Constitutional Reform

 

About

 

Civil Society Advocacy for Constitutional Reform

Since the debates on Charter change started, CODE-NGO and the Coalition for a Citizens’ Constitution (C4CC) have been advocating for a meaningful constitutional reform process that would ensure broad-based participation of our citizens towards a genuine People's Constitution.
 
The Civil Society Advocacy on Constitutional Reform Project promotes to increase the awareness of the general public and widen civil society's participation in the process of Charter change. The project generated awareness and disseminated substantive information on Federalism, Parliamentary form of government and Constitutional Convention through national conferences of civil society leaders. It facilitated discussions and consensus-building among civil society groups on Charter change through provincial conferences across the country. It strengthened capacities of civil society groups to influence public opinion and policy making on constitutional reform through regional media advocacy training and campaigns. In consultation with the basic sectors, it formulated policy papers towards drafting a pro-poor People's Constitution.   


Partners

C4CC Conveners

Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO)

Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute (GZO-PI)

Institute for Popular Democracy (IPD)

Institute for Electoral and Political Reform (IPER)

LGC Network

People's Alternative Study Center for Research and Education on Social Development (PASCRES)

Philippine Commmunity Organizers Society (PhilCOS)

PILIPINA

Implementing Partners

Coalition for Bicol Development (CBD)

Eastern Visayas Network (EVNet)

Mindanao Coalition of Development NGO Networks (MINCODE)

Kaabag sa Sugbo

Western Visayas Network (WEVNet)

Other Partner:   Misereor


Updates

Building Youth Leadership for Constitutional Reform Advocacy

The youth sector, which is the largest sector in Philippine society today, is the least represented in the Coalition for a Citizen's Constitution (C4CC). For this reason, C4CC has paid special attention to provide opportunities for the youth to better participate in its advocacy. It has initiated various activities to raise their awareness about social issues, develop personal interest in social involvement, strengthen their leadership capabilities and build partnership with fellow young Filipinos.  Last June 12-13, 2010, C4CC organized the C4CC Youth Team Building and Planning Workshop in Antipolo City.  Attended by 40 youth leaders from 14 school-based and community-based organizations, the team-building activity provided sessions on developing their leadership and advocacy skills and awakening in them important values as agents of change. 

 

TindigNation Against Con-Ass and Term Extension

A broad group of organizations coming from the democratic and progressive forces and from various sectors have come together under the umbrella of TindigNation to oppose the moves of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to extend her term, initially through a Senate-less constituent assembly (Con-Ass). TindigNation combines “indignation”, “nation” and the Filipino word “tindig” meaning “stand up” and “build”.

TindigNation was launched last June 27, 2009 at a carnival-protest dubbed “PERYAHAN laban sa SIRKO ni ARROYO” at the Amoranto Stadium Complex in Quezon City.  It has organized Friday noise rallies in various cities and is planning a mobilization against Con-Ass in time for the resumption of the session of Congress on July 27, 2009.

CODE-NGO is a member of the Coalition for a Citizens Constitution (C4CC), which is a member of TindigNation.

Earlier, on June 5, 2009, CODE-NGO, C4CC, Busina para sa Katotohanan and other groups organized simultaneous noise rallies and other actions in Quezon City, Naga City, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and other areas to protest the midnight approval on June 2, 2009 by the House of Representatives of House Resolution No. 1109.  HR 1109 calls for Congress, even without the participation of the Senate, to convene into a Con-Ass to revise the Constitution.

Stop Con-Ass, Defend Democracy!

We, the Caucus of Development NGO Networks, are outraged by the shameless railroading of HR 1109, which would empower Congress to convene as a constituent assembly (Con-Ass). We call on all citizens and civil society organizations to express their condemnation on the midnight approval of HR 1109. Let us fight the relentless attempts of this administration to perpetuate its hold on to power! Let us defend democracy!  

 

Watch Out! CHA CHA is Alive and Kicking

 
The Coalition for a Citizens' Constitution (C4CC) issued a warning, calling for vigilance among its members and partners regarding the continuous possibility of opening up amendments to the Constitution before the 2010 elections.
 
"People will have to be vigilant. It could come very fast. We may all wake up one day and find the Constitution has been drastically changed, triggering a series of events leading to the perpetration in power of GMA and her cohorts," says Dodo Macasaet, CODE-NGO Executive Director and C4CC Co-Convener.

Reports

The Coalition for a Citizens' Constitution (C4CC), through its member CODE-NGO, recently completed its project Civil Society Advocacy for Constitutional Reform (Phase 2).  Supported by Misereor, the over-all objective of the project is to mobilize civil society and put significant pressure on government to agree on a more credible and participatory constitutional reform process. This is to safeguard the most progressive social justice and human rights provisions of the 1987 Constitution and put in place a more democratic system of representation. 

Download a copy of the abstracts of C4CC's commissioned researches, or check out the Knowledge Center>Resource Materials>Constitutional Reform section of this website for full versions of these papers.  


 

Member Networks