music and dance events, others develop regular use
profiles, while the third group uses both frequently and intensively.
There are reports stating that ecstacy is shipped directly from Amsterdam and other countries in
Europe. There are close to a thousand varieties of ecstacy tablets and capsules among them,
which are now available in Metro Manila, are Orange Grin Hornets, Aigners, Achtung, and
Mitsubishi. Studies abroad reveal that the damage caused by ecstacy to one’s health is
irreversible.

3. Marijuana. Marijuana abounds in the Philippines. But since the early nineties, it has seized to be
the drug of choice. Most of what is produced locally is intended for foreign markets. In East Asia,
the Pacific, Australia, Europe and the US, the UNDCP has identified the Philippines as a major
marijuana producer and exporter.
The Cordillera Autonomous Region is the biggest producer of cannabis or marijuana in the
country as evidenced by the number of plants and seeds confiscated within a ten-year period
 from 1992 to 2001, with a total of 112,467,372 plants and seeds seized. Shown are the top
producing regions of the country and the total number of marijuana plants/seeds that were
seized during operations conducted from 1992-2001.

PROCAR 112,467,372
PRO 1 51,227,234
PRO 1 3,818,903
PRO 2 3,387,801
PROARMM 3,261,374
PRO 1 2 2,889,193
In 1972, there were only nine (9) identified sites engaged in marijuana cultivation. Today,
the number of marijuana-producing barangays has ballooned to ninety-eight (98), located in
nine different regions in the country. Marijuana-producing areas in Northern Luzon are located
in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Region 1 and Region 2. In the Visayas, the cultivation
sites are found in Region 7, while marijuana plantations can also be found in Region 10, 11, 12,
13 and ARMM in Mindanao.

Drug Trafficking

Methamphetamine hydrochloride continues to be smuggled into the country through four

avenues: the seaports and special economic zones, the international airports, the mail and
parcel services, and the vast expanse of Philippine coastline.
The use of the seaports was exemplified by the seizure of 158 kilograms of shabu stashed
inside two (2) container vans at the Manila International Container Port in two different
occasions in 1999.
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport continues to be the preferred trafficking avenue for
small quantities from less than one kilo to multi-kilo shipments by traffickers using false
compartments in luggage or through body packing. The gravity of the problem can be gleamed
from the seizure of 116.88 million pesos worth of drugs by the NAIA Drug Interdiction Task
Group in 2001. It was on September 11 and 14, 2004 respectively, when two Taiwanese
nationals were intercepted carrying five (5) kilograms of shabu each on board a flight originating
from Xiamen, China.
The mail and parcel system is preferred in foreign destinations that have large Filipino
communities like Guam, US, Australia, England and Middle East. A case in points was seizure of
39.8 kilos of shabu from a FED EX shipment from Hong Kong on September 11, 2001 by the
Bureau of Customs. The vast-and relatively unpratrolled shoreline of the country is where most
of huge shipments are smuggled. Major drug shipments intercepted by law enforcement
authorities include the 420 kilograms hauled in Pangasinan in 1999, the 365 kilograms in Sariaya,
Quezon , 125 kilograms in Ilocos Sur, and 33 kilograms in Zambales, all in 2000. For the year
2001, 503 kilograms of shabu were intercepted in Real, Quezon on October 13, 2001, allegedly
from the shoreline of Panukuan, Quezon and said illegal drugs were personally escorted by the
Mayor of said town. Also in 2001, 350 kg of shabu was seized on San Narciso, Zambales.

Involvement of Foreign Nationals Drug Trafficking

The involvement of foreign nationals is very apparent in almost all the big volume seizures
of government law enforcement authorities. Data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
in 1993 to December 31, 2001 reflected 258 foreign nationals arrested in the Philippine for
violation of Republic Act. No. 6425 (Dangerous Drugs Act 1972,as amended). Of this total, 182
or 70.54% were Chinese nationals while other nationalities made up the remaining 76 or
29.463%. More importantly, the volume of shabu seized from foreign nationals over the same
period totaled 2,889 kilograms or 64.24% of the total volume of shabu seized in the country in
over the same period. Chinese nationals on the other hand, accounted for 2,873 kilograms for
the period January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2001 or 63.888% of the aggregate national’s
seizures of shabu.
The local drug scene has recently gained a new dimension. Today, supply comes not only
from importation but also from local manufacturing. Since 1997, there have been nine
discoveries of clandestine laboratories made and the most significant of which was were
thought of as makeshift and unsophisticated, until San Juan. On July 18, 2002, another
clandestine laboratory was dismantled at Loyola, Quezon City by members of the Metro manila
Drug Enforcement Group Seven (7) Chinese nationals were arrested and 44.540 kilograms of
shabu, 50.67 kilograms of ephedrine and shabu laboratory equipment and paraphernalia were
seized. Another clandestine laboratory was dismantled in Executive Heights Subdivision,
Paranaque City on November 1, 2002. Just recently, on February 2012, 90 million pesos worth of
illegal drugs ingredients were seized by the Bureau of Customs, including that of the popular
‘ecstacy’.

Transit Points of Drugs

A huge portion of shabu that enters the Philippines comes directly from Southern China
where most of the shabu laboratories are located. Of the 15 major interdictions since 1993,
seven (7) were shipped directly from Southern China. Five(5) shipments were from South China
but they passed through Hong Kong first before they were rerouted to the Phillipines. At least
one shipment passed through Taiwan. Lately, we learned that the shipments at Quezon and
Zambales came directly from North Korea.
Identified landing points are mainly through the shorelines of the Northern and Central
Luzon regions and Southern Tagalog, specifically Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan,
Zambales, Aurora, Quezon and Mindoro provinces. Reports also indicate Palawan and Masbate
as propable landing sites for shabu smuggling.

Facts and Figures

Organized Drug Groups

As a result of Intelligence Workshop conducted by PDEA, eleven (11) Transnational Drug

Syndicates were identified to be operating in the country while, the number of local organized
drug groups is pegged at 215. NCR and Region 3 have the highest number of drug groups with
30 groups each, followed by Region 7 with 27 groups and Region 9 with 22 groups. The regions
with the lowest number of drug groups are cordillera Administrative Region and CARAGA Region
with one (1) drug group each.

Personalities in the BADAC Watch List

As of September, the nationwide total number of drug personalities perfected in the

Barangay drug Abuse Council (BADAC) Watch List is pegged at 37,076. Among the regions, NCR
has the highest number of identified drug personalities with 10,879 or 29,348 of the total
number of drug personalities nationwide followed by PRO 4 with 7,958 or 21,468 and PRO 3
with 6,443 or 17,378.

Drug Rehabilitation

The number of drug patients is increasing. Based on records of Government Residential

Centers’ Admission, from 1,466 in 1974, the number reached 5,945 in 2001.
 Statistics from rehabilitation centers show the following data:
1. Majority of patients are in the 15-29 age group.
2. The mean age of drug user is 27 years old.
3. Shabu and or Marijuana are their drug of choice.
4. The ratioof male users to female is 14:1.
5. Workers comprised 43.718% of the drug patient population.
6. Unemployed comprised 35,838.
7. Students comprised 5,138.
8. Out of school youth comprised 1,183.

Drug-Affected Barangays

Records show that the number of drug-affected barangays as of September this year
represents 8,508 or 3,577 of the country’s 42,061 barangays. Comparing all the regions, Region
4 has the highest number of drug affected barangays with 1,029 of its 5,463 barangays,
followed by Region 3 with 492 of its 3,175 barangays, and Region 7 with 279 of its 3,003
barangays.While Region 12 has the lowest with 32 of its 1,192 barangays.

Data on Arrest, Cases, and Seizures

Total number of drug-related arrests CY 2000 35,753

CY 2001 32,227
As of September 2002 22,860
Number of cases filed in court CY 2000 14,258
CY 2001 22,021
As of September 2002 14,978
Values of drugs seized CY 2002 3.998B
CY 2001 3.9B
As of September 2002 1.2B
Assessment

The emergence of East and Southeast Asia as the fastest growing region in terms of
manufacture, trafficking and consumption of Amphetamine Type Stimulants seriously affects the
Philippines. Being a major ATS consuming country, it is therefore important to maintain close
cooperation with the countries in the region in the common fight against illegal drugs.

The discovery and dismantling of clandestine laboratories in the country indicates a major
shift in strategy to manufacture shabu in the country as opposed to the traditional trafficking of
shabu in its processed form. Control of precursors and essential chemicals and the prevention of
diversion to illegal use are therefore more urgent than before.
Marijuana cultivation expanded despite the decline in preference of Filipino drug
abusers due to increase in trafficking to other boundaries like Japan, Australia and other
countries in Europe. While it may not affect Filipinos directly, the resulting stigma as a source
country for the drug is equally damaging to the standing of the country in the international
community.

Profile of Drug Abusers in the Philippines

Age Mean age of 28 years old
Sex Male to Female ratio 9:1
Civil Status Single 51.56%
 Married 34.44%
Family Size Siblings 3-4
Employed 30.94%
Self-employed 12.4%

Occupation Unemployed 38.87%

Students 5%

OSY 0.09%
Educational Attainment College Level 28.23%
High School Level 29.41%
High School Graduate 16.74%
Economic Status Average monthly Income 15,064.00
Duration of Drug Taking More than 6 years
Nature of Drug Taking Poly Drug use
Abused Drugs Methamphetamine
Hydrochloride(Shabu)

Cannabis(Marijuana)
Inhalants(contact cement)
Place of Residence Urban, specially in NCR
Input No.3: Myth versus Fact: Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
1. Why the big Outcry? Drugs aren’t Really a Big Problem. The fact is....
They are a tremendous problem, the seriousness of which is becoming more apparent
everyday. There are millions of drug user throughout the world abusing all sorts of illegal
substances. These people are damaging their health and well-being, and jeopardizing their
chances for a healthy and productive life. Furthermore, there are billions of innocent victims
of drug abuse—families of users, communities, employers and societies. The problems
caused by drug abuse and illicit trafficking are among the most serious facing the world
today, threatening future generations and thus, the future of life.

2. “Recreational” Use of Drugs is not Harmful. The fact is… All illegal drugs are dangerous
and cause physical and psychological change in the user. Prolonged drug use exacerbates
these harmful effects that can lead to addiction. The health hazards of these drugs are very
real and, for much the same reason, prescription drugs should always be properly
administered and used only at the discretion of a physician. Moreover, the user or potential
user must consider where the money goes that is spent on illegal drugs. The traffickers gain
the largest share of the profit from this illegal trade. They in turn use the money to
destabilize governments through “buying votes” and through corruption, intimidation and
violence.

3. Marijuana is no Worse than Using Alcohol or Tobacco. The Fact is… Marijuana is very
dangerous. Unlike alcohol, which usually leaves the body within 24 hours because it is
water-soluble, marijuana is fat-soluble, which means that the psycho-active chemicals
attach themselves to the fatty parts of the body (usually the brain and reproductive organs)
and be detected up to 30 days after initial use. Extensive research has indicated that
marijuana impairs short-term memory and slows learning; has serious effects on perception
and skilled performance, such as driving and other complex tasks involving judgment or fine
 motor skills; and greatly-impairs lung and respiratory functions. Marijuana cigarette contains
more cancer-causing agents than the strongest tobacco cigarette.

