What I have learned so far

1. Why should the independence of the judicial branch of the government be

maintained and protected?
- So that we can have the democracy of our nation.
2. What constitutional guarantees are there to make sure the independence of the
judiciary is evident in the Philippines?
- Security of tenure of the judges
- Expanded power of judicial review
- Creation of the Judicial and Bar council

Reflect Upon
How are disputes settled, say, in your school or in your family? How important is the
presence of a body that addresses this concern at the bigger society?
- In our family sometimes we settled it by communication, but most of the time we’ll
just let it pass then later that day we’re okay. The presence of a body that handles the
society concerns is important because she/ he will be the key to fix the argument, also
society needs him / her so that they’ll have better settlement about their issues or
arguments.

Reflect Upon
Do you agree that 'justice delayed is justice denied'? Explain your answer by sharing
an example of a person you know, who has experienced delay in the administration of
justice. What does this say about Philippine society?

- I don't know anyone personally who has been convicted due to the delay of the
administration of justice, but there's one movie in particular-- Miracle in Cell No. 7, the
Filipino adaptation, where the mentally handicapped protagonist is falsely accused of a
crime and sent to prison. Then, given the death penalty. After 20 so years, his daughter
became a judicial apprentice who then got a sentence of innocence. It just means that
justice can still be achieved no matter how delayed it can be. The incompetence and
bias of the Philippine society will be behind the shadow of justice.

Beyond walls 8.1

1. Prepare a time line of important events in the development of the Philippine Judiciary.

Prior to the Spanish Conquest: The government was patriarchal in form. The unit of
government was the barangay, a settlement of about 30 to 100 families. The dat
exercised all functions of government (executive, legislative, and the judge).

During the Spanish Regime: The Philippine courts during the Spanish sovereignty
consisted of superior courts, Audencia. The inferior or local courts were the Courts of
First Instance and justice of the peace courts, both constituting the base of the Spanish
judicature in the Philippines.
 During the American Regime: The Philippine Commission enacted Act No. 136, which
abolished the Audencia or Supreme Court and Courts of First Instance. Act No. 136
established the Supreme Court. It consisted of a Chief Justice and six Associate Judges,
any five of whom, when convened, formed a quorum and could transact the business of
the Court.

During the Commonwealth: The Philippine Constitution provided for the independence
of the judiciary, transferred the rule-making power from the Legislature to the Supreme
Court on the control to promulgate rules concerning pleading, practice, and procedure
in all court and the admission to the practice of law.

During the War and Its Aftermath: Throughout the period since Liberation, Supreme
Court has maintained and strengthened its prestige. Faced with difficult decisions during
the Japanese Occupation, the Court has won respect for legal consistency and
impartiality. The Court has remained indifferent to political problems and has been
recognized for its fair and impartial decisions.

2. What are some of the early Filipino traditions that influenced the current system of
dispute settlement?

- Some of the early Filipino traditions that influenced the current system of dispute
settlement are settled by arbitration, having an arbitrator, and having a judge and jury
3. How did the colonial experiences of the country influence the current judicial system?

- The colonial experience helped and gave knowledge of judicial systems and paved the
way to improve and had the independence of the branch.

What I have learned so far

1. What are the qualifications of members of the judiciary?

 a natural-born citizen of the Philippines;

 at least 40 years of age
 has been a judge of a court for at least ten years, or been engaged in the practice
of law in the Philippines or has held office requiring admission to the bar as a
prerequisite for at least ten years.

2. Compare and contrast these qualifications with those of the others member of the
two other branches of the government. What are your observations?

The following statements are the comparison of qualification in order to become a public
official of specific Branch of the Government:
To become the president and vice president of the Philippines – under the executive branch; to
become the senator of the Philippines; and chief justice of the Philippines, the following
candidates must compose of this qualification:

 Natural-born citizen of the Philippines.

 Registered Voters.

The following statements are the contrast of qualification in order to become a public official
of specific Branch of the Government:

 To become a president and vice president of the Philippines, the candidates must able
to read and write, at least forty years of age on the day of the election, a resident of the
Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding such election.
 To become a senator of the Philippines, the candidates must be at least 35 years old,
and Philippine resident (not less than two years from the day of election).
 To become a chief justice of the Philippines, the candidates must be at least 40 years of
age, he must have been for 15 years or more a judge of the lower court or engaged in
the practice of law in the Philippines, and of proven competence, integrity, and probity.

The following statement that being stated above was the present outcome of reasonable
administration that Philippine had. As the following individuals, or what we call politicians, took
their responsible oath, they place themselves on the rule that they can handle until the end of
their term. Hence, their cultivatable obligations were proven by the power of 1987 Philippine
Constitution.

Reflect Upon
How can you actively participate in judicial reform? What roles can you possibly play
as a student in this agenda?

- By actively participating in their agenda, example is being a volunteer to give food in

the places that are not capable enough to have foods. Also give or spread some
information about this reform so that I can gain help from my fellow youth. Also using
social media, I can post a picture or make a post about these people who needs help so
that the people all over the world will know their situations and help them.

