Authors:
Maria Ela L. Atienza
Clarinda Lusterio Berja
Zuraida Mae D. Cabilo
Mara Yasmin S. P. Baviera
Dina Marie B. Delias
Published by:
Third World Studies Center
University of the Philippines-Diliman
ABSTRACT
This paper is a book review on the book entitled “Developing a Human Security Index for the Philippines: An Exploratory Study in Selected Conflict Areas” written by Maria Ela L. Atienza, Clarinda Lusterio Berja, Zuraida Mae D. Cabilo, Mara Yasmin S. P. Baviera and Dina Marie B. Delias respectively of the University of the Philippines’s Third World and Studies Center. More specifically, the prevailing significance of the above mentioned in understanding the current situation of Filipinos with regards to human security was identified. Part of this paper will highlight insights gained from the book and other documents that supported such a study. In a nutshell, coming up into the exact indices to measure human security is certainly not just a walk in the park but a difficult journey along a rough and bumpy road. Though with commonalities, various institutions, be it local, national or international, still could not agree into one general stand as to what shall be the basis for measuring human security without resulting into arguments to prevent subjectivity and bias, specifically for human security index that will somehow reflect and thoroughly assess the existence of conflicts such in the case of the Philippines. With the unceasing effort however of determined institutions, a seemingly agreeable index was developed as aligned with the concepts presented by the United Nations Development Programme’s HDR of 1994, and other human security advocates. Undeniably, this study offers a vantage point as to how the human security index can be developed and used for a better understanding and planning of the country’s national security program. With this thorough study on human security, a clearer national security program is just right in front of us waiting to be served and distributed by truly dedicated and selfless public servants.
INTRODUCTION
I have chosen “Developing a Human Security Index for the Philippines: An Exploratory Study in Selected Conflict Areas” for my book review for several reasons. Firstly, it identifies the scope and limitations and dimensions of human security. Secondly, it gives us a clearer picture as to why the majority of the Filipinos feel unsafe or unsecured. Respondents of the study, for instance, agreed in one aspect that the topmost reason among threats to human security is economic, the failure of the government to provide livelihood programs which are supposed to help the people in alleviating their almost hopeless fight against poverty. Lastly, I can relate to the study since I came from Negros Occidental, one of the eight case sites wherein this study was conducted.
Such a study elucidated as to how the concept of human security was defined and developed, how the numerous indicators of human security were narrowed down to a more agreeable number in which it could be easily understood and interpreted. With the development of the human security indices suited to the Philippines, a great outline is presented to our policymakers in identifying areas that needed further attention by the government. Knowing that the “be-all and end-all” of these government programs are the people, this study will undoubtedly recommend rooms for prevention and development of policies that will combat any occurrence of circumstances that may threaten the security of the people.
Following this section are the summary and description of the book, where a brief background of the study is presented which includes the authors' theses, major assumptions, implications for research or practice, important or useful concepts, as well as its strengths and weaknesses. And finally, a conclusion which includes my insights that will highlight the last part of this paper.
AUTHOR’S THESIS
Human security is a very broad concept that was first introduced in 1994 by the Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme. It is defined as “safety from constant threats of hunger, disease, crime, and repression,” as well as protection from sudden and hurtful disruptions in the pattern of our daily lives” (UNDP1994, 3). Aside from the given definition, seven broad categories of concerns were incorporated, namely economic, environmental, personal, community, health, political, and food concerns.
Significantly, such a study provided a deeper cognizance among readers with the essential dimensions of human security. So striking it is to identify that the concept of human security evolved along with the conceptual evolution of human development ranging from the 1960s to the 1980’s as presented by the authors. Thus, there’s a need to quantify human security if we have to measure human development in its real sense. In itself, human security underwent an evolution. From the broader concept of state security, it was reduced into a more specific entity of individual thus creating the concept of human security. Some of the vital points illustrated by the authors are as follows: in the making of generally accepted indices of human security, scholars and other concerned institutions both local and international must at first accede on one accepted definition of human security. Contradicting definitions of human security led to confusion and disillusionment as to what shall be measured since human security is a concern. Even to the point where an agreement is obtained, human security faces another dilemma because its definition, be in broader or narrower terms, depends largely on the interest of groups that are engaged in theorizing or application of the concept of human security.
As to the case of the Philippines, human security must conform to the protection of the greater number, the people as well as the environment being at the forefront of the national agenda. Outcomes of the said study shall certainly guide our national planners and policymakers to combat the ever-continuing issues and conflicts that assail our fellow Filipinos in their daily lives, such as the widespread poverty, proliferation of human rights abuses, in all varying faces and the seemingly unabated destruction of the environment.