4. Everybody is Taking Drugs. The Fact is… This common argument is used by drug users in an
effort to gain acceptability for their deviant behavior. No matter how alarming drug use

statistics may be, majority of the people of the world do not use illegal drugs. Peer pressure
is always difficult to cope with and takes more courage and strength to stand up to stand up
for what you know is right, and to resist drugs, when friends try to convince you that
“everybody is doing it”. In fact, everybody is not using drugs; those who use them are far
less likely to have happy and productive lives than those who remain drug-free.

5. Only Weak Individuals Become Addicts. The Fact is… The reverse is true: addicts become
weak individuals. No one begins taking drugs with the aim of becoming addicted. People
take drugs for a variety of reasons, including to escape from reality, to cope with daily life,
or to be accepted by others. Drugs are very seductive because, in most cases, they initially
provide what the user is seeking. Their seductive quality is one of the strongest factors
contributing to addiction. Consider cocaine, for example. There are increasing reports of
professionals in all fields who admit to cocaine addiction. They experimented with it initially,
so they say, with the intent of providing an occasional “boost”, and though they could
continue in the same manner. The drug addict often becomes so obsessed with attaining
more of the drug that he or she will exhaust money and assets, ruin marriage and family life,
and lose a career before admitting to addiction, because of the mistaken view that only
weak individuals become addicts. Addiction is a difficult disease to accept and one from
which many people never recover. No one can assume he or she is immune from addiction.
There is no “safe” way to use illegal drugs, even when done only occasionally.

6. Drug Abuse is a “Victimless” Crime- It Only Hurts the User. The Fact is… While the health
and social changes for a productive life are jeopardized for the individual drug user, he or
she is not only one to suffer. The family suffers disharmony and pain in witnessing the self-
destruction of a loved one. The consumer ultimately pays for the cost of drugs in the
workplace by buying inferior goods at higher prices. The taxpayers suffer because it is their
money which is needed to support efforts to governments, law enforcement officials, and
the treatment community in combating drug crimes and rehabilitating users. The
community, society and the nation suffer from all of the above. Added to this is the financial
support the user is giving to the criminal organizations which profit from drugs, and criminal
activity often engaged in by the user in an effort to support the “habit”. Throughout society,
there is suffering because of the self-indulgence of drug addiction.

7. If A Person Wants to Take Drugs, Governments should Interfere. The Fact is… The
legitimate rights of the individual must be consistent with the safety and welfare of the
general population. No individual has an inalienable right to behave in a manner destructive
to others. For this reason, laws are established. Governments and societies do not tolerate
murder, robbery, arson or even drunk-driving.

8. All Drug Addicts Should Be Imprisoned. The Facts is… Imprisonment of a drug addict as
such does not solve the problem. Drug users havecommitted a crime, but detoxification,
treatment and rehabilitation of the individual are essential if the addict is to learn to live
without drugs. This approach includes responding to immediate and acute medical
treatment, and of longer-term support in a non-drug environment. Furthermore, prison
 space in many countries is usually limited and is more widely used for the detention of other
criminals. Placing an addict in prison does not cure the disease and, when the addict is
released, he will usually return to a destructive and deviant life-style.
9. The Cultivation of Drug Crops Gives a Poor Farmer a Chance to Make Money. The Fact is
… The Farmer is breaking the law and usually knows it. The income received by the farmer
for illicit narcotics production unfortunately, is higher than that received for traditional
foods crops, ofen leading to increased illicit production to the exclusion of food crops. This
kind of illegal activity creates an artificially-based cash economy, making the farmer
completely dependent on the influx of money from drug dealers, putting him at the mercy
of criminal traffickers and in opposition to the government.

10. Peddling Drugs is One Way the Poor can Earn Money. The fact is … Most drug peddlers are
addicts or become addicts. The money theycan earn does not help them or their Families;
they are merely supporting a drug habit. As their addiction deepens, new “clients” must be
found to bring in more money to buy more drugs. They thus, seek new users for their
products. Each street drug peddler is the last link in the corruptive chain of criminal activity,
not only destroying neighborhoods and terrorizing citizens as well.

11. Drugs Use is a Way of Life in Some Countries. Why Chanfeit ? The Fact is … It is not a way
of life in any country. Statistics show that in areas where drug use is common, economic
development can be seriously retarted. This is true in both developing and industrialized
countries.

Input No. 4: The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002

Concretizes government’s “intensive and unrelenting campaign against the trafficking and use of
dangerous drugs, and other similar substances through an integrated system of planning,
implementation, and enforcement of anti-drug abuse policies, program, and projects”. R.A. 9165 is an
act instituting the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, repealing Republic Act No. 6425,
known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972.
1. PD 1619 “Volatile Solvents”
2. RA 9165 Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002

It also serves as guide in implementation of dangerous drug prevention and control in the
country in the country. It guides everyone in the right approach towards issues geared against drug
activities.

1. What are the common responsibilities of CHED and TESDA?

RA 9165, Article IV mandates the following functions:

a. Provide continuing in-service training of teachers on the effective utilization of the support
instructional materials and on teaching strategies on drug education
b. Continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and overall impact of drug education
program
c. Secure funds from local and foreign donors for the implementation of the drug education
program
2. What are the other functions of CHED and TESDA regarding drug abuse prevention?
 The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is responsible for:

Enriching and updating the integration of dangerous drug prevention concepts in the
general education of all higher education course offerings and in the professional subjects,
especially in health related and science teacher education courses.

The Technical Education and Skill Development Authority (TESDA) is responsible for:

a. Integrating drug abuse prevention concepts in the technical, vocational and agro-industrial
courses
b. Integrating drug abuse prevention concepts in appropriate instructional materials for
technical education and skills development

3. Should drug abuse prevention and control be part of the school curricula?

Yes, Article IV, Sec.43 of Republic Act 9164 stipulates that instruction on drug abuse prevention
and control be integrated in the elementary, secondary and tertiary curricula of all public and
private schools, whether general, technical, vocational or agro-industrial.

4. What are the topics on drug abuse prevention and control that should be integrated in the
instruction?

According to Article IV, Sec.43, the following topics should be covered:

a. Adverse effects of the abuse and misuse of dangerous drugs on the person, the family, the
school, and the community;
b. Preventive measures against drug abuse;
c. Health, socio-cultural, psychological, legal and economic dimensions and implications of the
drug problem;
d. Steps to take when intervening on behalf of a drug dependent is needed;
e. Services available for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependents;
f. Misconceptions about the use of dangerous drugs but not limited to the importance and
safety of dangerous drugs of medical and therapeutic use; and
g. Differentiation between medical patients and drug dependents in order to avoid confusion
and stigmatization in the consciousness of the students.
Input No.5: The Youth and Government’s Response to the Drug
Problem
By the turn of the 21st century, substance abuse has taken an alarming proportion in the
country. “Shabu” (the local name for methamphetamine) has become the number one drug of abuse,
followed by marijuana and inhalants. The abuse of legal substances like nicotine and alcohol continue to
be worrisome. A survey by the University of the Philippines Population Institute in 1996 showed the
initial age use of nicotine, alcohol, and drugs to be age 16-17, that 40% of males surveyed were smoking
and 37% of the youth regularly used alcohol. At present, more than 1.5 million Filipinos are users of
illegal drugs. The youth are more than 350,000 identified high school students in the country. One can
only speculate on the number of young people abusing drugs not identified.

Various activities, to date, are initiated and are aimed to produce the following effects on
young people:

1. Lessen violent behavior;

2. Increase pro-social behavior and decrease negative, self-destructive behavior;
3. Increase the ability to plan ahead and choose effective solutions to problems;
4. Improve self-image and self-awareness;
5. Improve social and emotional adjustment;
6. Improve handling of interpersonal problems and coping with anxiety; 7. Improve constructive
conflict resolution with peers; and
8. Improve self-control.

Early in 2004, the Dangerous Drugs Board launched the program “BarkadaKontraDroga”
(or “Peers Against Drugs”). The specific thrust of this program is drug abuse prevention.

This concept tries to change the meaning of the word “barkada” or “peer” which connotes
a negative influence among peers. Each member of the “BarkadaKontraDroga” pledges keep his
community and family safe and secure from the evils of illegal drugs. Further, he is asked to commit to
convince friends and relatives to join the fight against drugs and trafficking, never to use drugs, and to
report clandestine laboratories, pushers and users.

Legislation for Illicit Drugs Control

1. 1972. The Dangerous Drugs Act was established.

2. 2002. The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act was implemented.
3. 2002. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was established.
4. 2002. An Integrated Drug Abuse Data Information Network (IDADIN) was created to monitor drug
use/abuse.

Government Response to the Problem

1. Preventive education programs to dissuade users or potential users from experimenting with illegal
drugs and/ or continuing to use them
2. Treatment and rehabilitation programs aimed at facilitating abstinence
3. Intensified campaigns against illegal drugs and trafficking
4. Judicial and legislative measures
5. National, regional and international cooperation to fight illegal drug trafficking and abuse of
dangerous drugs
6. Some Philippine political figures are talking about drug testing employees of outsourced call center
workers, others are calling for testing university students, and the government is currently
considering drug testing all government employees.
7. Drug Information and Action Line (DIAL) was created to receive reports and complaints related to
drug abuse and provide assistance to the public on-related cases.

Ten (10) Ways to Say “No” to Drugs

1. Be vocal, just say “NO” and mean it!

2. Project an image of clean living for yourself.
3. Get into sports.
4. Choose your friends and influence them positively.
5. Get involved in community-based projects.
6. Join organizations (church, school, community or social) or youth clubs or form your own drama
group.
7. Learn how to manage stress.
8. Join seminars on anti-drug abuse prevention.
9. Talk to your family, listen to the problems of your brothers and sisters.
10. Enhance your talents or skills by taking part in workshops, training or seminars.
The soundness of the activity we do today will contribute to the success of the program we have
together with our clients in the days to come.

Our involvement...
To be involved in drug prevention and control requires a S.T.R.O.N.G. group:

As good citizens ….

Let us be keepers of life and create a safe environment through our respective positions.

Let us join hands in keeping our society a drug-free Philippines!

MODULAR UNIT 4
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
“Natural hazards are part of life. But hazards only become disasters when
people’s lives and livelihood are swept away…. Let us remind ourselves that we can and must
reduce the impact of disasters by building sustainable communities that have long-term capacity
to live with risk.”

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this modular unit, students are expected to:

1. Be aware of the key statute and international conventions that underpin disaster risk
reduction and management and other emergencies;

2. Understand the operational concepts, structures and priority actions relative to the
Philippine Disaster Management System;
 3. Verbalize the basic concepts and principles involving disaster risk reduction and
management;

4. Relate the factors a disaster risk reduction practitioner would use to determine the
vulnerability of a population to a natural hazard;

5. Identity risk reduction and preparedness activities that will reduce vulnerability, mitigate
the impact of emergencies and support efforts to prevent conflict and civil unrest;

6. Explain how poverty can contribute to vulnerability to natural hazards; and

7. Create contingency plans based on likely emergencies in their respective

schools/communities.

