1. Social Protection in the Philippines
PAST
Social Protection in the Philippines
PRESENT
WAY FORWARD
Policy Forum on the Universal Social Protection Floor
26 April 2017 SEAMEO-INNOTECH, Commonwealth Ave., Quezon City

2. Vulnerability due to risks and shocks
CHALLENGES
Vulnerability due to risks and shocks
Examples of risks and shocks are natural disasters, calamities, global economic crisis, armed conflicts, individual life cycle risks, among others.
The Philippine Government recognizes the need to strengthen its social protection system in order to mitigate the impact of this crisis.1
Promotion of economic recovery thru provision of employment and replacement of livelihood is an utmost priority preventing them from falling below the poverty threshold, and thus make a living again (WB).
Risk and Shock: Uncertain event that may damage someone’s well-being leading to poverty ; Risks are pervasive, but information on risks and shocks is mostly scarce in a developing country. Vulnerability: Probability to become poor in the future; sources of vulnerability are risks and shocks and lack of physical, social and human capital to withstand shocks.
Emergency relief helps households to survive in the first stages, but soon an urgent priority is to get people back to work, to promote economic recovery and to reconstruct or replace affected livelihoods. Apart from its obvious economic functions, the reactivation of disaster-stricken economies facilitates the transition from emergency relief to recovery and restores people’s dignity through allowing them to again make a living and contribute to society. (GFDRR, World Bank)
1 Florita R. Villar, The Philippine Social Protection Framework and Strategy: An Overview

3. Magnitude of Poverty Incidence and Vulnerable Sectors
CHALLENGES
Magnitude of Poverty Incidence and Vulnerable Sectors
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the Poverty Incidence among Filipinos in 2015 was estimated at 21.6 percent.2
The current issue of poverty presents new challenges in addressing the problems of the poor and vulnerable sector, and thus, requires a re-thinking of development approaches.1
1 Florita R. Villar, The Philippine Social Protection Framework and Strategy: An Overview
2 Philippine Statistics Authority,

4. SOCIAL PROTECTION FLOOR
Social protection schemes are important tools to reduce poverty and inequality (ILO).
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Goal Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
Social protection floors are nationally defined sets of basic social security guarantees that should ensure, as a minimum that, over the life cycle, all in need have access to essential health care and to basic income security which together secure effective access to goods and services defined as necessary at the national level (ILO).
To address those challenges identified, it is important to consider the concept of social protection.
Social protection evolved from having a primary safety net function, which aimed to ensure a minimum standard of well-being, to a more “proactive” function with the dual aim of protection against and prevention of risks (ILO, Social Protection Social Justice by A.B. Garcia . Investing in a Social Protection Floor is investing in social justice and economic development. Social protection schemes are important tools to reduce poverty and inequality (Reference:
UNRISD defines universal social protection as a minimum level of income or consumption granted as a right by the state to all citizens and residents of a country, thus creating everyone with equal consideration and respect. It further explains that social policy grounded in universalism aims to guarantee a decent standard of living for all, making social services and a basic income accessible to the entire population. .

5. ILO’s DECENT WORK FOR ALL
Rights at Work
To promote and realize standards, fundamental principles and rights at work
Social Protection
To enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all
Employment and Work
To create greater opportunities for women and men to secure decent employment
Social Dialogue
To strengthen tripartism and social dialogue
The primary goal of ILO is to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and, human dignity.

6. SOCIAL PROTECTION FLOOR
ILO Recommendation No. 202 (2012)
Serves as a guide to member-state in establishing a comprehensive, nationally-defined social protection floor that is access to all.
Four Basic Guarantees of SPF
Essential Health Care
Children
Persons in Active Age
Older Persons
Four Basic Guarantees of SPF
Access to essential health care, including maternity care;
Basic income security for children, providing access to nutrition, education, care and any other necessary goods and services;
Basic income security for persons in active age who are unable to earn sufficient income, in particular in cases of sickness, unemployment, maternity and disability;
Basic income security for older persons.