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS
While the study aims to establish concrete indices for human security suited to the Philippine context, it is a typical easier-said-than-done scenario for reasons beyond the control of those who are initiating the program. For one, there is a continuous debate regarding the scope and focus of human security in the country. Thus, one cannot discount the question: how can human security be defined or perhaps measured when in fact there is no concrete and exact dimensions or standards used in determining it? Moreover, in the Philippines sometimes, there is an overlapping of meanings of both national security and human security and that therefore it would be quite impossible to consider one dimension as solely suited to human security because it is as well a major part of measuring national security.
The concept of human security suddenly occupied the limelight as against the national security after the 1986 People Power Movement. It was then redefined as the “security of the people” (Talisayon n. d.). However, Honasan and Castillo (2002) claimed that there is an artificial “divide between the people and the state,” and that the government and people are the elements of the state. Hence, the people or individuals are thereby subsumed under the state. Both the state and the people have divergent interests and more often than not, such divergence remained unaddressed.
Focusing on the creation of the human security index leads to a deeper awareness and possible prevention plans in avoiding any attempt or situations that propagate negative results on human security. Outcomes however of FGD’s on eight case sites with over 800 participants substantially provided notable data that, while the government tried to solve if not minimize human insecurities or conflict, it turned out that in itself the government has in one way or another tolerated and worst perpetrated the rampant conflict faced by the people. Proof of this is the inability of the government to take actions in a conflict which involved the “common tao” against rich and powerful landowners as well as owners of mining companies. Another disturbing result is that commonly the topmost reason for the existence of a conflict in a particular community is not arm conflict but the huge failure of the government to provide economic security among the people. With these, how can a realistic index of human security be formulated or perhaps created which solely applies in the context of our country, if the government itself contributed much for the existence of conflicts it is supposed to eradicate?
IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH OR PRACTICE
Through the vigilant interpretation and cautious presentation of findings or outcomes of the study, various institutions from both government and non-government organizations could certainly formulate ideas or measures on how to prevent the aggravating cases of human insecurity such as the case of the Philippines. Why is that so? Simply because government program planners and policymakers for national security, to which their referent object are the individuals and the community, could strike the vulnerable point of the issue or conflict. Thus, a great possibility of eradicating if not minimizing its ill-effects positively will transpire. Also, scholars and advocates of human security have the opportunity to further the study by identifying and reviewing the gaps on the definition, perspective, dimensions, and indices of human security which are best suited to the Philippine context, but not moving or drifting away from the concept presented by several institutions that study about human security such as the United Nations Development Programme. At this point, human security advocates could settle the score regarding the limits and boundaries as well as the focus on human security. From there, everyone involved in the promotion of any study and development of human security in the country could convert the shortcomings and difficulties into a rallying point by reflecting on the strength and weaknesses of the study, thereby, create opportunities for the full inclusion of human security in mainstream policymaking in the Philippines.
Efforts are given by authors of this study provide a clear overview of the human security status in the Philippines and serve a great guide for any future related studies. The pieces of information convey a great deal of what has been done since the determination of human security is a concern and what still has to be done to fully filter and sanitize the concept which by then shall benefit our people and country the most.
SIGNIFICANT CONCEPTS
Being aware of the conceptual evolution of human security and how it was defined from all dimensions by numerous scholars and institutions is indeed inspiring and enlightening. Some of the useful concepts provided by the study are the following: the distinction between the concept and scope of state security and human security, the difference between traditional and non-traditional security. Besides, terms such as political, community, economic, environmental, personal, health, and food security are deeply elucidated to allow readers full awareness of their essence in the acquisition of a wider and broader understanding of human security in all its dimensions and numbers of indicators. A thorough study on the implications of the above stated enables the Philippine government to devise plans that shall mitigate possible conflict which in effect helps in the prevention of probable cases of human insecurities.
Another point worth mentioning in this study is the significant role played by the local government in identifying and ensuring the establishment of concrete plans and program which will truly benefit the masses and surely respond to threats in human security. Here, a clearer picture is presented that no matter how excellent the plans of the national government on how to address the needs of the people are, it will be futile without the huge assistance of the local governments who can identify and assess the lives of the people in a particular community.
