Contemporary Issues Study Sheet

Contemporary Issues

  • Definition: Any event, idea, opinion, or topic discussed in the present time that affects people and has a significant impact on their lives.
  • Types:
    • Social Issues (e.g., elections, terrorism, poverty, discrimination)
    • Health Issues (e.g., malnutrition, vaccines, depression, drug addiction)
    • Environmental Issues (e.g., climate change, global warming, pollution)
    • Trade Issues (e.g., import/export, agriculture, online shopping)

Key Characteristics of a Contemporary Issue

  • Important and meaningful.
  • Has a theme being discussed and a positive influence on society.
  • Clear impact on society or citizens.
  • Significant influence on current events.

Importance of Studying Contemporary Issues

  • Awareness of challenges and problems.
  • Development of critical thinking.
  • Appreciation of people, events, and issues.
  • Enhancement of various skills and values.
  • Cultivation of readiness for challenges and opportunities.
  • Formation of active and responsible citizenship.

Environmental Issues: Solid Waste

  • Republic Act 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000): Defines proper waste management, citizen participation, and waste reduction.
  • National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC): Oversees Solid Waste Management (SWM) plans, composed of 14 government agencies led by DENR and 3 from the private sector.
  • Materials Recovery Facility (MRF): Place for collecting biodegradable waste for composting and temporary storage for recyclables.
  • Prohibitions: Illegal dumping, burning waste, collecting unsegregated waste, and unauthorized collection of recyclables.

Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) Addressing Waste

  • Mother Earth Foundation: Promotes zero waste through waste reduction.
  • Bantay Kalikasan: Promotes environmental conservation for sustainable development.
  • Greenpeace Philippines: Protects Filipinos' right to a balanced and healthy environment.

Destruction of Natural Resources: Programs and Actions

  • Republic Act 2706: Established the Reforestation Administration.
  • Presidential Decree 705: Mandates reforestation and prohibits kaingin (slash-and-burn farming).
  • Republic Act 7586 (National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992): Declares certain areas as national parks with restrictions on hunting, logging, and commercial activities.
  • Republic Act 9072 (“National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act”): Protects caves and their resources.
  • Republic Act 9147 (“Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act”): Protects wildlife resources and their habitats.
  • Republic Act 9175 (“The Chainsaw Act”): Regulates chainsaw use to prevent illegal logging and protect forests via Sustainable Forest Management (SFM).
  • Republic Act 8371 (Indigenous People’s Rights Act or IPRA): Recognizes indigenous peoples' rights and contributions to environmental protection.
  • Proclamation No. 643: Declares June 25 as Philippines Arbor Day.
  • Executive Order No. 23: Suspends logging in natural forests and creates an anti-illegal logging task force.
  • Executive Order No. 26: Calls for inter-agency cooperation for the National Greening Program.

Laws on Mining

  • Philippine Mining Act (1995): Provides social and environmental safeguards for mining activities.
  • Executive Order No. 79: Strengthens environmental protection, responsible mining, and revenue sharing.
  • Philippine Mineral Resources Act of 2012: Regulates mining research and ensures equitable benefits from mineral resource use.

Effects of Climate Change

  • Global Warming: Heatwaves, floods, strong storms, droughts.
  • Health: Cholera, diarrhea, malaria, dengue, leptospirosis.
  • Social Issues: Malnutrition, displacement, habitat destruction.
  • Oceans: Coral bleaching, declining fish populations, species loss.
  • Food Security: Damage to agriculture, infrastructure, and loss of farmers/fishermen.

Climate Change Details

  • Climate Change Definition: Refers to the change in global climate, felt since the mid-20th century.
  • Causes: Natural climate variations (solar energy, earth's orbit, geothermal heat) and human activities (fossil fuel use, deforestation).

Disaster Risk Management

  • Hazard: Threat from nature or human activity causing potential damage.
    • Anthropogenic: Human-induced hazards (e.g., pollution).
    • Natural: Hazards from nature (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis).
  • Disaster: Events causing harm to people, environment, and economy resulting from hazards, vulnerabilities, and lack of community capacity.
  • Vulnerability: Weakness of people, places, and infrastructure to hazards.
  • Risk: Potential harm to people and property due to disasters.
  • Resilience: Ability of a community to cope with disaster effects.

Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction Management (CBDRM)

  • Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010: Prepares for disasters to minimize damage with government and citizen involvement.
  • Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM): Citizens identify, analyze, respond to, monitor, and evaluate risks. Aims to avoid damage to life and property.

Key Aspects of CBDRM

  • Focus on people's welfare and disaster preparation.
  • Analysis of causes and effects, including social, political, and economic factors.
  • Active participation of all sectors to reduce impact, plan effectively, and solve problems.
  • Community readiness to minimize disaster effects.

CBDRM Approaches

  • Bottom-up: Solutions originate from the community.
  • Top-down: Higher authorities manage all activities.
  • Lifetime Kit: Practical, portable kit for each family member.
  • Importance of Preparation, Discipline, and Cooperation: Reduce danger especially in times of calamities.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP)

  • Legal Basis: R.A No. 10121 of 2010
  • Thematic Areas:
    • Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
    • Disaster Preparedness
    • Disaster Response
    • Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery

Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan

  • Involves risk assessment, community capacity analysis, and systematic data collection.

Four Phases of Disaster Management:

  • Disaster Prevention
  • Disaster Preparedness
  • Disaster Response
  • Disaster Rehabilitation
  • Recovery

National Geohazards Mapping and Assessment Program

  • Identifies areas prone to natural disasters and increases public awareness to reduce negative impacts.

Globalization Definition

  • Rapid flow of people, goods, information, and products across the world.

Dimensions and effects of globalization Economic

  • Trade-in in products and services

Globaliazation’s Challenges Response

  • Adapt to international standards demands
  • Encourage local products recognition

3 Types of Globalization:

  • Economic Globalization
  • Technological & socio-cultural Globalization
  • Political Globalization

Forms of service

  • Business process outsourcing
  • Knowledge process outsourcing

Unemployment

  • Joblessness, work-seeking, over-qualification

Conditions per sector

  • Four pillars of decent work

Demand for global standard labor

  • Skills adaptation in curriculum, media, communication, technology

Sanctions and effects

  • Job contracting, contract labor, low wages, health issues
  • Government responses; commonwealth act bil. 4444
  • Workers rights; sumali sa mga unyon

Three causes of migration Push factors

  • Safety, Calamity, Poverty

Pull Factors:

  • Dream country, Opportunities, Encouragement, Education

Impact of Migrations

  • Population, Human Rights,Family life, Economy, Brain Drain

Gender, Sex, & Gender Role

  • Big role in social sectors and aspects

Gender roles

  • Obligations based on status and gender assigned at birth.

Sexual Orientation

  • desire for affections & intimacy.

Discrimination of Gender

  • Abuse, Mistreatment from society and family

Gender Role in the Philippines

  • Role shifts between society & generations

Issues in gender and Society in general.

  • Violence against LGBTQ

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women’s CEDAW’

  • Signed to make the country not discriminate against women anymore.

Citizenship

  • Membership or membership of a country, according to the law.

Principles or citizenship

  • Jus sanguinis and jus soli

How to regain citizenship

  • Naturalization, Repatriation and Action of the congress to regain citizenship

Human Rights

  • Universal declaration of UN 1948 with its principles

Bill of attaintment etc De Leon’s rights of mamayan 2014 (4 types)

  • Citizens rights in democratic