Revised Outline (as of 10 August 2022):

Topic: Rediscovering Non-Governmental Organizations as a Vehicle to Effective Philippine Democracy

Target Audience: Philippine voters (Age 18+)

Learning Outcome: 

At the end of the video, viewers shall be able to:

1. Recall what is a Non-Governmental Organization (“NGO”)

2. Recall the history and development of NGOs in the Philippines
3. Explain how an NGO fits into the framework of Philippine democracy as expressed in the Philippine Constitution and legislation
4. Illustrate how participation through NGOs can positively impact our society, post-2022 Elections.

Learning Objectives: 

The video shall

1. Explain what an NGO is;

2. Explain the history of NGOs in the Philippines;
3. Illustrate how NGOs are institutionalized with the legal and democratic framework of the Philippines; and
4. Illustrate how participation through NGOs can positively impact our society, post-2022 Elections

Outline

1. Introduction: NGO in the recent news

2. What is an NGO? A short discussion of its features and its history
a. Definition
b. Spanish Era
c. Commonwealth Era
d. 1960s
e. Martial Law Era
 f. 1990s to current times

3. The 1987 Constitution and the Local Government Code regarding NGOs and their implications
4. Conclusion: NGO participation as a way forward after the 2022 Elections
5. References and Suggested Readings

Script Proper:

Sequence Audio Video/Graphics On Screen Text

Number
1 Music Up Insert grayscale picture of Philippine flag Appears one by one, center
justified:
Inspiring folk guitar tune 1. “Non-“ (Yellow font
color, fade in by the sun
To use any Creative Commons of Philippine the flag)
Licensed music available 2. “Governmental” (Blue
font color, fade in by the
blue portion of the flag )
3. “Organizations” (Red
Font color, fade in by the
red portion of the
Philippine flag )
4. “Rediscovering NGOs as
a Vehicle to Effective
Philippine Democracy”
(White Font, Appears at
bottom of screen)

Transition: Fade
2 Music Down (Audio Duck) Any short video clip of VP Leni making a speech, preferably a clip “Breaking News”
during the thanksgiving event in Ateneo.
Narration: After the 2022
Philippine Elections, the idea of
 “NGOs” or Non-Governmental
Organizations made the news
cycle when former opposition
leader and Vice President Leni
Robredo announced her
intention to transition her Angat
Buhay Program to an “NGO”.

(Note to editor: Source should be accredited on screen)

Transition: Fade

3 Narration: Some supporters and Screenshot of news clippings reacting to the Angat Buhay NGO,
observers welcomed with the including clippings showing NGO being misconstrued as a “New
initiative, though had wished that Government Organization”
a new political party be formed
instead.

Some citizens were confused as

to what an NGO is, and what it is
not.

Some even red tagged the

initiative.

The current day confusion as to

what NGOs are and what they
are capable of is unfortunate as
 the Philippines was often called
the “NGO capital of the world”.

(Note to Editor: Sources of clips should be cited on screen. Pictures

should appear one after the other. Narration and the clips shown
should match)

Transition: Fade
4 Narration: In this video, we will Background picture (One by one slide in transition)
rediscover what NGOs are and of whiteboard
their role and influence in Learning Goals:
Philippine history.
1. Refresh our memory on
We will also take a look how what a Non-
 NGOs fit in the Philippine Governmental
democratic framework and how Organization (“NGO”)
they are an excellent vehicle for 2. Recall the history and
democracy in the post 2022 development of NGOs in
elections period. the Philippines
3. Explain how an NGO fits
Transition: Fade into the framework of
Philippine democracy as
expressed in the
Philippine constitution
and various legislation
4. Illustrate how
participation through
NGOs can positively
impact our society, post-
2022 Elections.

5 Narration: The best way of Insert creative common licensed pictures of the following pictures Heading: Part I: What is an NGO?
defining and understanding with a red cross mark:
NGOs is by comparing it to what
it is not. (Note to editor: Pictures should appear one after the other.
Narration and the clips shown should match)
This way, we also address the
misconceptions from the term
NGO. 1. Rebel groups

1. An NGO does not seek to

overthrow the
government or take up
arms, or have any other
illegal purpose.
 2. An NGO is not a
government agency or a
GOCC;

3. It is not an organization 2. Government or State entities

with private goals and
ends. Hence, it is not a
corporate entity. NGOS
are also differentiated
from other civil society
organizations such as
political parties, people’s
organizations, socio-civic
organizations,
professional 3. Corporations
organizations, the
academe, media,
churches, cooperatives
and research institutions.