Overview
As an archipelago located at the south-eastern part of Asia, the Philippines is exposed
to both climatic and geological hazards. It is situated in the Pacific Plate and the Eurasian Plate
meet. With several fault lines crossing the country, earthquakes could have could have very
devastating effects. There are 220 volcanoes, 22 of which are classified as active (NDCC
2008).

The Philippines is also located along the typhoon belt on the North Pacific Basin in the
Pacific where 75 per cent of the typhoons originate. There are 20 to 30 typhoons passing
through the country, 5-7 of which can be destructive (NDCC 2008). As a consequence of
extreme rainfall events, flash floods, flooding and landslides have become more prevalent since
2000.

The impacts of climate change in the Philippines are becoming better understood
(Cruz et al, 2007). There has been an increase in the annual mean rainfall since the 1980’s and
in number of rainy days since the 1990s (Cruz et al.: 10.2.2) On average, 20 cyclones cross the
Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) with about 8-9 making landfall each year.

The natural risks associated with these trends are aggravated by human activities,
particularly in the exploitation of resources such as forests and minerals and development
interventions that do not incorporate responsible risk assessments.

According to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Philippines
was the fourth most accident-prone country in the world. Accordingly, 31,835 Filipinos were
killed and 94,369,462 others were affected by natural disasters and calamities in a span of 20
years.

It is for the foregoing reasons that this module is focused on disaster risk reduction and
management.

Input No. 1: Overview of the Philippines Disaster

Management System
Since the OCD and NDCC’s creation, PD 1566 has been the basic law that guides the disaster
management programs, project and strategies implementation in the country. However, it has
been observed and noted from past experiences, combined with lessons learned and gaps
examination, that the law that creates the Council is more leaning and gives more emphasis on
response action, thus, making the implementers reactive to possible disasters rather than
taking a proactive stance disaster risk management. Recently, OCD-NDCC initiated the shift on
disaster management approaches and strategies from reactive to proactive (from disaster
response and preparedness to disaster risk reduction/management – a paradigm shift from the
prevalent ‘culture of reaction’ to ‘culture of prevention’.

Then President Arroyo signed on May 27 Republic Act 10121, also known as the
Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010. This Act provides for the
development of policies and plans and the implementation of actions and measures pertaining
to all aspects of disaster risk reduction, management and recovery, including good governance,
risk assessment and early warning, knowledge building and awareness raising, reducing
underlying risk factors, and preparedness for effective response and early recovery.

The new law adopt the adhere to principles and strategies consistent with the international
standards set by the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), which is a comprehensive, action-
oriented response to international concern about the growing impacts of disasters on
individuals, communities and national development.

A National Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Framework and Plan
was developed, formulated, and implemented. The Framework provides for comprehensive, all-
hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-agency and community-based approach to disaster risk reduction,
management and recovery. It serves as the principal guide to disaster risk reduction,
management and recovery efforts in the country in conformity with the National Disaster Risk
Reduction, Management and Recovery Framework (NDRRMRF).

I. Republic Act No. 10121, known as the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction
And Management (PDRRM) Act of 2010”

“An Act Strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
System, Providing for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Framework and Institutionalizing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Plan, Appropriating Funds Therefore and For Other Purposes”

Section 2. Declaration of Policy

1. Upholding People`s rights to life and property and adherence to internationally

Accepted principles, norms and standards for capacity building in DRRM and
humanitarian assistance;

2. Adoption of a holistic, comprehensive, integrated, proactive and multi-sector

Approach in addressing the impacts of disasters, including climate change;

3. Development, promotion and implementation of a comprehensive National

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP);

4. Mainstreaming DRR and Climate Change in national and local development

Plans and development processes (e.g. policy formulation, socio-economic
development planning, budgeting and governance);
 5. Mainstreaming DRR into the peace process and conflict resolution;

6. Ensuring DRR and CC- Gender responsive measure, sensitive to indigenous

knowledge and respect of human rights;

7. Strengthening capacity building of LGUs on DRR (e.g. decentralized powers,

responsibilities, resources) and vulnerable and marginalized groups;

8. Engaging the participation of CSOs, private sectors and volunteers in DRR;

9. Promotion of breastfeeding before and during a disaster or emergency; and

10. Ensuring maximum care, assistance and services to affected individuals and
families

Salient Features of PDRRM Act of 2010

1. Policy Statements and Terminologies on

DRRM (Secs. 2 & 3)

2. Institutional Mechanism (Secs 5-12)

a. DRRMCs (National, Regional, Provincial,

City and Municipal Levels and Barangay
Development Council at the Barangay Level);
b. Office of Civil Defense
c. Permanent Office on DRRM at the LGU Level; Barangay DRRM Committee
d. Disaster Volunteers
3. Operational Mechanisms (Secs. 15-18)
a. Coordinator during Emergencies
b. Declaration of a State of Calamity
c. Remedial Measures
d. Mechanism for the IHAN
4. Participation, Accreditation, Mobilization, Protection andand Development of
Disaster Volunteers
5. Training and Education in DRR
a. Establishment of DRRM Training Institutes
b. Mandatory Training in DRR for Public Sector Employees
c. Integration of DRR in School curricula, training for out-of-school
youth,Sangguniang Kabataan, and informal training

II. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC)

Leading the collaborative efforts in disaster preparedness planning and

Mitigation, as well as disaster response operations and rehabilitation both in the
 Government and private sectors is the NDRRMC. It is the highest policy-making,
Coordinating and supervising body at the national level chaired by the secretary
Of National Defense thru the Executive Director of the Office of Civil Defense
(OCD), and has fourteen (14) departments and thirty nine (39) line agencies as
Members.

The NDRRMC is also responsible for advising the President of the Republic
of the Philippines on the status of the national disaster preparedness programs and
and management plans: disaster operations, and rehabilitation efforts of all stake
holders; and it also recommends to the President the declaration of the state of
calamity and the release of the national calamity fund as needed.

III. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD)

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), officially established on July 1973,

Serves as the executive arm secretariat of the NDRRMC. The OCD formulates
And implements the national Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan
(NDRRMP).It has on its vision a service-oriented organization, prepared
Population and a safe nation. Its mission is to basically administer a comprehensive
National civil defense and civil assistance program by providing leadership in the
Continuous development of measure to reduce risk to communities and mange
The consequence of disasters.

As the nerve center for alert and monitoring , resource mobilization,

Response coordination, and information management, it has the primary task
Of coordinating, and information management, it has the primary task of coordinating
The activities and function of various government agencies and instrumentalities,
Private institutions and civic organizations for the protection and prevention of life
And property during emergencies.

IV. Organizational Network

The Philippines Disaster Management System (PDMS), as embodied in

Presidential Decree No. 1566 and RA 10121, is carried out at various political
Subdivision and administrative regions of the country through the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC); 17 Regional
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC); 80 Provincial
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC); 113 City
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC); 1,496
Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (MDRRMC);
And 41,956 Barangay Risk Reduction and Management Council
(BRRMC) Respectively.

1. Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMC)

(Section 12, PDRRM act)

a. It is established in every Province, City, Municipality, and Barangay

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee in every Barangay.
 b. Responsibility – setting the direction, development, Implementation and
coordination of disaster risk management programs within their territorial
jurisdiction.
c. LDRRMO shall under the office of the governor, city or municipal
Mayor, and Punong Barangay in case of the BDRRMC. The
LDRRMO’s initially organized and is composed of a DRRMO,
assisted By three (3) staffs responsible for:

● Administrative and training;

● Research and planning; and
● Operation and warning. The LDRRMOs and the BDRRMCs shall
Organize, train and directly supervise the local emergency response
Teams and the Accredited Community Disaster Volunteers (ACDV).

2. Accreditation, Mobilization, and Protection of Disaster Volunteers and National

Service Reserve Corps, Civil Society Organizations and the Private Sector
(Section 13, PDRRM act)

a. The Government agencies, CSOs, private sectors and LGUs may mobilize
Individuals or organized volunteers to augment their respective personnel
Complement and logistical requirements in the delivery of disaster risk
reduction programs and activities.

b. The agencies, CSOs, private sectors and LGUSs concerned shall take full
responsibility for the enhancement, welfare and protection of volunteers, and
submit the list of volunteers to the OCD, through community disaster
volunteers.

3. Integration of DRR Education into the School Curricula and Sangguniang Kabataan
(SK) Program and Mandatory Training for the Public Sector Employees
(Section 14, PDRRM Act)

a. The DepED, CHED, TESDA in coordinator with OCD, NYC, DOST, DENR, DILG-BFP,
DOH, DSWD and other relevant agencies, shall integrate DRRM education in the
School curricula if secondary and tertiary levels of education, including NSTP,
Whether private or public, including formal and non-formal, technical-
vocational, indigenous learning and out-of-school youth courses and programs.

b. The NDRRMC, RDRRMCs, LDRRMCs, LDRRMOs, BDRRMCs and the SK council

shall encourage community, specifically the youth, participation in DRRM
activities.

Input No. 2: Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management Concepts
 The Concept of disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) accepts that some hazard
events may occur but tries to lessen the impact by improving the community`s ability to absorb the
impact with minimum damage or destruction. Disaster risk reduction and management is a series of
actions (programmes, projects and/or measures) and instruments expressly aimed at reducing disaster
risk in endangered regions, and mitigating the extend of disasters.

Operationally, it includes risk assessment, disaster prevention and mitigation and disaster preparedness.
It is used to underscore the current trend of taking a proactive approach to hazards posed by extreme
natural phenomena.

Definition of Disaster Management Terms

1. Hazards. A Situation that poses a level threat to life, health property

or environment.

2. Risk. A probability or threat of a damage injury liability, loss, or

other negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal
vulnerabilities and that may be neutralized through preemptive
action.

3. Vulnerability. The level of susceptibility or resiliency of the people and

communities against the impact of the prevailing hazards based on the
state of physical, social and economic conditions in a given area.
4. Disaster. A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving
widespread human, material, economic or
 impact, which exceeds the ability of the affected

using its own resources.

Hazard (H). Physical impact of disturbance

Risk (R). Likelihood of harm, loss, disaster
People or Community (Exposure). Elements affected

Vulnerability (V). Susceptibility and capacity to

prepare, absorb, and recover from hazard.

environmental losses and

community or society to cope

The Disaster Equation

●
●
●
by hazard
●

Where:

● Hazard (H)
● Risk (R)
● People or Community
● Vulnerability (V)
● Exposure. Elements affected by hazard

Disaster Risk Management – What and Who?

 Disaster Risk Reduction and management (DRRM) Includes
Administrative decision and operational activities that involve:

1. Prevention
2. Mitigation
3. Preparedness
4. Response
5. Recovery
6. Rehabilitation

● Disaster risk Management involves all levels of government decision makers and local
government.
● Non- governmental and community-based organizations play a vital role in the process.

● Communities themselves are the first responders.

Disaster Management Cycle

1. Traditional Model – DM cycle. The traditional approach to disaster

management is to regard it as a number of phased sequences of action or a
continuum. This can be represented as a cycle.

PREPAREDENESS RESPONSE

DEVELOPMENT

MITIGATION

REHABILITATION

RECOVERY
Disaster Management

Disaster management refers to the efficient and effective utilization of resources and
the application of measure that will mitigate the impact of unfortunate events and facilitate
return to normalcy and redevelopment.