Beyond walls 8.2

1. Research on what disputes are settled through the Katarungang Pambarangay in
your community.
- I experienced it personally, when we settled our disputes with the help of the
barangay, it is about gossips about me that is not true. So the barangay made us an
agreement that no one’s going to talk about that issue or else we will sue the person
who spread it., and by that we settled it clearly and in organized.
 2. How successful is the use of alternative modes of dispute, such as mediation or
conciliation, in your barangay and in the larger Philippine society? What is the future
of alternative modes of dispute settlement?

- Using these modes it can easily resolve the problem within the barangay only without
the presence of higher justice system. Also since most of the problem resolves in the
local justice system the higher justice system didn’t disturb about simple problem that
can be easily solve at the barangay. So it conserves time and money.

Beyond walls 8.3

Visit the Web site of Social Weather Stations at http://www.sws.org.ph or Pulse Asia
at http://www.pulseasia.ph. Research the public's trust ratings of the Philippine
judiciary and its members. Make a comparison of trust ratings of the Supreme Court
or the Chief Justice with those of the other offices or officials of the government since
2001. What are some of the trends and patterns that you observe?

Beyond walls 8.4

You are a columnist in a well-known broadsheet in the Philippines. You are to write
your views and opinions on a particular issue in the Philippine justice system. Your
editor will evaluate your work based on content (relevance) and structure (grammar
and organization). You may also format your article just like how it appears in a
column in the opinion/editorial section of the newspaper.

I want to scold Bongbong Marcos spokesman Vic Rodriguez who insists that not all of
Marcos elector al protests against Leni Robredo were rejected by the Supreme Court
Even the Supreme Judge, will you re- verse? Here is the barangay there you can
complain.

After all, the Marcoses were able to reverse the very history of the Philippines No one
died! No torture! The leader ship of Ferdinand Marcos is said to by the golden age of the
Philippines. Are you gold? The amount of copper you have. The amount of you sucking
on fake Camelot (READ: One fiction ends but false narratives remain)

Does it hurt, Bongbong to be beaten three times! You lost the election. You line the
recount. And you lost your self to the Judge's decision Sorry we can't erase the smile on
our faces
That is in the face of your relent less maneuvering in the Presidential Electoral Tribunal
not be inhibited in the PT. The Solicitor General himself is still a lawyer for you. You and
SolGen Jose Calida even submitted a carbon copy of the motion 1Psst. Manong Bong
bong copy paste will only work on social media, not in the judiciary).
So in 2016, when the new sitting President ago Duterte allowed the burial of your father
in the holy land of heroes, those who fought and stood up against the dictator were
depressed.

Many Filipinos, opponents or allies, believe that the return of the heir is unstoppable or
inevitable. So surprisingly with the amount of hidden wealth of the Marcoses,
you are still defeated, Bongbong.
Didn't you have a fake de from Oxford University? Like your sister Imee with a fake
degree from Princeton? Like your mother with a fake British accent? And like your dad
with fake US war medals?

What is the gold at the end of your rainbow Bongbong? Why Malacañang. what else?
Lee Kuan Yew's son effortlessly inherited the throne of Singapore. The sun of Diosdado
Macapagal has become president, the son of Cory and Ninoyy Aquino me, has also been
elected president why are you the only one who has most fulfilled your encounter with
history?
Module 9
What I have learned so far
1. What is decentralization for?
- In the political context, decentralization is the transfer of powers from the central
government to the local government units. With this type of reform, it aims to make the
democratic system of a country more stable, establish transparency and accountability
and make the government system more effective and efficient. Further, this reform
promotes and increase the level of participation of the citizen in making major decisions
that greatly affect the community.

2. Why is decentralization the trend among governments, not only in the Philippines, but
also in other countries?
- Some countries may decentralize to ensure the further development of the democratic
system and not the other way around. More so, some countries would want to
decentralize to improve the level of competence and effectiveness of some public
sectors and services. Further, Decentralization can root from administrative motives
that aim to have more accountable and transparent governance, with lower corruption
and high citizen participation.
Reflect Upon
1. Will local government units be able to think of and address their own issues instead of
the national government?
- I think yes, with the help of their local officials I believe that they’ll able to solve their
own problem without the help or national government. If it happens that the local can’t
resolve it the national government will do it. Example is the pandemic the national
government made an action using lockdown in NCR, the local government will
implement it in order to decrease the cases of positive in the virus.
2. Is more autonomy synonymous to better governance? Explain your answer.
What I have learned so far
How did the past experiences of the country influence the course of decentralization
in the Philippines at present?
- Because of the past experiences, it influences the course of decentralization in the
Philippines by leading it to more creative, innovative and responsive programs by
allowing local "experimentation." It also increases political stability and national unity by
allowing citizens to better control public programs at the local levels.
Reflect Upon
 1. How important history is shaping the political landscape of a country, with reference
to the structure of local governments?

- Stability is the most crucial purpose of governance. As a result, think of governance or

views about governance, as a brick wall that individuals build up brick by brick over
time. Many "current" problems and issues influence how each brick is put, yet these
concerns and difficulties are little more than future "history," so when you look at the
wall as a whole, you largely see a shape shaped by its history.
Local government structures are frequently among the lowest bricks in that wall,
which means that not only are the effects of history much more pronounced in them
(the reasoning for how they are laid is much less contemporary and relevant today), but
they also have a significant impact on whatever is built after them.

