Health and a Discourse for Community Mobilizersmegamanilascene.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/mega-scene-vol-3... · niyanig ng magnitude 5.4 na lindol; ilang gusali sa bayan ng Pagudpud,

World Health Organization office in Manila | MEGAMANILASCENE.WORDPRESS.COM

Health and a Discourse for Community Mobilizers

Good and honest policies come from now old New Social Movements Theory. There are other theories, but the

technology of the Internet intended for media, with its relatively unchecked algorithm, made the old theories so

intricate. Good thing for communication scholars, it’s part and parcel of understanding mobilization in social

movements. A new lens through which academics can understand social movements, the New Social Movement Theory

features among others the social action incentivization. The elements of identity and interpersonal relationships,

however, are a complication to understanding fake news reports as if circulating them is a legitimate concept of

mobilization.

I’d like to position other theories alongside social mobilization phenomenon from a theoretically grounded perspective.

5/15/2019

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” --- Philippians 2:3 (KJV)

Vol 3 Issue 1 | Mega Scene | megamanilascene.wordpress.com


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In the case of TB control spearheaded by World Health Organization (WHO), social mobilization becomes effective if

social mobilization involves all relevant segments of society. They are from the communities to individuals, patients,

and patient groups up to the decision-makers and policymakers, opinion leaders, NGOs, professional and religious

groups, the media, and the private sector.

By honestly recognizing that there is this problem (tuberculosis) to be addressed and assessing contributing factors,

social mobilization jumpstarts. This is the time people need to know their vulnerability and what can be done to

support wide positive acceptance of people with TB on top of health programs and policies. (WHO, 2001)

Focused on mobilizing human resources and financial resources, the social mobilization process makes use of:

Political mobilization— targets national decision-makers and policymakers, the communication methods of which are

advocacy, lobbying, and the use of mass media and goodwill ambassadors. By then, necessary resource allocations are

acquired.

Beneficiary mobilization — information dissemination intended for program beneficiaries as well as some sort of

motivation for them via training programs, community groups, and traditional and mass media communication.

If the New Social Movement Theory began in the 1980s, the Resource Mobilization Theory came a little bit earlier as it

was used to understand social movements in the 1960s. The latter highlighted the agency of social movement actors on

their way to gain resources and recruit allies, challenging the Behaviorist Theories. The New Social Movements Theory

also gives an “alternative way to understand solidarity and mobilization, by stepping away from formal governing

structures of organizations and placing identity and shared experience at the forefront.” (Lopez, 2012)

Going back to the WHO-led social mobilization, participants are asked who among them can be community mobilizers,

with some key points: that there is no “ideal” community mobilizer; that they put premium on attitudes, behaviors, and

skills; and that they are committed to the community mobilization process. DC Alviar

Decreasing fake news, increasing aspirations

Many are guilty of purveying this, including heads of state of the first world and the third world. But as alarmists usher

in this “age” of fake news, more and more individuals and private institutions have declared their utter refusal: “Not

Mike Enriquez appears on GMA News TV while his radio program is being aired at DZBB. Its May 7 running headline reads: ‘Ilocos Norte, niyanig ng magnitude 5.4 na lindol; ilang gusali sa bayan ng Pagudpud, nagkaroon ng bitak.’ The multi-awarded broadcast journalist is heard plugging a brand of juice (he holds it as shown in the picture at left).


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under our watch.” In the Philippines, for instance, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), the top

three broadsheets, the newsrooms of the top three TV networks, some religious leaders, and some legislators refuse to

be in cahoots with these fake news purveyors. The respective war-on-fake news policies of the good institutions versus

this free (but bad) press operating in a public sphere are not without basis. In fact, we’re all in the same page of history

that stirred up these good and honest policies (newly calibrated though, with the advent of the Social Media).

“Media Ethics and Responsibility” is one of the things the CMFR is on the radar of, and I would like to see a better

appreciation of the fact that the top firms in the Philippine tri-media have done a great job in policing their own rank

and keeping fake news sources at bay. In a bid to find proofs of the agenda’s effectiveness, how the role of Advocacy,

Communication, and Social Mobilization (ACSM) is being played individually and collectively must be thoroughly

studied by the communication professionals and students until such time that there will be a new generation regularly

hating the falsehoods and their stories of honesty in serving and leading repeatedly unfold.

Filtering


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One time I thought our doctoral class was too pedantic about social mobilization jargons, but a classmate perfectly

filtered and removed the chaff from the grain so to speak when she raised an important point that “(TB control as a

social mobilization) wasn't really a social movement that sprung from the ground up.” I was reminded of her filter

when a leading broadsheet ran an erratum on the same day we’re running discussion points on a particular module.