1. Disaster management occurs before, during , and after a disaster.

2. Disaster management consists of the of the DRM component as well as relief, response, early
and long-term recovery, including rehabilitation, and reconstruction.

a. Disaster response, including relief activities, is conducted immediately after a disaster

occurs primarily to save lives and for humanitarian purposes.
b. Recovery occurs over the short, medium and long term in the aftermath of a disaster.
Rehabilitation and reconstruction, on the other hand, are long term activities necessary
to restore public infrastructures, services, and critical facilities.
c. Building back better during this process means not generating new risk and mitigating
existing ones.

Rationale for Risk Management

1. Comprehensive risk management process has the potential to break the cycle of
damage and reconstruction when a community is subjected to repeated natural
hazards.
2. To be effective, a strategy must be in place and ready for immediate implementation
when necessary.
3. This can only be done through advance preparation and planning.

Disaster Risk Management Objectives

1. Reduce vulnerabilities in the community .

2. When sustained over a long term, reduce unacceptable risk to acceptable levels Levels
and make the community become disaster resistant/resilient.

Disaster Risk Management refers to a range of:

1. Policies
2. Legislative mandates
3. Professional practices
4. Social, structural and non-structural adjustments
5. Risk transfer mechanism to prevent, reduce or minimize the effects of hazards on a
community

Range of Risk Management Measures

1. Engineering measure ( keep hazard away from people)
 2. Land use planning and management measures ( keep people away from
hazard)
3. Control and protection works (modifying the hazard
4. Early warning ( predicting hazard)
5. Preparedness planning (prepare in anticipation of a hazard event)
6. Reconstruction planning after a disaster with the aim of reducing the
vulnerability
7. Mainstreaming risk management in development practice and
institutionalization
Traditional/Reactive Risk Management/Proactive

Disaster as “Act of God” and “Acts of Nature” Disaster as “Act of Man”

From a humanitarian approach, relief and response To a developmental approach, where disaster is a
approach in which intervention was provided only developmental concern and may arise as a result of
during or immediately after a disaster. unsustainable development practices

From a technocratic approach, where engineering and
technological solutions were used including prediction
and modifying hazards
To promotion of non-structural and non-engineering
measures such as community-based disaster preparedness
and early warning, indigenous knowledge, and land use
planning, emphasizing the need to modify vulnerabilities
(and capacities) instead of the hazards

Single hazard approach Multi or all-hazards approach

Sectoral Inter-sectoral, inter-agency, all of government effort

Public sector led All-of-society approach, participatory, inclusive,

transparent gender-fair

Disaster Risk Reduction Management Paradigm

1. The Disaster Risk Reduction paradigm has become dominant in the twenty-first century.
DRR is proactive by aiming to establish a culture of disaster prevention and resilence. DRR
measure emphasizes non-structural mitigation measures are
therefore a must

2. Disaster Risk Management is a “range of related activities

for coping with risk, including risk, including how related
activities are identified and assessed and how social
interventions to deal with risk are monitored and evaluated”

3. DRMMis undertaken during “ normal times” and before

another disaster strikes (e.g. during recovery) It focuses on
the following
 a. Mitigation and Prevention. This is a sustained measure Taken before a disaster occurs and
is aimed to minimize the Potential impacts of a disaster or reduce disaster risks.

b. Preparedness. This helps reduce severity of impact or

Certain disasters, particularly slow-onset disasters
Proactively with risk identification and capacity
Development. Common preparedness measures: hazard maps, food and material
stockpiling, emergency kits.
c. Risk Assessment (identification and monitoring). The Information generated by this
essential to the development of non-structural mitigation measures (e.g. institutional and
capacity building, information sharing and dissemination, land use planning).

Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Framework

R=

The Government pursues a comprehensive disaster management framework that encompasses disaster
risk reduction, mitigation and preparedness in the pre-event, and disaster response, rehabilitation and
recovery in the post-event. A framework that has evolved and adapted to the lessons of past disaster
events as well as emerging concerns, and anchored on the national authority’s program thrusts aimed
 to, among others, implements the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the resilience of
National and Communities to Disasters with the five (5) Thematic Areas/Priorities for Action, as follows:

1. Governance. Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and local priority with a
strong institutional basis for implementation.
2. Risk Assessment and Early Warning. Identify, assess and monitor disaster risk and
enhance early warning.
3. Knowledge Management and Education. Use Knowledge, innovation and education
to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels.
4. Risk Management and Vulnerability Reduction. Reduce the underlying factors.
5. Disaster Preparedness. Strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response at
levels.

Input No. 3: Geographic Hazards and Disaster Risk Profiles

of the Philippines
“National hazards are part of life. But hazards only become disaster when people’s lives and
livelihoods are swept away… let us remind ourselves that we can and must reduce the impact of
disasters by building sustainable communities that have long term capacity to live with risk.”

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan

The Philippines is susceptible to various types of natural hazards due to its geographical location
and physical environment; being situated in the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, between two Tectonic plates
(Eurasian and Pacific), an area encircling the Pacific Ocean where frequent earthquakes and volcanic
activity result from the movements of said tectonic plates. In fact, the country experiences an average
of 20 earthquakes per day (most are too weak to be felt). There are 22 volcanoes recorded to have
erupted in the history of the country. Also, being located along the typhoon belt/superhighway in the
Pacific makes it vulnerable to extreme weather events. An average of 20 typhoons/ tropical cyclones
visit the country every year, with 5of them considered the most destructive. Its 36,289 kms.of coastline
is also vulnerable to tsunami making the country also highly-susceptible to sea level rise and storm
surges. Accompanying or resulting from these tropical cyclone events are secondary phenomena such as
landslides, floods/flash floods/tornadoes, drought, and heavy/ monsoon rains.
 Aside from the natural hazards, the Philippines also experiences human-induced incidents such
as urban/ structural fires, air, land and sea mishaps, drowning, collapsed structure, epidemic/ disease
outbreak, food poisoning, vehicular accidents, gas explosion, chemical poisoning, oil spillage, bombings,
civil disturbance and complex emergencies, particularly those internally displaced citizens as a result of
armed conflicts mostly in Southern Philippines.

The consequences of disasters and the resulting environmental degradation pose a serious
threat to the economic development of the country. The country’s population density and extreme
poverty worsen the situation, making residents more vulnerable to natural hazards and public health
emergencies. Communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, dengue, H1N1 and HIV continue to
pose significant challenges.

Philippines Situationer
1. Disasters, whether natural or human-made, affect everyone, especially the poor, children,

Women and the elderly who have the least capability to deal with disasters.

2. From 1994 to 2003, some 2.5 billion people were affected by natural disasters alone
worldwide
which is an increase of 60% over the past date.

3.More than 478,000 people were killed during this period.

4. Floods and earthquakes are the deadliest accounting for more than half of the total
casualties.

5. Asia is the continent most affected , accounting for more than half of the casualties ,
andmore than 90% of the injured, homeless and needing assistance.

6. Past disasters , events worldwide would indicate that the impact of disasters is most felt
bydeveloping and underdeveloped countries, particularly the poorest segments of the
society.

7. While governments are primarily responsible for disasters management, however ,

everybodyis equally responsible to undertake disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and
rehabilitation activities to ensure one’s survival and safety during emergency situations.
Philippine Disaster Risk Profile
RP is vulnerable to almost all types of natural hazards because of its geographical location.

1. Located within the Circum-Pacific Belt of fires and along typhoon path, the Philippine becomes
exposed to natural perils like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and their resultant
affects like tsunami, landslides, floods and flashfloods.

2. As an archipelago with 7,107 islands, the threat of tsunami affecting the country’s coastal
areasis not far- fetched.
 3. The Moro Gulf Earthquake with 7.6 intensity triggered a tsunami which affect the
SouthernPhilippines and resulted to the death of around 3,800 person and destruction of
properties.

4. Yearly, the country experiences an average of twenty (20) typhoons, half of these
aredestructive ; is a host of 300 volcanoes, twenty-two (22) of which are active , as well as
active faults and trenches that are potential sources of earthquakes.

5. The country has also its episodes of human-made disasters such as urban fires, land and
seamishaps, and complex emergency, mostly in Southern Philippines because of the
secessionist movement, coupled with is vulnerability of floods and other natural disaters.

6. From 1970 to 2000 , the Philippines incurred an average annual damage of 15 Billion Pesos or
US$ 300 Million due to disaster which have caused major setback in the country’s socio-
economic development.

7. In 2004, the country experienced twenty-five (25) weather disturbances, four this
occurringsuccessively in November and the first week of December and brought massive
landslides and flooding in the Southern and Central Luzon. And also last year, RP ranked
number 4 worldwide in the terms of frequency and death toll.

8. Tropical Storm Ondoy and the typhoon Pepeng, in September and October 2009,
respectively,brought two of the worst floods in the history of Luzon particularly Metro Manila
and Pangasinan that caused deaths estimated nearly 900 according to the National Disaster
Coordinating Council and billions of properties.

Hazards in the Philippines

The Philippines is prone to varius natural hazards because of it geographical and geologic setting.

Hazard Classification

1. Natural Hazards are the natural processes or phenomena occurring in the biosphere that may
constitute a damaging event. It can be classified by origin; geopgraphical,
hydrometeorological and biological.
a. Geographical Hazards. Natural Earth processes or phenomena in the biosphere , which
include geological , neo-tectonic, geophysical, geomorphical, geotechnical and
hydro-geological nature. Examples: earthquakes , tsunamis; volcanic activity and emissions,
Mass movements I.e landslides , rock slides, rockfall, liquefaction, submarine slides,
subsidence, surface collapse, geological fault activity.

b. Hydro- Meteorological Hazards. Natural process or phenomena of atmospheric,

hydrological or oceanographic nature. Examples: floods, debris and mud flows; tropical
cyclone, storm surge, thunder/ hailstorms, rain and wind storms, blizzards and other
severe storms; drought, desertification, wild land fires, heat waves, sand or dust storms;
permafrost, snow avalanches.

c. Biological Hazards. Processes of organic or those conveyed by biological vectors, including

exposure to pathogenic micro-organism, toxins and bioactive substances. Examples:
outbreak of epidemics diseases, plant or animal contagion and extensive infestations.
 2. Technological Hazards ( Anthropogenic Hazards). Danger originating from technological or
industrial accidents, dangerous procedures, infrastructure failures or certain human
activities, which may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic
disruption or environmental degradation.

Examples:
Industrial pollution, nuclear activities and radioactivity

Toxic wastes, dam failures, transport, industrial or technological accidents (explosions,

fires, spills)

3. Environmental Degradation processes induced by human behavior and activities (sometimes

combined with natural hazards) that damage the natural resource base or adversely alter
natural processes or ecosystems.

Examples:

Land degradation, deforestation, desertification, wild land fires, loss of biodiversity

Land, water and air pollution, climate change, sea level rise, ozone depletion

MODULAR UNIT 5
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND PROTECTION
OVERVIEW
Environmental Education is a process which is very useful to human beings in order to manage well
their environmental and instill the right behavior that serves as key to sustainable development.
This module discusses the current environmental pressures brought about by a rapidly
increasing Filipino population. As you realize the stressful effects of people’s environment, we hope that you
will also realize that environmental degradation has become a major social concern. Likewise, we hope that
such realization will help you to be more aware of our responsibilities in protecting and enhancing the
Philippine environment. And that with such new awareness, is the emergence of another Filipino youth who is
committed to take an active stewardship role in “saving the present for the future.”

