Every six years, the Caucus of Development NGO Networks, Inc. (CODE-NGO), the Change Politics Movement (CPM), and other civil society organizations gather to craft a four-pillar Development and Reform Agenda (DRA).

The DRA serves to raise awareness and to drum up support for vital and critical actions that the next President and Administration of the Philippines should implement in order to address the multiple challenges facing our country today. As we come close to the May 2022 National and Local Elections, we present this DRA for their term of office in 2022 – 2028. 

Call to Action: Together with the CPM, CODE-NGO calls on Philippine civil society organizations, networks, and partner communities to present this DRA to candidates for President, Vice President, Senators, Congresspersons, and local government positions, and to adopt and/or localize the DRA for their advocacy work and engagement with national and local governments after the May 2022 Elections. 

Priority is given to the concerns of the poor sectors in our country – the small farmers and fisherfolk, laborers, urban poor, indigenous peoples, and others. 

Pillar 1: Ensuring Empowerment, Democratization and Good Governance

The next Administration should promote and practice good governance in all branches of government as it fosters participation, transparency, and accountability of leaders and upholds the rule of law in administrative, political, and economic institutions and processes. The pandemic exposed weaknesses across democratic pillars, and the democratic backslide became steeper due to increased militarization as a pandemic response, and assault on press freedom, among others. 

Read more about it here.

Pillar 2: Reducing Poverty and Inequalities

The next Administration should decisively and effectively address inequities across sectors, geographical areas, gender, age, and ethnicities in our country, especially in light of the worsening effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s access to decent incomes, education, health, social services, transportation and mobility, financial services, and information and communication technology.

Read more about it here.

Pillar 3: Protecting Human Rights and Building Peace

The next Administration must protect human rights and build peace. According to the report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), an overarching focus on national security, countering terrorism and illegal drugs in our country resulted in numerous human rights violations, including killings and arbitrary detention, persistent impunity and the vilification of dissent.

Read more about it here.

Pillar 4 : Promoting Sustainable Development and Recovery

The next Administration must acknowledge the need to ensure environmental protection and promotion even when pursuing economic growth. Sustained and sustainable economic development requires the active involvement of the majority of the Filipinos – the workers, farmers, fishers, micro and small entrepreneurs and cooperatives.

Read more about it here.