Read the somewhat small, but powerful correction:

“In the March 7 issue, the front-page banner photo caption stated that the Gabriela party-list group spearheaded the

United Women’s Action Against Misogyny. It was spearheaded by a coalition of leaders of various women’s

organization, not by any single organization.”

She’s the same classmate who loves and is still loving the spirit of EDSA (everybody in the class loves it – and hates

some political “permutation” out of it). Her conclusion read in part: “A good example of social mobilization was EDSA

I. It was supported by a vast segment of all the sectors of society but unknown to most it took years and years of

community organizing, linking, multi sectoral alliance building, and sacrifices and martyrdom to make it all happen in

1986. The seeds of the 1986 revolution was planted as early as in 1972 during the first quarter storm. The seeds grew

steadily and started to bud and bear fruit in 1983 when Sen. Aquino was assassinated at the tarmac. Social mobilization

takes years even decades to create.”

Lest we forget, people in that régime defected, too. Which leads me to say it’s quite unsettling to treat social

mobilization as something that starts from A to Z or from 1 to 10; rather, it is an invitation for one (from private and

public enterprises) to be part of something to assemble and make ready for action – usually social action.

Me and my report’s commenters were one in considering EDSA as a “good” example of social mobilization (while

another classmate had it as “best”). She concluded: “The People Power Revolution of 1986 seems to be the best

example in the Philippines, thus far, of social mobilization (collective action) as it achieved its goal of toppling a

dictatorial regime. Looking at Pichardo’s elements, the EDSA Revolution was advocating for an ideology of genuine

democracy; there was an appeal for the support of the professional/business sector (not only the usual university

activists) in the non-violent demonstrations as a wise tactical move that eventually suspended normal work operations

even in the financial district; there was a community of leaders from the Opposition (as opposed to having one leader

ruling for the last 21 years); and the base of support was composed of the middle class, the academe/students, the

farmers, the businessmen, the religious – all with a common concern for what was happening.”


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As soon as we’re done examining social mobilization’s theoretical foundations, I hope and pray that our action, our

service, and our promotion of social justice, become the best practices and/or the most appropriate approaches. Sa

social mobilization, may pag-asa. Let’s build a culture of, or continue with the scholarship, and the letters and

numbers game of “increased aspirations” and “increase(d) demand for a common goal” (Deutsch, 1961 and TCI, n.d.) to

make it operational in Liberia, in EDSA, etc. DC Alviar

Ang Hirap sa Paghahanda

Hinihikayat ang mga mamamayan sa pagsasagawa ng mga kinakailangang pagbabago sa kani-kanilang struktura

at bahay, ngunit dapat lamang na maging huwaran ang pamahalaan sa pagsasaayos ng sarili nitong mga gusali.

Ayon kay UP professor Benito Pacheco, hindi makapaghanda nang maigi ang tao dahil hindi niya nauunawaan

kung gaano kalakas ang lindol. Para sa kanya na isang civil engineer, itigil na ang mga pagtatayo kung hindi

naman nagagawa ang mga ito nang may kaayusan at katibayan.

Mahalaga sa ngayon, gaya ng 12-point questionnaire ng Phivolcs noong pang 2014, itanong sa sarili ang “How Safe

Is My House?”

Sa Metro Manila, ang tinaguriang The Big One, ay inaasahang mangyari anumang oras.

Isang pag-aaral noong 2013, “Greater Metro Manila Risk Analysis Project,” ang nagsasabing isang lindol na may

lakas na 7.2 magnitude ay magdudulot ng pagguho ng mga struktura sa lawak na 1,100 ektarya.

May dalawang pangunahing fault lines: ang West Valley Fault (mula Bulacan pa-silangang bahagi ng Metro

Manila hanggang Laguna at Cavite) at ang Manila Trench (hilaga ng Luzon).

Maraming walang karanasan sa malalakas na lindol (tulad ng 7.3-magnitude noong Agosto 1968 sa Metro Manila

na nagpaguho sa Ruby Tower Apartments) kaya isa itong itinuturong dahilan kung bakit hindi iniintindi ang

potensyal na epekto ng ganitong kalamidad.

‘How Safe Is My

House?’, gabay ng

Phivolcs na may

labindalawang tanong

upang matiyak ang

kaligtasan ng

pananatili ng tao sa

kanyang bahay. Kung

nasa condo naman,

ipagbigay-alam sa

admin ang mga bitak

na nilikha ng lindol

para mabisita ng

inhinyero.