INPUT NO.1: BASIC CONCEPTS AND LAWS GOVERNING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments
function and particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live
sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to post-
secondary. However, it is sometimes used more broadly to include all efforts to educate the public and other
audiences, including print materials, websites, media campaigns, etc. Related disciplines include outdoor
education and experiential education.

Environmental Education is a learning process that increases people’s knowledge and awareness about
the environment and associated challenges, develops the necessary skills and expertise to address the
challenges, and fosters attitudes, motivations, and commitments to make informed decisions and take
responsible action (UNESCO, Tbilisi Declaration, 1978.

IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

1. All major natural resources in the country are in grave danger of irreparable damage.
2. A society cannot survive if its natural resources are rendered unfit for use by its people.
3. The only hope of salvaging this grave situation is by making the young aware that they need to
proactively begin to protect the environment they will inherit.
4. Science and Technology can help in a limited way but cannot deliver it.
5. It is a moral and ethical education for changing people’s attitude.
6. To protect children living in polluted regions, environmental education represents a relevant means of
prevention.
7. It is a need of the time to propose environmental education delivered with moral concepts.
8. It is conceived to sustain participation of the citizens especially the youth particularly in combating ill
effects of climate change.

RELATED LAWS IN PROMOTING ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION Republic Act No. 9512

An act to promote environmental awareness through environmental education and

for other purposes.

This Act is known as the “National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of
2008”,

Specifically, Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy states that:

Consistent with the policy of the State to protect and advance the right of the people
to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature, and in recognition of the
vital role of the youth in nation building and the role of education to foster patriotism and nationalism,
accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development, the state shall promote
national awareness on the role of natural resources in economic growth and the importance of environmental
conversation and ecological balance sustained national development.

Republic Act 9003: January 26, 2001

This is an act providing for an ecological solid waste management program, creating
the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives, declaring certain acts prohibited and providing
penalties, appropriating funds thereof, and for other purposes.

Republic Act No. 9275: March 22, 2004

An act providing for a comprehensive water quality management and for other

purposes.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy- The State shall pursue a policy of economic growth in a manner
consistent with the protection, preservation and revival of the quality of our fresh, brackish and marine waters.
Republic Act 8749: June 23, 1999
“ Philippines Clean Air Act of 1999” an act providing for a comprehensive air

pollution control policy and for other purposes

Republic Act No. 9147

An act providing for the conservation and protection of wildlife resources and
their habitats, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes

Republic Act No. 9175

An act regulating the ownership, possession, sale, importation and use of

chainsaws, penalizing violations thereof and for other purposes.

CHED MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 33 SERIES OF 2009

Subject: Integration of Environmental Education in the Tertiary Education Curriculum particularly the
Civic Welfare and Training Service Component of the National Service Training Program.

Definition of Terms

1. Biodegradable. Any material that can be broken down by naturally occurring organisms such as
bacteria and fungi in air water and soil
2. Composting. Biological degradation under controlled conditions.
3. Domestic Waste. Refuse from households, as distinguished from industrial waste, hospital waste, etc,
which maybe classified as a biodegradable or non-biodegradable.
4. Food Materials. Include certain kind of seeds, pulp, peelings, pickles, sweets or snacks.
5. Hazardous Waste. Special types of wastes containing the chemical biological and radio active
elements which are harmful to human health.
6. Incineration. The controlled process by which combustible materials and burned and changed into
gases and residues that contain little or no combustible materials.
7. Non-biodegradable. Any material that cannot be degraded or decomposed by naturally occurring
organisms such as bacteria and fungi in air, water and soil.
8. Putrescible. A substance that decomposes at certain temperature in contact with air and moisture;
generally containing nitrogen.
9. Recycling. The re-use, retrieval, recommission of element/matter for any and all purposes necessary
to healthful and productive living; the process by which waste materials are transformed into new
products in such a manner that the original products may lose their identity.
10. Solid waste. Include anything thrown away such as garbage, rubbish, trash, litter, junk and refuse of
any source.

INPUT NO.2: THE SEVEN ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES

This section highlights the basic environmental principles, varied types of ecosystem,
current environmental issues, anthropogenic activities that threaten the environment and the role of youth in
protecting our environment.

1. Nature knows best. This principles is the most basic and in fact encompasses all the others. Humans
have to understand nature and have top abide by the rules nature dictates. In essence, one must not
go against the natural processes if one would like to ensure a continuous and steady supply of
resources.
 2. All forms of life are important. Each organism plays a fundamental role in nature. Since such
occupational or functional position, otherwise known as niche, cannot be simultaneously occupied by
more than one specie, it is apparent that all living things must be considered as invaluable in the
maintenance of homeostasis in the ecosystem.
3. Everything is connected to everything else. This principle is best exemplified by the concept of the
ecosystem. In an ecosystem, all biotic and amniotic components interact with each other to ensure
that the system is perpetuated. Any outside interference may result in an imbalance and the
deterioration of the system.
4. Everything changes. It is said that the only permanent thing is change. As a general classification,
change may be linear, cyclical or random. As example of linear change is evolution of species, which
has brought about higher and more complex types of organisms. Cyclical change may be exemplified by
seasons and the rhythms in floral and faunal life stages that go with the seasons. An example of
random change is the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, which brought great upheaval in many parts of Luzon
and changes in the topography of the land.
5. Everything must go somewhere. When a piece of paper is thrown away, it disappears from sight but it
does not cease to exist. It ends up elsewhere. Gases released in smokestacks may disperse but it will
end up a component of the atmosphere or brought down by rains. What a particular type of waste
does to the earth’s repository should be of concern to us. It may be pollutant or a resource depending
on certain factors.
6. Our is a finite earth. The earth’s resources can be classified as either renewable or non-renewable.
Renewable resources are those that can easily be replenished by natural cycles (e.g. water, air, plants,
and animals) while non-renewable resources are those that cannot be replenished through natural
cycles (e.g. ores of various metals, oi, coal).
7. Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God’s creation. Among all creatures, humans are the only
ones made in God’s image and have been given the right to have dominion over all His creations. Being
the most intelligent and gifted with reason, humans are capable of manipulating creation to their own
advantage. Yet, creation exists not to be ravaged or abused but to be taken care of. Humans cannot
exist without nature. They are co-natural with the environment they live in. If the environment they
live in is destroyed with it will go Homo Sapiens.

SYNTHESIS
The worlds environmental condition has deteriorated due to excessive abuse by the people. Air and
water are polluted. Forests are denuded by legal and illegal logging activities causing so much soil erosion that
eventually results in the silting of rivers and oceans. Coral reefs are destroyed affecting negatively the marine
resources that supply a big proportion of the pullulation in their diet.

Over consumption of resources and over-population threaten the existence and

survival of many environmental products. Worse is the development aggression in many areas where natural
resources have not been maximally exploited.

Paying attention to environmental care has global implications. Environmental impact

of a nation’s action cannot be limited to its own country only. It affects other countries outside of its own
boundaries and beyond its territory.

The global concern of the environment is the attention given to educate the people on
the preservation and protection of the existing resources and prevent it from over exploitation.

Environmental care adheres to the principle of sustainable development where the

interest of future generation to develop should not be compromised by the desire of the present generation to
develop using the resources in the environment.
 According to Eun-I9ung Na (2002), the concept of sustainable development has some
inner contradictions from the start, due to its global level challenges to balance economic growth with resource
sustainability and a healthy environment.

The World Council of Churches’ Study Document (2002) gave their own view not

only on sustainable development but the efforts at working toward the formation of sustainable communities.

INPUT NO.3: CLIMATE CHANGE

What is climate Change?

Climate Change is any change in climate over time whether due natural processes or
a result of human activity.

It is a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity

that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is, in addition to natural climate variability,
observed over comparable time periods (United Nations Frameworks Convention on Climate Change).

HOW DOES IT OCCUR?

The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 4AR 2007)
concludes that climate change is already occurring and that further acceleration will results in a two (2) degree
increase in global temperature and of extreme weather conditions.

Climate Change is cause by the increasing volume of Greenhouse gates (GHG) in the
atmosphere. Greenhouse gases that absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, warming the earth’s surface and
contributing to climate change (UNEP 1988). This gases are water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous
oxide, ozone, hydrofluorocarbon, perfluorocarbon, and sulfur hexafluoride. When these gases increase in
volume, more solar heat will be trapped resulting to a warmer atmospheric condition. This phenomenon is
known as the “greenhouse effect”. Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the earth’s
near-surface air and oceans that is associated with the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the
temperature.

Humans are responsible for the accelerated warming of the earth. Before the advent of humans,
climate changes were naturally caused. Many greenhouse gases occur naturally like methane, carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, ozone and even water vapor. Other greenhouse gases like hydroflurocarbons (HFC),
perfluorocarbon (PFC), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) which absorb and hold greater heat are human-made.
These are produced through industrial processes. However, human activities also add to the increase of the
naturally occurring greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE OR GLOBAL WARMING?

The warming of the Earth’s atmosphere results in the melting of snow covers and glaciers, the rise of sea
level, shorter winters, early springs, hotter summers and delayed coming of autumns, altered forest
productivity and composition, habitat shifts of some animals, changes in the behavior patterns of flora and
fauna, spread of diseases, stronger and more frequent typhoons, more floods, severe droughts, stronger heat
waves and heavier rains and more.

These changes in environment as a result of climate change have already made their impact on human
population in a global scale. Socio-economic problems and difficulties will be amplified compounding the
already heavy burden of the poor sectors.
 The Philippines is ranked 4th in the Global Climate Risk Index. Being archipelagic, fifteen

(15) of its regions are vulnerable to sea level rise. A meter rise in sea level will affect 64 out of 81 provinces in
the Philippines; sea water would cover at least 703 of 1,610 towns and close to 700 million square meters of
land could displace at least 1.5 million Filipinos.

WHAT CAN BE DONE LOCALLY?

The following can be done:

1. Reduce the source of green house gas emissions or their sink or capture (Mitigation). What activities in
your locality release carbon dioxide and similar green house gases in the air? These activities must be
curtailed. In what concrete way can we help capture carbon dioxide in the air?
2. Moderate the harmful effects of climate change and exploit its beneficial opportunities (Adaptation).
What activities or project are being done in your communities to lessen the harmful effects of global
warming or offset its potential damages? What opportunities associated with global warming did you
take advantage of?
3. Support or join awareness raising of people in your locality/community about climate change. While it
is a very important and urgent concern to this generation, it is however, a relatively new issue that
needs to be disseminated and linked to potential hazard and risks. It is important to discuss this subject
in a dialect local people can understand and learn.
4. Carry out concrete disaster prevention, mitigation and management activities (Capacity Building). If
your community is high risk to flooding, stormy conditions, earthquakes or landslide, training the local
people in damage/need assessment, shelter management, first aid, risk mapping, fire prevention, tree
planting and early warning among other things should be done.
5. Suggest or advocate the integration of climate change mitigation and adaptation into
organizational/institutional plans to mainstream this consciousness.
6. Lobby for and/ or support climate change responsive policies and ordinances (Policy Development).
7. Synergize efforts with other enlightened individual or group stakeholders. To reduce vulnerability to
climate change hazards and risks, Adaptation, Risk Reduction, Development Planning and Humanitarian
Action need to come together.
8. Develop a stable resource mobilization mechanism or system to ensure and facilitate the flow of
financial and technical support to local implementers. Without an adequate and sustainable financial
and technical backing, plans will remain good in writing.