2. Do you think your own local government is a product of the evolution of our society?
Explain your answer.

- Yes, I think our own local government is a product of the evolution of our society
because local governments can initiate a community's economic planning efforts, to
build on their official community plan and role of shaping community growth and
determining land use and, that has a great impact of the changes in our society.
Reflect Upon
1. How well does your local government unit perform in terms of the major functions
cited previously?
Management of Environment – In terms of this roles I think it is not that priority because
currently we a power plant here where the main material is charcoal, because of it this
power plant made an air pollution that affects the residents here to have an asthma and flu.
Also there’s some part of the forest here that they cut trees so that they can get more rocks
and sell them. So I think our local government here didn’t see it as a big issue but it will
someday.
Poverty Alleviation – Because of the power plant they will able to provide some work for
the workers. And I noticed that it helps the workers to have a better life than they had
before.
Efficient service delivery – This role is depending on the person who’s in charge in a specific
work, so it’s half good and half not good, because I already encountered some government
workers that’s not dedicated to her work and didn’t do her job properly that resulted to the
residents to get irritated. And I already encountered a worker that can easily do their job
with dedication and hard work.
 Economic development – When it come to this I think one of the developments is the road,
before it wasn’t made in cement so when there’s a flood it’s messy and muddy for us to
walk to it but now it’s already cement, the vehicles and people didn’t experience shaky and
messy anymore. Second is when it’s evening we don’t have much light here especially in the
road and it caused some accidents to vehicles and the people. But now it doesn’t that dark
anymore since there’s already solar lights that will automatically turn on when it’s sunset
and off when the sun rises so that it can charge some lights from the sun.
2. What can you do to help your LGU in these respects?
- By observing I think, when I observe what happens in my environment I will be able to tell
my LGU’s the needs and must do in our place since I experienced and encountered it
personally. Also I can participate to their program that will help my community that way we
will be able to reach the 4 major roles at the same time help my fellow residents here in my
place.
Beyond walls 9.1
What I have learned so far
1. What are the characteristics of LGU’s in the Philippines?
- Almost all such local government bodies share certain characteristics such as
continuing organization authority to undertake public activities, the ability to enter into
contracts, the right to sue and be sued, and the ability to collect taxes and determine a
budget. They have many obligatory duties and a vast field of permissive powers in which
each authority is independent within the sphere of power authorized by the central
government. There is no hierarchy of authorities and local councilors are freely elected
and constitute the local executive as well as the legislature.

2. How did decentralization and devolution change the landscape of local governance?
- Decentralization and devolution change the landscape of local governance by creating
local government units that will lead to more creative, innovative, and responsive
programs by allowing local units to experiment and impose basic rules and regulations
that increase political stability and national unity by allowing citizens to better control
public programs at the local level. Decentralization and devolution ensure that decisions
are made closer to the local people, communities, and businesses.

Beyond walls 9.2

Read the article on the implications of decentralization on reproductive health in the
Philippines through the following link: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPRH/
Resources/PhilippinesRHMarticle.pdf. Answer the following questions:
 1. What are the intended and unintended consequences of decentralization to
reproductive health in the country?
- A major unintended consequence of devolution was the disruption of the technical
linkages between the rural health units at the municipal level and the primary and
secondary referral facilities at the district and provincial levels.
2. How important is central-local relations in the welfare and development of local
governments, particularly in the health sector?
- It’s a big help knowing that your neighbor barangay can help your barangay in
some ways like in health. Also the relation of central and local is important so that
everyone in the country will receive appropriate treatment and medicine, it helps us
to develop some unity between Filipinos that helps each other.
3. Do you think the findings also reflect the condition of decentralization in the
education sector? How about in environment protection or in disaster and risk
reduction management?

Quarter challenge
I.
1. B
2. C
3. A
4. B
5. C
6. B
7. D
8. D
9. A
10. C
11. C
12. A
13. A
14. B
15. B
16. B
17. B
18. B
19. C
20. B
II.
 1. E
2. G
3. P
4. M
5. I
6. N
7. D
8. L
9. F
10. O
11. H
12. J
13. C
14. B
15. A
III.
I think the pandemic is the best example of social problem is the pandemic that we are
currently experiencing, the national government solve this by decreasing the positive
cases using the disinfection where the government assigned some workers that
disinfects the places every day to make sure that it’s clean and no virus was with it, this
was for the Management environment. When it comes to Economic development,
national government allowed some tourist spots here in our country with of course
proper protocols like face mask and distance, so that our economic are still in process. In
terms of Efficient service delivery, the government provided it to us by having a
frontliners like doctors and nurses that helps to monitor the patients and do house to
house test and vaccines, riders that provides our needs without going outside, and
soldiers that making sure that no one’s going to pass their barangay to another
barangay. And all of these examples are made from the national government that must
follow and implemented by the local government. I think this problem be able to solve if
all of us are following the protocols properly, we must be discipline in order to
overcome this problem that we are experiencing right now.