7. HISTORY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION IN THE PHILIPPINES

8. ADOPTION OF SOCIAL PROTECTION
In order to produce coherent and responsive policies, existing definitions of social definitions from various institutions such as ILO, ADB, WB, and NAPC, were harmonized and integrated.
“Policies and programs that seek to reduce poverty and vulnerability to risks and enhance the social status and rights of the marginalized by promoting and protecting livelihood and employment, protecting against hazards and sudden loss of income, and improving people’s capacity to manage risks”
(NEDA SDC Res. No ).

9. Four Components of Philippine Social Protection
Labor Market Interventions
Social Insurance
Social Welfare
Social Safety Nets
Four Components of Philippine Social Protection
Labor Market Programs/Interventions – Measures aimed at enhancing employment opportunities and protection of the rights and welfare of workers. Examples are employment enhancing programs, skills development, compliance to labor standards.
Social Insurance – Programs that seek to mitigate income risks by pooling resources and spreading risks across time and classes. These are designed in such a way that beneficiaries pay a premium over a given period of time to cover or protect them from loss of income and unemployment as a result of illness, injury, disability, retrenchment, harvest failure, maternity, old age, etc. Examples are SSS, GSIS.
Social Welfare – Preventive and developmental interventions that seek to support the minimum basic requirements of the poor, particularly the poorest of the poor, and reduce risks associated with unemployment, resettlement, marginalization, illness, disability, old age and loss of family car. Examples are cash assistance program (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) and in-kind transfer.
Social Safety Nets – Stop-gap mechanisms or urgent responses that address effects of economic shocks, disasters and calamities on specific vulnerable groups. Examples are cash/food for work programs, emergency employment, emergency loans.
(Reference: The Philippine Social Protection Framework and Strategy: An Overview by Undersecretary Florita R. Villar)

10. NEDA Social Development Committee (NEDA SDC)-Sub-Committee on Social Protection (SCSP)
Instituted in virtue of NEDA-SDC Resolution No. 2 series of
It is an inter-agency sub-committee mechanism under NEDA- SDC that facilitates and lead the implementation of the Social Protection Strategy by various government agencies. DSWD act as the chair and the NEDA as co-chair.

11. SOCIAL PROTECTION OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK AND STRATEGY
In 2009, a DAP study recommended that social protection programs have to be harmonized to avoid overlaps and duplications and improve targeting of beneficiaries
Issuance of NEDA-SDC Resolution No. 3 series of 2012 to adopt the Philippine Social Protection Operational Framework and Strategy
One of the important elements of the Framework is the promotion of Universal Coverage for Basic Rights and Services, which entails the country-wide provision of the full requirements of basic education, health and nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation.
In 2009, the Cluster commissioned the DAP to conduct an assessment of the social welfare and protection programs country entitled "Review and Strengthening of the National Social Protection and Welfare Program". The study recommended that social welfare programs need to (i) be harmonized to avoid overlaps and (ii) improve targeting of areas and beneficiaries.
The draft SP Operational Framework was then endorsed by the SDC Technical Board (April 2012) and approved by the SDC Cabinet Level in May (SDC Resolution No. 3, series of 2012: Approving and Adopting the Social Protection Operational Framework). This shall serve as the overall framework for implementing social protection programs / interventions and other policies related to SP. The overall goal of the framework is the underlying purpose of social protection which is better and improved quality of life for its beneficiaries. We can achieve this by 1) Reducing poverty and vulnerability; and 2) Inclusion and enhancement of the social status and rights of the marginalized.
The framework also shows the various risks that need to be addressed by SP: Life Cycle and Individual Risks (e.g. hunger and malnutrition, illness, old age); Economic Risks (e.g. end of source of income, unemployment); Environmental and Natural Risks (e.g. floods, earthquakes, typhoons); and Social and Governance Risks (e.g. violence, social exclusion, corruption). To address these risks, the framework specifies the four components of SP as discussed in the earlier slides.
2. Working Towards Universal Coverage - Universal coverage of social services entails the country-wide provision of the full requirements of the basic rights of citizens in terms of education, health and nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation. But given resource constraints, social protection programs target individuals and households that are poor and highly vulnerable.