INPUT NO.4: ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Based on studies made by the National Solid Waste Management Commission Secretariat based at
the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), it is estimated that the per capita waste production daily is 0.5
kg. This means that for every person living in the metropolis, he or she generates half a kilo of waste a day.
With an estimated population of 10.5 million, total waste generated in Metro Manila alone could run up to
5,250 metric tons per day; or 162,750 metric tons per month; 0r 1.95 million metric tons per year. Definitely,
that’s a lot of waste to speak of.

Only about 73% of the 5,250 metric tons of waste generated daily collected by dump trucks hired by
our respective local government units. That assuming our LGU’s are faithful to their duties to us, taxpayers. The
remaining 27% of our daily waste about 1,417.5 metric tons end up in canals, vacant spaces, street corners,
market place, rivers, and other places where, ironically.
 That explains why WE need to act. As part of the problem, because we produce garbage ourselves, we
can also be part of the solution by reducing our contribution to the waste problem.

Because at the rate we are producing waste, we will soon find ourselves buried on our own trash. Or
shall we say, we will soon be having more of our human-made mountains of garbage amidst us?

The tragedy that has befallen the residents of Payatas dump site in Quezon City, when its mountain of
garbage slid down, burying in its course not a few garbage pickets, should strengthen our resolve to do
something about our wasteful lifestyles.

Second, talks about landfill, as an alternative engineering solution to the garbage problem for so-called
residual waste, is fine. But where to site the landfill is another thing. For years, negotiations for landfill for
Metro Manila’s garbage had elicited not only long debates among our political leaders but also emotional
outbursts from prospective host communities.

Perhaps the most important reason why we have to act now on the worsening solid waste problem is
their impact on human health. Health is a basic human right. We all deserve to live in a cleaner environment.
We all desire for a healthy family… a healthy neighborhood…a healthy nation. And, the only way to satisfy
these desires is to do away with garbage that breeds flies, roaches, rodents and harmful bacteria that can
spread disease in our homes and in our communities. While there were already efforts in the past to address
the problem head-on, the passage of Republic Act (R.A) No. 9003, otherwise known as the “Ecological Solid
Waste Management Act of 2000”.

1. What is R.A. No. 9003? Improper solid waste disposal is probably the most important environmental
concern facing local governments (Laplante 2003). This is particularly true in the Philippines (World
Bank 2001). In response to garbage crisis, the first bill that then Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo signed into law in 2001 was republic Act no.9003 (RA 9003) or the Ecological Solid Waste
Management (ECOSWAM) Act which requires municipalities to dispose of waste in a sanitary and
environmentally friendly manner.
The Act created the National Solid Waste Management (SWM) Commission and prescribed
the establishment of an SWM board in each local government unit (LGU) and the formulation of ten-
year local ECOSWAM plans. The Act states that the LGU’s shall be primarily responsible for the
implementation of ECOSWAM services. It authorizes the local SWM Board to impose fees on the SWM
services that the LGU or any authorized organization provides and pool these fees into a solid waste
management fund.
Republic Act No. 9003 provides the legal framework for the country’s systematic,
comprehensive and ecological solid waste management program that shall ensure protection of public
health and the environment.
The implementing rules and regulations of R.A No. 9003 are contained in DENR
Administrative Order No. 2001-34.

2. What are the salient features of R.A. No. 9003?

a. Creation of the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), the National Ecology
Center (NEC) and the Solid Waste Management Board in every province, city and municipality in
the country.
b. Formulation of the National Solid Waste Management Framework; 10-year solid management
plans by local government units consistent with the National Solid
Waste Management Framework;

c. Mandatory segregation of solid waste to be conducted primarily at the source such as

household, institutional, industrial, commercial and agricultural sources;
 d. Setting of minimum requirements to ensure systematic collection and transport of wastes and
the proper protection of the health of garbage collectors;
e. Establishment of reclamation programs and buy-back centers for recyclable and toxic materials;
f. Promotion of eco-labeling in local products and services;
g. Prohibition on non-environmentally acceptable products and packaging;
h. Establishment of Materials Recovery Facility in every barangay or cluster of barangays;
i. Prohibition against the use of open dumps;
j. Setting of guidelines/criteria for the establishment of controlled dumps and sanitary landfills;
k. Provision of rewards, incentives both fiscal and non-fiscal, financial assistance, grants and the
like to encourage LGUs and the general public to undertake effective solid waste management.
l. Promotion of research on solid waste management and environmental education in the formal
and non-formal sectors.

3. How can we help solve the solid waste problem? There are many ways to do it. A highly
recommended formula is to adopt the 3Rs of Ecological Waste Management: REDUCE, REUSE, AND
RECYCLE.

In addition to that, let us refrain from doing what have been prohibited under
the law, to include but are not limited to the following:

a. Littering, throwing, dumping of waste materials in public places like roads, sidewalks, canals, esteros,
parks and establishments;
b. Open burning of solid waste;
c. Allowing the collection of non-segregated or unsorted waste;
d. Squatting in open dumps and landfills;
e. Open dumping or burying of biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials in flood-prone areas;
f. Unauthorized removal of recyclable material intended for collection by authorized persons;
g. Mixing of source-separated recyclable material with other solid waste in any vehicle, box, container or
receptacle used in solid waste collection or disposal;
h. Manufacture, distribution or use of non-environmentally acceptable packaging materials;
i. Establishment or operation of open dumps; and
j. Importation of consumer products packaged in non-environmentally acceptable materials.

HAZARDOUS WASTES
These are solid wastes or a combination of solid waste which identify concentration

or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics may do the following:

1. Cause or significantly contribute to the increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or

incapacitating reversible illness; and
2. Cause a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly
treated, stored or transported.

HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

A comprehensive and integrated management of toxic substances and hazardous

wastes which adheres to the waste management hierarchy of source reduction, recycling, treatment and safe
disposal for the protection of personnel, environment and property.
FOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF HAZARDOUS WASTES

1. Ignitable-the substance causes or enhances fires

2. Corrosive-the substance destroys tissues or metals
3. Reactive-the substance reacts with others and may explode
4. Toxic-the substance is a danger to health, water food and air

THE THREE MAIN GOALS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

1. Protection of the environment

2. Improvement of Public Health
3. Conservation of Energy

INTEGRATED SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (ISWM)

It is the selection of combination of techniques, technologies and management programs to achieve
waste management objectives.

Hierarchy of ISWM
ZERO WASTE MANAGEMENT
Zero Waste Management is an ecological method of handling wastes that does not

degrade the environment nor pollute air, water, soil and facilitate their sanitary retrieval, reuse or recycling.
This is one of the most friendly, economical tool of contributing ecological welfare for human beings and the
community.

Modern waste reduction consists of three (3) components namely:

1. Reuse. Means re-utilization of materials for particular purpose.

2. Reduce. The process of lessening the fresh raw materials that affects air, water and land pollution
through proper waste disposal.
3. Recycling. Involves processing used, unwanted materials (waste) into new products to prevent waste
of potentially useful materials.

It involves processing used, unwanted materials (waste) into new products to prevent waste of
potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air
pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for “conventional”
waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key
component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” waste
hierarchy.

INPUT NO.5: AIR POLLUTION AWARENESS AND PREVENTION

This section discusses the nature, types, sources and effects of air pollution. It gives the general status
of air pollution in the country, and summarizes the salient features of the Clean Air Act and suggests ways by
which to prevent pollution.

Accumulation in the atmosphere of gases from industrial solvents such as nitrous oxides and carbon
tetrachloride and carbon dioxide from burning of fossil fuels and deforestation have possible effects on climate
and human health.

Anthropogenic sources of air pollution have been increasing vehicles that ply the road of Metro Manila
are smoke belchers.

Among the different air pollutants, 6 “criteria” pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, lead, sulfur
oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulates determine air quality standards.

Ozone is the major ingredient in smog. In the stratosphere it occurs naturally and acts as a filtering
mechanism for the harmful ultra violet rays from the sun but in the lower atmosphere comprise what mainly
we see as grey smog suspended on air. Ozone is formed by a series of complex reactions involving nitrogen
oxides, volatile organic compounds and sunlight. Smog or ground level ozone may cause lung inflammation,
decreased ability to breathe and susceptibility to respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis, fibrosis
and premature lung aging. Children are susceptible to ozone exposure.

Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odorless, colorless gas produced during fossil fuel or biomass burning.
Carbon monoxide exposure can block oxygen to the brain and cause poor concentration, fatigue and death.

Lead is one of the most toxic substances. Lead in gasoline remain by far the single largest source of
lead exposure in urban areas and poses the greatest threat to the public. A special hazard for young children,
several studies have shown that lead exposures can significantly reduce the IQ of school-aged children. It has
also been associated with aggressive behavior, delinquency and attention diseases in boys, between 7-11 years
of age.

Sulfur oxides are gases formed by combustion. Industries and electric power plants account for 88% of
sulfur dioxide emissions totaling 88, 458 tons in 1990, causing bronchitis and impairment of preliminary
functions. They are also active ingredients in the formation of acid rain.

Nitrogen oxides are gases produces from high temperature combustion in the air. It can cause
respiratory ailments like asthma and eye irritation. They are also an active ingredients in the formation of smog.

Air pollution is the presence of substances in the air in amounts harmful to humans, other animals
and/ or plants. There are over100 identified air pollutants.

The main categories of pollutants are:

1. Particulates are very fine solids, collectively referred to as total suspended particulates. (TSP);
2. Carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen and sulfur;
3. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs); and
4. Ozone

These substances are associated mostly with fossil-fuel burning. Particulates are

unburned hydrocarbons and soot or carbon. They result from incomplete burning of fuels. So does carbon
monoxide. VOCs are benzene and other aromatics that are formed from the production of gasoline in order to
improve its performance as fuel for vehicles. Ozone is formed from the reaction of VOCs and nitrogen oxides
(Nos). Oxides of sulfur are released because sulfur is naturally found in petroleum and coal. Oxides of nitrogen
are released as the high temperature of combustion catalyzes reaction between the nitrogen in the fuel and air
oxygen of the air.

SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION b

1. Mobile Source. 3.9 million vehicles are registered in the whole country. Around 80% use gasoline and
30% use diesel. Only a small percentage of Filipino own cars, 20% in Metro Manila. The rest take public
transportation.
2. Stationary Sources. Stationary sources that account for most of the air pollution are emissions from
power plants, cement plants and oil refineries.

EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION FROM FOSSIL FUELS

Sulfur and nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and soot irritate the mucous

membranes of the respiratory system. If irritation is prolonged, it can lead to respiratory disease-persistent
cough, emphysema, asthma, and other allergies, and worst, cancer. Carbon monoxide is hazardous because it
bonds strongly with hemoglobin of the blood, replacing oxygen. As a result, the tissue and organs of the body
are deprived of the vital gas, oxygen. Ozone causes a range of acute effects including eyes, nose and throat
irritation. It also impairs respiratory functions. Ozone is a highly oxidizing gas that causes damage to materials
so do sulfuric and nitric acid from sulfur and nitrogen oxide, respectively.