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Kargo ng mga tumatakbo

Sa isang pahayagan sa Binondo, Maynila, front page ang mga poster nila Tañada, Colmenares, Montano, at Arellano, mga tumatakbong senador ngayong 2019 (larawan sa itaas). Maraming kandidato rin ang nagbabayad ng air space (TV ad) sa GMA-7, ABS-CBN, at TV-5. Kalimitan, mga senador at mangilan-ngilang party-list ang napapanood ng mga botante, pati rin mga hindi pa nakabobotong mga bata. Napapaindak sila sa mga tugtugin ng TV ad gaya ng kay Bong Revilla na wala namang mensahe kahit 15-30 segundong umeere. Sadyang pinagkakagastusan at sa huling dalawang linggo ng kampanya’y iniulat ng Philippine National Police na dagsa na ang insidente ng pamimili ng boto (vote-buying). Sa larawan sa ibaba, bayad ang ad ng CIBAC sa harap ng tabloid na Pilipino Star Ngayon.

Sa mga tumatakbo sa iba’t ibang

posisyong lokal at pambansa,

mahalagang malaman ang

prayoridad ng pamahalaan sa

ganitong panahon:

Ipagpatuloy ang pagsasakatuparan ng reporma sa pagbubuwis, trade liberalization, at modernisasyon ng mga imprastruktura upang maipagpatuloy ang paglago ng ekonomiya, dumami ang pamumuhunan, at sa huli’y magkaroon ng kaunlarang natatamasa at nararamdaman ng lahat. Ito ang pangunahing layunin ng progresibong ekonomiya – na ang mga bunga nito’y matamasa ng lahat, lalung-lao na ng mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan. Nasa maayos na takbo ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas, ngunit marami pang dapat asikasuhin sa larangan ng paglilikha ng pang-asensong hanap-buhay at pagpapalaya sa tao sa kahirapan at di-pagkakapantay-pantay. Buod man ito ng economic agenda sa kasalukuyan, kailangang kargado ang mga kandidato ng ganitong impormasyon. Mahirap kasing magsimula sa umpisa kahanay ang mga hinalal ngunit napag-iiwanang pinuno. Kasabay na napag-iiwanan:

Ang kargo.

(Hindi pa nag-eeleksyon

habang sinusulat ito. ---Editor)


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Social, environmental and financial values At the risk of being misinterpreted as overweening, let me begin by mentioning three corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives I got involved in: Adamson University issued a check as sponsorship to a public school’s alumni group. The group approached generous individuals and institutions like Adamson and helped them understand that they can be of further assistance in improving that public school. Al Quraishi joined a Filipino basketball tournament in Dammam, Saudi Arabia as a participating team. This was a CSR for the following reasons: The company was requested to help and it delivered by sending a team to participate in the tournament; improved the financial conditions of the group of basketball organizers with its payment of quota and some sponsorship to the players and the organizers; and promoted camaraderie among and wellness programs for OFWs. SM Foundation Inc. recognized the wide reach of SM malls and saw the chance to help the poor through a mall-based outreach program. Share-your-extras campaign, for example, encourages shoppers to donate any items by dropping them off in booths put up in various areas of the malls, eventually benefiting 10,000 families in 93 barangays. Another example: Some of my college students (were) are SM scholars, getting free tuition and other fees at NU. For its part, NU makes it a point that its community relations undergo “management system conformity assessment under application of sampling with the purpose of maintaining the existing certification ISO 9001:2015” while being conscious of the “design, development and delivery of higher education and non-academic services.” These are CSR efforts being exerted through community relations, collaboration with other organizations and individuals. The companies are aware that they extend such generosity for grantees to be self-sufficient rather than to make them dependent on dole-outs.

A screen grab from a recent SM Foundation post on Twitter, paying its last respect to founder Henry Sy, Sr. ‘Goodbye, Tatang. Thank you very much from all young people, families, and communities you helped. We’ll continue what you started,’ read the foundation’s statement in Filipino. CSR: Meanings and Development of Practice