12. Elements of the SP Operational Framework
1. Identifying and Responding to Priority Targets and Sectors - In terms of targeting, the government has mandated all agencies to utilize the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction.
2. Working Towards Universal Coverage - Universal coverage of social services entails the country-wide provision of the full requirements of the basic rights of citizens in terms of education, health and nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation. But given resource constraints, social protection programs target individuals and households that are poor and highly vulnerable.
3. Identifying and Responding to Major Risks and Vulnerabilities - The responses can emanate from the households themselves, from government or from the private and
civil society sectors. The Social Protection program responses to the different type of risks and vulnerabilities are clustered in accordance to the SP components.
Implementation Strategies
1. Convergence in the Delivery of Social Protection – DSWD internally started to orchestrate its social protection programs by initially harmonizing the implementation of KALAHI-CIDSS, Pantawid Pamilya and Sustainable Livelihood Program. Also, the localization of convergence of poverty and SP programs by the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster (HDPRC) thru the bottom-up budgeting in 609 municipalities.
2. Scaling Up Community Driven Development (CDD) - The leading CDD program is the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) and the Makamasang Tugon.
3. Building Adaptive Capacity - Social protection can build adaptive capacity through protective and preventive strategies for coping, as well as through promotive and transformative measures.
4. Institutionalized Monitoring and Evaluation System - This will facilitate the rationalization of various social protection programs according to the various key components. . A regular monitoring and evaluation system is also important to be able to adjust, refine or even terminate programs so that appropriate responses to the various risks are implemented and sustained.

13. SOCIAL PROTECTION OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK AND STRATEGY
One of the important elements of the Framework is the promotion of Universal Coverage for Basic Rights and Services, which entails the country-wide provision of the full requirements of basic education, health and nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation. The framework strategy highlights the direction of Philippine social protection system towards achieving Universal Coverage1.
But given resource constraints, social protection programs target individuals and households that are poor and highly vulnerable. The challenge for the Philippine government is balance between the effective delivery of services and the budgetary constraints
2. Working Towards Universal Coverage - Universal coverage of social services entails the country-wide provision of the full requirements of the basic rights of citizens in terms of education, health and nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation. But given resource constraints, social protection programs target individuals and households that are poor and highly vulnerable.

14. Initiatives Undertaken
Development of SP Handbook for LGUs, CSOs, and Government Agencies (DSWD)
Inventory and assessment of SP programs in the Philippines*
Core Diagnostic Instrument (CODI)
Assessment-based National Dialogue (ABND)
Enhance social protection and insurance for vulnerable groups
Development of SP Handbook - Consultation Workshops for the Formulation of a Social Protection Handbook were conducted from September to October 2012 with the participants from the LGUs, CSOs, academe and regional SDC, and SCSP members. The SP Handbook will serve as primary reference manual in implementing social protection interventions from national to LGU level. It is envisioned to empower and capacitate local government units, civil society organizations, and government agencies implementing SP programs and projects by providing guidelines in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating SP interventions. Pilot-testing was conducted in August (with Cabanatuan City and Pakil, Laguna). The Handbook is still being finalized by the Consultant in coordination with DSWD (Lifted from DSWD Mr. Deloria’s Presentation).
The results of Core Diagnostic Instrument (CODI) and Assessment-based National Dialogue (ABND) have yet to be finalized and published

15. Current Initiatives
The Duterte Administration’s 10-point socio-economic agenda highlights the improving social protection programs, including the government’s conditional cash transfer program, in order to protect the poor against instability and economic shocks, as one of its key thrust.
The Philippine Development Plan aims to provide universal and transformative social protection that will benefit the entire population. Social protection will be based on the various risks that people face and will prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable members of the community.
1 Philippine Development Plan , p. 173

16. End of Presentation