The Philippines is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on climate Change

and has ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Under the latter, all signatory countries are committed to exert all efforts
to lower their greenhouse gas emissions. The Protocol invokes a special commitment from developed countries
to reduce their emissions to 5% less than their 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. The Protocol will go into
effect when it is ratified by 55 countries which should include developed countries responsible for 55% of the
emissions worldwide.
 Another class of substances that must be regulated is what is collectively known as
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs are unreactive for mattresses, Styrofoam and insulation.

A group of substances that are common in our everyday lives but are extremely

toxic are known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These are either human-made products.

Radioactivity is the most lethal form of pollution because it can readily destroy cells
and tissues. No more nuclear radiation should be introduced into our environment in addition to that which
naturally occurs in the background environment.

Radioactive emissions come from nuclear power plants even in routine operations.

THE CLEAN AIR ACT

1. Principles which state the over-all mandate of the State

2. Recognition of rights of citizens which the State shall guarantee
3. The noteworthy features of the Air Quality Management Systems are the provisions regarding
airsheds and non-attainment areas.
4. The Act gives an initial list of hazardous air pollutants and guidelines for ambient air quality.
5. Prohibition and regulation of other substances.
a. Ozone-depleting substances. Consistent with the Montreal Protocol of which the Philippines is a
signatory. ODS shall be phased out.
b. Flourinated Greenhouse Gases identified in Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework on
Climate Change.
c. Framework convention on Climate Change, the DENR shall prepare a plan to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
d. Persistent Organic Pollutants. The DENR shall prepare an inventory of POPs in the Country and a
program for elimination of these substances.
e. Radioactive Substances. The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, DENR and related agencies
shall regulate all projects that involve release of radioactive substances.
f. Pollution from Smoking. Smoking in any enclosed public space including public vehicles and
private spaces outside of one’s residence is strictly prohibited. This probation shall be
implemented by the LGU.
g. Leaded Gasoline. The manufacture, importation, sale, disposal of leaded gasoline and engines
and components requiring leaded gasoline and engines and components requiring leaded-
gasoline is prohibited
 MODULAR UNIT 6

NATIONAL SECURITY
CONCERNS
"One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to
win a war is as disastrous as to lose one."

- Agatha Christ;€

Overview

Since the emergence of territorially based states as the political organizing principle in Europe
after 1648, the concept of security for the past 400 years predominantly meant "protection from
organized violence." According to McNamara (1968), security includes the promotion of economic,
political, and social development in "poor nations" as:

a.a means of preventing conflicts; and

b.preserving a minimal measure of "global order" and stability.

At the end of this modular unit, students are expected to:

1. articulate the concept of national security and peace in the promotion of national development;

2. identify values that must be developed and strengthened among students in the furtherance of national
security and peace building; and

3. manifest concrete actions in forging

national security and peace in the
country.
 Based on the 1992 UNDP Human Development Report by Dr. Mahbub ul Haq

the new approaches to security emphasize the critical interrelationship among the most daunting
threats to human survival. Security of all people everywhere in their homes, in their jobs, in the
streets, in their communities, and in the environment.

We are entering a new era of human security where the concept of security will change, and change
dramatically. Security will be interpreted as:

1. security of people, not just territory;

2. security of individuals, not just of nations; and
3. security through development, not through arms.

Security is a national concern that every Filipino must consider to ensure peaceful — existence of the state.
It shall be the State's primordial cc;ncern as well as to seLirela .--- constituents.

According to Leozek Busgynski, ASEAN IV National Security in the Part- Cold War Era,
the absence of threat to territorial integrity entails the maintenance of a harmonious relationship
between its political systems and values the external environment.

It is a condition or state of being where the Filipino peoples' values, way of life, institutions, welfare
and well-being, sovereignty and strategic locations are protected and enhanced.

In view of the above information, it is of prime essence that in transforming the youth into
responsible citizens that orientation on concepts and mechanisms of national security be done to
effectively carry out the task of community development. Hence, this module was formulated to achieve
the said purpose.

Input No. 1: Concept of National Security

UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACONO Secretary General and

Foreign Affairs Usec. Rosario G. Nlanalo stressed that the centerpiece of this perspective is an
expanded view of national security that should assure the safety and well-being of the nation as a
whole. Any redefinition ofsecurit V should integrate such concepts as population issues, environmental
protection, the eradication 01

hunger and poverty, and the promotion of human rights, among others. A threat to national security may be:
 1.any action or sequence of events that threatens to drastically and quickly degrade the quality of
life of people; or

2.any development that has the potential to greatly narrow the nue ofpolicy
choices available to the government or to non-governmenta1 entitto within the state. "

Definition of Terns

1.Subversion. It is a group oFconspiracy seeking to alter an existing system or government through

deceit and other unlawful means, or it is an act of an individual or group who seek to alter an
existing system through deceitful means
2. Communism. It is a theory which advocates elimination of private
ownership. It tends to make the society stateless and classless.

c. Agitation: It is subversive technique -to arouse hatred and anger among the people.

d.Propaganda. It is a line of persuasion to influence the belief, emotion behavior, attitude and
opinion of the target audience.

e.Infiltration. Deception used of legal activities. This is used to exert influence and if possible, seize
control of target groups.
1. Politics. It is an art or science concerning the winning and control over a government.

Concept of National and Human Security (UNDP, Human

Development Report 1994)
Human Security (Kofi Annan. "Secretary-General Salutes International Workshop on Human
Security in Mongolia.")

1.seeks to "protect the vital core of all human lives in ways that enhance human freedoms and human
fulfillment";

2.requires "protecting people from critical and pervasive threats" and "empowering them to take
charge of their own lives";
3.
"protection and empowerment are mutually reinforcing and cannot succeed in isolation" ; and

4.emphasis on the "need for comprehensive , integrated and people centered-solution that
together can help people develop the building blocks of survival, livelihood and dignity .(UN
Commission on Human Security)

1994: UNDP referred to human security as having the following two aspects:
 1.safety from such chronic threats as hunger, disease and repression;

2.it means protection from sudden and hurtful disruptions in the patterns of daily life — whether in
homes, in jobs, or in communities. Such threats can exist at all levels of national income and
development.

UND P listed the threats to human security under the following main categories,

1.Economic security
2. Food Security
3.Health Security
4.Environmental Security
5. Personal Security

6.Community Security
7.Political Security
Human Security and Human Development

Human security, in its broadest sense, embraces far more than the absence of violent
conflict. It encompasses human rights, good governance, access to education and health care and
ensuring that each individual has opportunities and choices to
fulfill his or her potential."

National Security and Human Security

Every step in this direction is also a step towards reducing poverty, achieving economic
growth, and preventing conflict. Freedom from want, freedom from fear,' and the freedom of
future generations to inherit a healthy natural environment - these are the interrelated building
blocks of human - and therefore national - security."

Human and Ecological Security

Human and ecological security is a change in paradigm and value. A change in the concept of
security from the military phenomena to poverty, ecological degradation and rapid demographic
change.
National Security (NSC Permanent Secretariat)

Commonwealth Act No. 1, also known as the National Defense Act, is the original policy basis
of the national security program of the Republic of the Philippines.

The 1987 Constitution mandates civilian control of the military and establishes the
President as commander-in-chief of the Armed Force's. The President also heads the National
Security -Council, ostensibly the policy-making and advisory body for matters connected with
national defense. Former President Corazon Aquino reestablished the council in 1986 through
an executive order that provided for a National Security Council director to advise the
president on national security matters and for a National Security Council Secretariat. The
council itself is composed of the President and at least nine others: the Vice President; the
AFP chief of staff;

National Security Council director ; the Executive Secretary; and the Secretaries of Foreign Affairs,
National Defense, Interior and Local Government justice, and Labor od Employment (called ministers
before 1987).

Responsibility for national security was vested in the Department of National Defense. The
principal functions of the department in 1991 were to defend the State against internal and external
threats and, through the Philippines National Police, to maintain law and order . the Secretary of
National Defense by law a civilian, was

charged with advising the President on defense matters and developing defense policy.

In 2002, then President Gloria Macapagal -Arroyo won crucial backing from her cabinet and the
Congress for the deployment of US soldiers in the country as part of the war on terrorism. The
President convened a meeting of the country's National Security Council during that time, in a bid to
pull wavering officials, including her Vice-President into line and smooth over differences in her
administration over the issue. Arroyo insisted her opposition to marshal support for her stance to back a
U.S. led campaign against terrorism, not only to implement a unanimous UN Security Council
resolution calling on U.N. members to bring the perpetrators to justice but also the Philippines' strategic
alliance with the United States and to assist the global campaign to end the scourge of terrorism.
 National Security Advisor (NSA) and Director-General serve as Chief of Staff and adviser for
Special Concerns in National Security to the President. The NSA has a Cabinet rank in the
government.

The NSC's function is to advise the President with respect to the integration of domestic, foreign, and
military policies relating to the national security. The NSC also serves as the President's principal arm for
coordinating these policies among various government departments and agencies in matters involving
the national security.

A condition or state of being where the Filipino people's values, way of life, institutions, welfare
and well being, sovereignty and strategic relations are protected and enhanced:

1.Reformulation of National Security Definition

2.Expanded previous national security concepts by taking into account the close
relationship and interdependence among security, development and governance;

3.NSC and a multi-sectoral group examined the relationship between national security and

human security in a process of conceptual re-definition.

4. Fundamental Elements of National Security:

There are seven fundamental elements that lie at the core of, and therefore further amplify our
definition of national security. At the same time, they constitute the most important challenges we face as a
nation and people.

a. Socio-Political Stability
b. Territorial integrity
c. Economic Solidarity and Strength
d. Ecological Balance
e. Cultural Cohesiveness
f. Moral-Spiritual Consensus
g. External Peace or International Harmony.

Threats to National Security

Many security threat to the Philippines are non-military in nature. Pressing

security concerns like terrorism, poverty, and environmental degradation , needs to be

addressed in an informed and intelligent manner.

 In its internal aspect, national security relates to the defense of the nation’s

government against hostile local elements seeking its replacement with their own

government. In this sense, national security refers to the measures aimed at countering

domestic or internal challenges to the existing political and socio-economic order.

In its external aspect, national security is concerned with safeguarding the state against outside or foreign
forces, pressures, or influence designed to conquer it or

undermine its sovereignty, or placing under the domination or control of some foreign

state or states. In this sense national security embraces the defense arrangements

directed at insuring the safety of the state against foreign intervention or domination.

Types of Threats
1. Rebellion or Insurrection. A refusal of obedience or order . It may, therefore,

be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors from civil disobedience and mass nonviolent
resistance, to violent and organized attempts to destroy an established authority such as the
government.

2. Terrorism. The systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.

1 ) At present, the International community- has been unable to formulate a

universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition of terrorism.

2 ) Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those violent acts which

are intended to create fear (terror), are perpetrated for an ideological goal,
and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians).