(Reference: Tigno, J. Arugay, A.

UP Political Science Department,
NGOs?! Pag-usapan natin yan!
Accessible at:
[https://fb.watch/eNOxLXE6N2/])

Transition: Fade

6 Narration: In other words, an Background picture of NGOs are:

NGO is a general term for: whiteboard
1. Legally organized
 1. Legally organized
associations; 2. Autonomous;

2. Which are autonomous 3. Organized to serve a

from the State; broader public good

3. And are organized to

serve a broader public
good as opposed to
private profit or private
interests and ends.

Transition: Fade

7 Narration: NGOs have had a Insert grayscale creative common licensed pictures of La Heading: Part II: History and
unique role in the history and in Soladaridad, Jose Rizal, or generic pictures of Free Masons from Development of NGOs
the democratic framework of the Spanish colonial times in the Philippines.
Philippines. Body: “Think La Solidaridad, or
the Free Masonry movements
During the Spanish colonial times during the late 1800’s”
in the Philippines, prototype
NGOs in the form of self-help (Note to Editor: Make sure the
associations were formed by text contrasts with or at the
Filipinos as a reaction to bottom of the images so that it is
colonialism and the trade union readable.)
movement.

These were organizations that

were instrumental in advocating
 for more civil rights and
economic inclusion for Filipinos
during the Spanish occupation.

(Reference for slides 4-11:

Constantino-David, K. From the
Present Looking Back, Siliman
and Noble, Organizing for
Democracy: NGOs, Civil Society,
and the Philippine State, 1998 p.
26-48)

(Note to Editor: Narration and the clips shown should match)

Transition: Fade
8 Narration: During the 1900’s to Insert grayscale creative common licensed pictures/clips of the red “The Philippine Red Cross Act of
the 1950’s, associations were cross in action 2009 explicitly identifies the PRC
organized by private citizens to as a “non-governmental
perform relief, welfare, and society””
rehabilitation services, to provide
aid to those affected by the (Note to Editor: Make sure the
various wars in the Philippines. text contrasts with or at the
bottom of the images so that it is
One notable example is the readable.)
Philippine Red Cross or the PRC,
which was established in various
forms from the 1900’s until the
Philippines’ adoption of the
 Geneva Conventions of 1949.

Since its establishment in the

1900’s the importance of the PRC
is undeniable in providing
essential medical, humanitarian
and disaster relief services, to the
point that legislation has been
passed to institutionalize
government support and
cooperation for PRC’s mandate.

(Note to Editor: Narration and the clips shown should match)

Transition: Fade
9 Narration: The 1950’s and 1960’s Insert grayscale creative common licensed pictures of social
saw a rise in community organizing, and instances of activism.
organizing in reaction to rising “Trivia:
social issues such as land reform
and poverty in the urban sector. During the 1960’s NGOs were
more commonly known as
It was also during this time that “cause oriented organizations”
broader social movements such and such term may also refer to
as liberation theology, Moro people’s organizations or other
nationalism, socialist democracy, grassroot organizations.”
Marxism, and Maoism,
permeated the conversations in (Note to Editor: Make sure the
civil society. text contrasts with or at the
bottom of the images so that it is
readable.)
(Note to Editor: Narration and the clips shown should match)

Transition: Fade
10 Narration: The civil unrest and Insert grayscale creative common licensed pictures of the First “The rise of activism by cause
series of protests in what was Quarter Storm. oriented groups was more
officially known as the “First commonly known as the
Quarter Storm” in 1970 was phenomenon of the “Parliament
carried out not just by of the Streets”.”
charismatic individual actors, but
by highly organized civic groups, (Note to Editor: Make sure the
including NGOs. text contrasts with or at the
bottom of the images so that it is
When Martial Law was declared readable.)
in September of 1972, it was
against a backdrop of several
years of protesting civil society
groups formed by robust and
furious community organizing.
 (Note to editor: Narration and the clips shown should match)

Transition: Fade

11 Narration: Unmistakably, among Insert grayscale creative common licensed pictures of the People
the key actors of the ensuing Power Revolution “One of the largest coalitions of
People Power Revolution are civil society entities that was
NGOs, along with coalitions of formed during the EDSA
people organizations, the Church, Revolution was called the Justice
media and other entities of civil for Aquino, Justice for All (JAJA)
society. movement, comprised of about
67 cause-oriented groups.”