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Without integrating social and environmental concerns in its operation, business becomes a cause of concern in itself. The photo was taken Feb. 17, 2019 at the resumption of the Manila Bay rehabilitation. Companies are a source of talent, resources, technology, information, and capital (Warwick, Mal. 2008). Framers of the 1987 Constitution accepted this reality when its Declaration of Principles and State Policies provides among others: “Section 18. The State affirms labor as a primary social economic force. It shall protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare;” “Section 20. The State recognizes the indispensable role of the private sector, encourages private enterprise, and provides incentives to needed investments;” and “Section 23. The State shall encourage non-governmental, community-based, or sectoral organizations that promote the welfare of the nation.” As for something we presumed the companies are doing and practicing, it should be communicated with stakeholders. This is also why the same Declaration provides, “Section 24. The State recognizes the vital role of communication and information in nation-building.” Legal jargons may not include Corporate Social Responsibility but, as the State Policies declare, we should yield to the indispensability of the companies’ role in building the nation and its people. CSR has been defined in the European Union side of things, thus: “CSR is a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis” (European Union 1, 2004).


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This summer (semestral/trimestral) break alone, billions of pesos were spent in the acquisition of print space -- air space for STI and AMA -- from newspapers to tell readers that some higher education institutions have done CSR well with pictures of bright young people who recently earned college diplomas with a great amount of support from these universities. Evolving It is common to talk about the balance between three values; social, environmental and financial values when CSR is being described. Working actively with CSR by taking actions in favor of maintaining the balance between these three values is not regulated by laws; it is a voluntary initiative (Hollender & Fenichell; Internet, Ejbo 1; Löhman & Steinholz; Mark-Herbert & von Schantz, all in 2000s). Currently, the ISO 26000 Sustainability Management Standard draws on guidelines on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) which is the world’s most widespread framework of CSR reporting. GRI evolved from the original exclusive environmental reporting to the so-called “triple bottom line”: social performance (indicators such as labor conditions and human rights), economic performance (economic impact on customers, suppliers, employees, capital providers and the public sector) and environmental performance (indicators such as resource use, waste management and health risks for present and future generations) (Elkington 1994, 1998). The inclusion of multiple aspects of sustainability performance allowed for a multiple-stakeholder process to develop, which has become part of GRI’s identity. Economics-based According to economics-based voluntary disclosure theories, good CSR performers have more incentives to report their “good” type, which implies a positive association between CSR performance and reporting. Stakeholder and legitimacy theories, on the other hand, claim that companies that are weaker CSR performers would face more legitimacy pressures and therefore would be more active reporters in order to change stakeholders’ perceptions about the firm’s CSR activities (Clarkson et al. 2008). Yet another stream of literature claims CSR reporting as a marketing tool and as such has the customers as the main target of the report. Consequently, the content would be aligned with customer values (Holder-Webb et al. 2009). On the other hand, Hedberg and von Malmborg (2003) report that among Swedish company adopters of GRI standards, the primary envisioned audience for the reports is the investment community. As a starting point, Adams (2002) recounts, based on case studies of seven large companies, that the main reasons for initiating sustainability reports are public pressure and enhancing corporate image and credibility with stakeholders. ‘Hugas-kamay’ CSR disclosures are not exempt from institutional pressures. I remember the time when noted Op-Ed writer Conrado De Quiros was keynoting a congress of PR people. They greatly differed with his “morals” that public servants should not be allowed to be columnists, but these people chose him to be the main resource person in their congress anyway. And with the passage of the Data Privacy Act, it is very interesting to note how top honchos will exempt themselves from full CSR disclosures.

Crossing fingers, however, companies have been more cognizant of their social responsibility and have adopted strategic approaches to their involvement, turning to helping people help themselves. This may be one way of seeing CSR’s worth, rather than its being a tool for “hugas-kamay” or the proverbial washing of hands to make up for company shortcomings. Lessons from Harvard and University of St. Gallen, Switzerland In the University of St. Gallen (HSG) video which was part of the series "in a little green bag" at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, it said in part:

A complimentary ticket


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“We can definitely observe a distinct effort, even though it is still a delicate little plant. And of course there are still those who misconstrue CSR as a PR instrument and simply want to ‘green wash’ or ‘blue wash’ their company. And, unfortunately, there are still companies that don't give a damn about questions of corporate responsibility, and which even trample on justice. Got all that? Let's sum it up: First, CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility. Second, CSR is based on the question of ‘good business’ for a ‘good society’ -- today and tomorrow. Third, Corporate Social Responsibility is not charity: it is about how companies earn their profits, not how they spend them. Fourth, it takes employees of integrity and appropriate organizational structures to realize CSR. It is a matter of individual and institutional ethics. Fifth, politics continue to play an important role, but in a globalized world the effects of regulation can be limited. And, thus, sixth, companies play an increasingly important role. Seventh, ‘soft laws’ are new governance mechanisms based on companies' self-commitment.” This is the reason why the process of development of CSR practice entails regulatory issues worthy of our attention, according to my classmate in her comment to my report. May I also add on the perception on the degrees of attainment of University Social Responsibility (USR) competencies. A good perception survey was conducted, the findings of which suggest a clear difference between methodologies used, further showing that project-based learning methodology “may lead to a greater acquisition of USR competencies than service-learning. In one of my group’s fund-raising campaign that was part of an alumni-initiated alumni homecoming in San Pedro City, Laguna, I heard through the grapevine that one of my group’s treasurers had received a huge amount of sponsorship from a “drug lord.” In an emergency meeting I hastily called and presided over, the group later decided to give the iniquitous sponsored amount back to him. The point is simple, borrowed from abroad out of a Professor Williams conclusion in a paper: Let us inculcate a greater sense of public responsibility in corporate managers by making an affirmative case for expanded corporate social transparency and for the SEC’s (not Philippine SEC) legitimate role in promoting such transparency, both from the perspective of the "economic" investor, who is assumed to be interested primarily in the financial returns from an investment, and from the perspective of the "social" investor, who is concerned more broadly with the social and environmental effects of corporate conduct. (Williams, Cynthia A., The Securities and Exchange Commission and Corporate Social Transparency. Harvard Law Review, Vol. 112, P. 1197, 1999. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=169456) As part of our social responsibility and as a word of caution, let us monitor final court decisions on labor issues and communicate only those that truly gives a legacy on labor and management all for industrial peace. To borrow the words of our university chancellor and professor, we cannot communicate something we do not know, and the lack of knowledge of court resolutions are no exception. DC Alviar

NEVER-ENDING

PROTEST ACTION

on Philippine labor

contractualization.

Quo vadis, Juan /

Juana? The photo

was taken March

8, 2019, an

International

Women’s Day, at

Quezon Bridge,

Manila.


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Walang iniinda, walang makapigil

IRON MAN o Taong Bakal ngang maituturing si LA Tenorio matapos niyang malagpasan kamakailan ang naitala ni Alvin Patrimonio na pinakamaraming sunud-sunod na larong hindi nahihinto ng sakit o anumang injury sa propesyunal na basketbol sa PBA.

Sinabihan si Tenorio ni Patrimonio: “Just continue playing, Iron Man. I’m happy for you.” Nasa ika-597 laro noon ang Ginebra pointguard samantalang ang four-time MVP naman, 596th bago magretiro.

Malaking tagumpay ito sa buhay, hindi lamang sa propesyon. Kapag napananatili ng manlalaro ang kanyang malusog na pangangatawan, malaki ang tsansa niyang mapanatili ang quality time sa mga mahal niya sa buhay.

Kaya nga ang mensahe ni Tenorio: “Be disciplined, not just in basketball, but also in life. Enjoy the game, but don’t relax. Play hard, play smart.”

Understatement pa nga ang “not missing any single game since (Tenorio’s) 2006” nang magsimula siyang maglaro sa pro matapos ang matagumpay niyang pamamayagpag sa UAAP dahil wala pa sa bilang ang isang libong praktis, halos araw-araw na paglalaro, at iba pang klaseng paghahanda. Minsan, mas mabigat pa ang nakukuhang sakit ng katawan sa preparasyon.

An Inquirer editorial cartoon illustrates the sad plight of athletes and the Philippine sports in general.

Hidilyn Diaz and Grechen Ho were wrongly included in Malacanang Palace’s matrix on “Oust-

Duterte” movement. Secondly, which is more important and timelier, is 1-PACMAN Party List’s

nominee truly marginalized in the context of the 1987 Constitution? DC Alviar

Dollywood on Inquirer Entertainment


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CITIZEN /

PARTICIPATORY

JOURNALISM

Mega Scene (ISSN: 2508-0458)

Development Reports in Mega Manila

and the rest of the Philippines.

Estrella L. Mendoza

Circulation Manager / Treasurer

DC Alviar

Publisher/Editor

PUBLIC

You need not be a writer/journalist as long as you can write or help us expose economic hardships, political struggles, and social injustices. Here are the email addresses of Mega Scene Bureaus near you:

marilao.megamanilascene

@gmail.com

manila.megamanilascene

@gmail.com

sanpedrocity.megamanilascene

@gmail.com

Documents

Health and a Discourse for Community Mobilizersmegamanilascene.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/mega-scene-vol-3... · niyanig ng magnitude 5.4 na lindol; ilang gusali sa bayan ng Pagudpud,