3. Murder. As defined in most countries, is the unlawful killing of another human being with
intent (or malice aforethought), and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other
forms of homicide.

4. Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention. The t a ki ng a wa y or transportation of a

person against the person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement
without legal authority. This may be done for ransom or in furtherance of another crime, or in
connection with a child custody dispute.
 S. Hijacking/Highway Robbery. The crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by
force or threat of force and or by putting the victim in fear. In common law, robbery is defined as
taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that
property, by means of force or fear. Precise definitions of the offence may vary between
jurisdictions. Robbery differs from simple theft in its use of violence and intimidation.

6. Crimes involving destruction. It may apply either as a measurable degree of damage up to and
including a state beyond use or repair, or it may indicate a state wherein such damage is occurring
and continuing.. Something 'being destroyed' is in a 'state of destruction. e.g. Self-destructive
behaviors, suicide, demolition.

These types of security threats could be minimized by having proper citizens' values, commitment
to support and act positively on issues related to national security and concern for a friendly and
peaceful environment.

Internal Threats
Our national security concern is infused with four important dimensions. Internal threats to our national
security make up the first dimension.

1. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILE) and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)
2. Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s army/National Democratic Front
(CPP/NPA/NDF)
3. Organized crime
4. Grave incidence of poverty
5. Economic sabotage
6. Graft and corruption
7. Severe calamities
8. Persistent environment degradation

EXTERNAL THREATS

The growing uncertainties that lie in the regional and global milieu make up

the second dimension of our national security concerns even as threat of external
horizon
aggression against our country remains in the remote horizon
1.Multilateral dispute over the Spratlys Islands
2.Smuggling of firearms and contraband, illegal migration and the occasional movement of foreign terrorists
through the porous borders of our south-western frontier
3.Lingering effects of the currency crisis affecting the countries within the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN)

4.Serious economic disparity between rich and poor nations

5.Ethics, religious and cultural conflict

6. Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)

- -

7. Transnational organized crimes

8. Natural disasters and environmental issues

9. Cybernetic crime

Input no. 2: Understanding Values of Peace

"Since wars begin in the minds of men [and women], it is in the minds of men [and women],

that the defenses of peace shall be constructed."

(UNESCO Preamble)

It was in 1989, during the International Congress on Peace in the Minds of Men, in Yamoussoukro,
Cote d'Ivoire, that the notion of a "Culture of Peace" was first mentioned. Over the past ten years, the idea
has come a long way. In 1994, Federico Mayor, Director-General of the United Nations- Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), launched an international appeal on the establishment of a right to
peace; in February 1994, UNESCO launched its Towards a Culture of Peace programme; in 1997, the United
Nations General Assembly proclaimed the year 2000 as the "International Year for the Culture of Peace"; and in
1998, the same Assembly declared the period 2001-2010 the "International Decade for a Culture of Peace and
 1'
Non-Violence for the Children of the World". This is how the notion of a Culture of Peace conquered the
world.

Mindful of the responsibility for the promotion of peace in society, the school system is expected to
contribute to the development of understanding, solidarity, tolerance, and harmony among people and
promote knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills conducive in respect for human rights and to the building of
a culture of peace.

Peace Defined

The concept of peace varies according to the people who give meaning to it, based on the work they do
and the cultural context they come from. Some of these concepts

are:

1."Peace is not just the absence of war. It is the wholeness of life where every person can live with
dignity." (Mindanao Church Peace Congress, 1996)

2."The new name of peace is development." (Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progressio)
Peace is not just the absence of war or violence. It is more than just the absence of war because its
absence does not always mean peace. Peace, as positively defined, means the presence of harmony,
understanding, tranquility, social justice, respect, and tolerance — meaning the enhancement of life. In other
words, it is the general well_ being, of the individual. Peace should be viewed at different levels:

1. Personal Level-refers to the development of inner harmony or inner integration

characterized by such qualities as self-respect, self-confidence, ability to cope with negative
feelings (fear, anger, insecurity, and shame), and developing positive attitudes such as
cheerfulness and optimism.

2. Interpersonal Level-is manifested by the relationship of an individual with one

another. The interpersonal level peace can be shown in terms of:

a. Assertiveness. The capacity of the individual to express one's views or exercise one's rights
without being aggressive (injuring or violating the rights of others) or submissive
(denying one's own views or rights).

b. Respect. To recognize the worth of others regardless of differences in social position,

culture, origin, ethnic grouping or gender.
c. Concern for Others. An awareness and understanding of their needs, feelings, and condition and
extending appropriate consideration for such.

d. Cooperation. The capacity and willingness to work with others to achieve a common goal.

e. Open Mindedness. The willingnes s to approach difficult sources of information, people, and
events with a critical but open mind.

f. Humility. The virtue to accept and recognize that others may have the
ability similar or maybe more than you have and that recognition enables you to accept your own
limitations.

3. Social/National Level-is concerned with addressing issues that affect society and its social,
political, and economic components. For example, addressing the issue of social injustice such as land
grabbing, forest degradation, water pollution, and others that have a societal impact.

a. Social Responsibility. An awareness of one's responsibility for the common welfare and
willingness as well as the readiness to work for it.
b. Interdependence. An awarenes s of the impact of the decisions and actions of individuals and
groups on one another.

c. Social justice. Requires an awareness and recognition of the civil, political, economic,
social, and cultural rights, especially of the more marginalized sectors of society and the willingness
to promote and defend them.

4. Global Level- is similar to the social and national level peace, global level peace is
concerned with attaining related issues that have global impact or scale such issues include among
others the issue of unfair trade relations, racial discrimination, terrorism, militarization,
environmental degradation, xenophobia, and others.

a. Respect for the Environment. The value of recognizing the importance of the resources in the
environment as indicated by the act of preserving and conserving them. Also, the efforts initiated
to protect the resources of the environment.

b. Unity in the oneness of Humankind. The value of recognizing the importance of being one with
other humans as the semblance of God’s power and love. It is a recognition that everyone is as
important as the other.
 c. Religious Appreciation. The ability to respect and appreciate the presence of people with
religious beliefs other than his own. This recognition brings us into realization that we have
different ways of expressing our faith but we have common aspiration to be pleasing to the
Creator.

d. Cultural Appreciation. A recognition of the presence of different cultures and such differences
give us the opportunity to learn from one another

INPUT NO. 3: CREATING CULTURE OF PEACE

“If we are to reach real peace in this world…..we shall have to begin with children.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

Martin Luther King, Jr. espouses equality of all regardless of color. He campaigned against
racial discrimination. His campaign was made popular by his oratorical piece entitled, “I Have a Dream”. In
this piece, he expressed his vision of a world “where the black little boys and black little girls will be able to
sit together with little white boys and little white girls in a table of brotherhood”

“Now it is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the unlit path of
racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of
brotherhood. Now is the time for all God’s children.”

Peace Education is a holistic response as it is concerned with he issues and problems including
militarization, structural violence, human rights, cultural solidarity, environmental care and personal peace. It
sees the interconnection between theory and practice and recognizes the links among the various
transformative goals and strategies (Toh, 197).

It us education that is directed to the full development of the human personality and to the
strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It promotes understanding tolerance,
and friendship among all nations, racial, or religious groups.

Peace education aims to develop international understanding and universal brotherhood.

Some countries that have peace education initiatives have common concerns such as:

1.Addressing violence at all levels;

2.Providing the individuals with understanding of the forces and factors within the social system;

3.Developing a future world that is less violent, more just and secure;

4.Promoting the symbolic relationship between humans and nature;

 5.Eliminating the threats of war, violence, and environmental destruction; and

6.Aiming for a peaceful equitable and ecologically sustainable future.

As such, peace education aims to develop among its students the value of:

1.Understanding multi-cultural society;

2.Inculcating peace to the youth and promoting peace among nations;

3.Resolving conflict peacefully;

4.Love for other persons;

5.Self-esteem, cooperation, communication, environmental concerns, and multi-cultural and global

awareness, and

6.Attaining inner peace

CULTURAL OF PEACE

A culture of peace (COP) is achieved when citizens of the world understand global problems, have
the skills to resolve conflicts and struggle for justice non-violently, live by international standards of human
rights and equity, appreciate cultural-diversity, and respect the earth and each other. Such learning can only
be achieved with systematic education for peace (Hague Appeal for Peace Global campaign for peace
Education).

The culture of peace must be understood by the message it brings. Culture is established in a human
society composed of the spiritual aspect where values, meanings and worldviews are developed; and the
material aspect consists of language, gesture, symbols, rituals, and styles. The classic definition of culture
which more sociological definitions have followed was stated by Taylor: “That complex whole which
includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as
a member of society.”

Developing the culture of peace was recognized as the development of creative life-styles and
practical ways of dealing with conflict that make violence and oppression obsolete. To promote a culture of
peace, it must be systematically integrated into formal education. However, some problems are encountered
in this effort as observed in the experience of Toh (1997), particularly in Notre Dame University, Cotabato
City, Philippines

1.Peace education does not only promote critical understanding but also empowerment and action
for transformation. Therefore, schools and institutions- as well as individual peace advocates all
need to take on the challenges of institutional and personal transformation so that organizational and
interpersonal structures and relationship are more consistent with principles of peace, justice,
sustainability democracy, and compassion.
 2.An authentically holistic orientation towards peace education needs to promote critical thinking
and problem solving on contemporary and societal problems facing the Philippines. This means
that alternative perspectives on paradigms of national development, human rights, environmental and
resource use, and democracy and cultural relationships must be a central feature of official curricula
and pedagogies The challenge for government institutions is to encourage open dialogue and critical
analysis of these alternative views.

3.Although peace education is gaining momentum, there are forces within the wider Philippines
society and global context that can lay the seed for more conflict and peacelessness.

These obstacle are not however, insurmountable. There are strategies to facilitate the progress
of peace education. Hereunder are some of these strategies:

1.Constant dialogue among all sectors, institutions, and agencies on the meaning and purpose of peace
education, informed by the willingness to learn who from the experiences of institutions, NGOs, and
community organizations who may provide lessons for such experiences

2.Coordinating the expansion of peace education programs with adequate training and orientation of
decision-makers, administrators, citizens and educators in holistic framework

3.Improving coordination mechanisms between government agencies, NGOs and other institutions
seeking to integrate peace education into their activities.

4.Setting up of opportunities for sectoral advocates and educators to dialogue and explore the relevance
of a holistic peace education framework to their specific work

THE STEPS IN NON-VIOLENT ACTIONS

1.Information Gathering well-informed research

2.Education-information gathered is transmitted to others
3.Personal Commitment-not a job but a commitment to offer one’s life for a cause
4.Negotiation-you are not a non-violent person if you do not open yourself for negotiation
5.Reconciliation and Heling-produce both truces and settlement

ROLE OF SCHOOLS IN PROMOTING VALUES OF PEACE

1.Peaceful pedagogies or strategies in teaching

2.Disarmament education, discourage parents from buying war toys

3.Avoid sexist education, language curriculum

4.Encourage students cooperative/collaborative activities rather than competitive one.

5.Encourage students to discuss the roots of conflict so that they can propose alternative ways of solving
them peacefully.

6.Encourage students to undertake activities that promote intercultural dialogue to develop intercultural
understanding and tolerance.