(Note to Editor: Make sure the

text contrasts with or at the
bottom of the images so that it is
readable.)
 (Note to editor: Narration and the clips shown should match)

Transition: Fade

12 Narration: At the end of the Insert, one by one, gray scale creative commons licensed pictures of “Against this backdrop, the
Marcos dictatorship, the NGOs and nation building country was said to have become
importance of the role of NGOs the NGO capital of the world.”
and civil society organizations in
democracy and national was
officially and institutionally (Note to Editor: Make sure the
recognized through the 1987 text contrasts with or at the
Constitution. bottom of the images so that it is
readable.)
A proliferation of NGOs
happened during 1990’s up to
 the present times due to the
legitimization and access of NGOs
to political processes.

(Note to editor: Narration and the clips shown should match)

Transition: Fade

13 Narration: A brief review of the Tight shot of a book copy of the PH Constitution and a person Heading: Part III: NGOs Under
various laws that institutionalize showing the following articles. the Framework of Philippine
state cooperation with NGO will Democracy
show that an inclusive approach
towards NGOs is a win-win The book should also have the following words underlined for
situation for the government and emphasis:
the public.

For instance, The 1987 1. ARTICLE II, SECTION 23. The State shall encourage non-
Constitution institutionalized a governmental, community-based, or sectoral organizations that
consultative and collaborative promote the welfare of the nation.
framework between the 2. ARTICLE X, SECTION 14: The President shall provide for
government and NGOs. regional development councils or other similar bodies composed of
local government officials, regional heads of departments and other
The Role and Rights of People’s government offices, and representatives from non-governmental
Organizations were also organizations within the regions for purposes of administrative
 recognized through declared decentralization to strengthen the autonomy of the units therein and
state support for the role and to accelerate the economic and social growth and development of
rights of independent people's the units in the region.
organizations and their effective
and reasonable participation at 3. ARTICLE XIII
all levels of social, political and
economic decision-making. SECTION 15. The State shall respect the role of independent
people’s organizations to enable the people to pursue and protect,
All these principles were within the democratic framework, their legitimate and collective
reiterated in the Local interests and aspirations through peaceful and lawful means.
Government Code were the law
explicitly empowered LGUs to xxx
have partnerships with NGOs
through PPPs. 4. SECTION 16. The right of the people and their organizations
to effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social,
Moreover, LGUS are mandated political, and economic decision-making shall not be abridged. The
by the code to form local State shall, by law, facilitate the establishment of adequate
development councils which are consultation mechanisms.
comprised of accredited NGO
and people’s organization among (Note to editor: Narration and the clips shown should match)
other stakeholders.
Transition: Fade

14 Narration: A review of the Insert news clippings of the various partnerships and program of the Heading: Part IV: Moving
history, development, and the Angat Buhay NGO, and other famous NGOs in the Philippines (look Forward
framework of NGOs under for Rotary Club, Ibon Foundation, Women's Legal and Human Rights
Philippine democracy hopefully Bureau, etc.)
provides some context to what
an NGO is and what it can
achieve.
As can be seen by the history of
NGOs in the Philippines, NGOs
are not just non-political
charitable institutions. They are
also able participate in effective
democracy, support political
causes, and promote advocacies
and activism, even when it is not
an election season.
 Transition: Fade

15 Narration: Among the species of Insert video clip of Philippine flag Key features of NGOs that make
entities in civil society, NGOs may it an excellent democratic vehicle
have the most useful shape for even without an election:
nation building for the reasons
cited on screen. 1. Ability to partner with
the government, LGUs,
More importantly, NGOs are able private entities, other
to promote the ideals of NGOs, people’s
democracy even outside of grand organizations, political
rallies or elections. parties, and other
members of civil society;
With the public’s revitalized civic 2. Ability to empower and
consciousness after the elections, capacitate ordinary
it is hoped that NGOs are once citizens through
again utilized to fight for promoting volunteerism
democracy in the Philippines. and involving them in
civil society activities;
[MUSIC VOLUME UP] 3. Autonomous of both
state and private
interests;
4. Organized for the
broader public good;
5. Free to innovate and
have immediate impact
on the grassroots level;

(Note to Editor: Make sure the

text contrasts with the video clip
 so that it is readable.)

References and suggested readings:

1. Constantino-David, K. From the Present Looking Back, Siliman and Noble, Organizing for Democracy: NGOs, Civil Society, and the Philippine State,
1998 p. 26-48
2. Siliman and Noble, Organizing for Democracy: NGOs, Civil Society, and the Philippine State, 1998
3. Tigno, J. Arugay, A. UP Political Science Department, NGOs?! Pag-usapan natin yan! Accesible at: [https://fb.watch/eNOxLXE6N2/])

(Note to Editor: Insert attribution for the clips/pictures used)