The so-called threat-based approach is also one of the salient concepts presented by such a study, wherein human security takes the individual and the community as the referent objects and operates in the context of arm conflict involving the state. Despite of the continuing clash of ideas regarding the exact and accepted basis for the study and measuring human security, advocates undoubtedly managed to provide sufficient data and information related to its which in turn enable us to have a grasp of the true essence of studying human security. It may be a rigorous process but at the end of this seemingly never-ending debates, arguments and contesting ideas, the country, and the people will certainly benefit, provided whatever the outcomes and findings shall be addressed and given full attention by our security planners so that a beneficial program will be made to respond human insecurities specifically in the Philippines.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
With the substantial and significant outcomes of the book, any related studies in the future shall gain a clear design of what is to be done on the issue of human security in the Philippine context. It enables the government to create policies related to the eradication if not minimization of the long-existing conflicts that we faced as Filipinos. Despite some research gaps, disagreement on the exact dimensions of human security, its supposed indices, and threats, still it offers a variety of major points for conflict resolution in our country. For instance, a lot of the respondents in the eight major case sites cited one topmost and the singular reason why they felt human insecurities is the incapacity of the national government and even the local governments to provide economic security among the people. A lot of so-called “panginooong maylupa” or landowners continued to exploit the already exploited and disempowered masses thru the provision of daily wage which could not even ensure a decent way of living to farmworkers who till the land from sunrise to sunset. Paradoxically, we often branded our workers, be it farm workers or factory workers and OFW’s like the backbone of the economy, yet the government seldom provides adequate dosage of vitamins and medicines, which is a promotion of programs and policies that will lift their poverty-stricken lives. As to the case of Negrenses, up to these days, a lot of landlords manage only to provide a daily wage of less than a hundred pesos to farmworkers, sugarcane plantation workers specifically. Where can these people turn to for help if the government has provided nothing except deaf ears to their clamors and grievances? As if to add salt to their already stinging injury, the inefficient comprehensive agrarian reform program precipitated the sufferings of the people because the supposed recipients, more often than not, were not awarded with the lands that they are supposed to have in nexus with the great and sweet promises of CARP.
With all the debates and arguments of various institutions concerning the definition and creation of the indices of human security, nothing was mentioned specifically on the involvement of human rights on its dimensions. When identifying the reasons for human insecurities or conflict, it is quite impossible not to tackle issues on human rights abuses. Take for example the point I stated about the common practices of landlords in Negros Occidental in giving a salary to farmworkers which could barely empower them to provide the basic needs of their family. Other abuses were that of not giving benefits to workers such as Christmas bonus, thirteenth months, and other benefits that our constitution supposedly mandated. Now the big question is what has been done by the Department of Labor and in general, the government to at least protect the economic security of its so-called backbone of the economy? To whom these people should ask for assistance when in fact their long years of complaints and grievances to this inhumane act of their landlords have continued them to tie the knot into the farmlands they were tilling since their childhood days? If we will go back to square one, the conflicts in the community are rooted in economic insecurity and in one way or another a by-product of the government’s failure to uphold its duty to the people.
Such a study on the human security index will serve as a strong foundation in battling economic insecurity if only our government policy planners and implementers take into consideration its findings and recommendations on how to devise counter precautionary measures in the avoidance if not lessening the existence of a societal conflict. Efforts used in this study will only materialize if and only if our committed and true public servants will put into practice and deliberation the worthwhile ideas presented by the authors. It is therefore incumbent upon them to assess, re-assess, and evaluate the study’s outcome and findings and align it if possible, to whatever programs/plans that shall promote the welfare of the people. Further, this exploratory study will serve as a draft for the emancipation of people’s plight against human rights abuses, which for me should and must be at the forefront of the indices of human security.
CONCLUSION
Having read this delicate exploratory study, I can’t help but consider it as very beneficial on my part as a social science teacher. It enlightened me about its almost limitless scope as evident in the unceasing arguments and debates about it. It would be great if such a concept is ushered into the social science subjects specifically in secondary schools so that students may acquire a deeper awareness of matters concerning human security. Students, by then, grasp the idea of how to avoid any possibility of human insecurities by taking seriously their education on a personal level, by giving importance to education as an essential weapon on their battle against human rights abuses or possible human insecurities.
Without doubt, this study on human security index helps our educational planners on how to fully introduce human security in the education curriculum, as well as the economic planners of any administration in developing programs that would battle the existing conflicts in the society in so far as security of the people is concerned, regardless of debates or arguments as to how will they define or measure the dimensions of human security. At the end of the day, in any effort or study conducted by someone or other institutions, what remains to be answered is that, “what have we gained, and who benefitted the most”? Seeing smiles and hope to the faces of people from the changes in their lives and well-being made by this study shall prove that indeed, it is relevant and a worthwhile endeavor.