Ateneo Universities Launch Philippine Observatory on Democracy

The Philippine Observatory on Democracy (POD) Consortium was initiated at Hurtado Hall, Ateneo School of Government, Ateneo de Manila University. The POD Consortium is part of a global, Jesuit-initiated effort to reflect anew on the condition of democracy and civic life in different national settings. It consists of Ateneo universities Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Naga University, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Xavier University  Ateneo de Cagayan, with Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan, and the John J Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues. 

In 2022, Fr General Arturo Sosa issued the impetus for the international Democracy Observatory by the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) and invited member institutions to engage in political life and provide political formation for their university community members. With the backdrop of democratic backsliding in the Philippines and a sense of recognition of the necessity of a bottom-up perspective towards the study of democracy in practice, the POD Consortium was established to track and evaluate the quality of democracy in the Philippines, offer a forum for inter-university cooperation and democratic education, and enhance democratic awareness and civic participation among communities.

Presidents of every Ateneo university had similar opinions regarding the need to deepen our shared understanding of democratic tendencies in the country. For Fr. Karel San Juan of Ateneo de Davao University, "Democracy is more easily proclaimed and promoted as a principle than practiced and protected as a commitment and lifestyle". The goals of this project are therefore strategic and critical, not only to the nation, but also to the Catholic community.

Likewise, Fr Aristotle Dy Sy of Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan stressed that we are currently in the Jubilee year of hope and, as pilgrims of hope, are challenged to synodality, Through the Philippine Observatory on Democracy project, I hope we can understand democracy better, really get into the depths of what people understand by this big world, and work together for something that will truly benefit the people.

" Fr Ernald M Andal of Ateneo de Zamboanga University also weighed in on the vulnerability of democracy in Western Mindanao and that it has never been a simple promise to keep. For him, "At Ateneo de Zamboanga University, we experience this reality every day that is why POD is important to us". It provides us with an avenue to hear, not opinions, but profound longings for justice, for being included, for peace, and for the mere dignity of being heard and seen. Fr. Roberto Yap of the Ateneo de Manila University concluded the opening remarks with a reminder of how POD comes naturally to the IAJU initiative:  "Forming discerning, engaged, and committed citizens for the common good is part of our DNA as a Filipino, Catholic, and Jesuit university". 

The POD is a tangible manifestation of that mission, and we are most appreciative to our partners who share that mission",  Dr Philip Arnold P Tuano, Ateneo School of Government Dean, provided initial findings based on the Topline Report of the Philippine Observatory on Democracy Survey. In the opinion of Dean Tuano, the survey "reveals a clear prioritization of socio-economic concerns and basic state functions over liberal rights, presenting another facet of the gap between abstract ideals and practical priorities on democracy".

Later, a panel including Dean Tuano, Dr Rosalinda C Tomas, Faculty of the Ateneo de Davao University, Dr Robin Michael U Garcia, Associate Professor of the Ateneo School of Government and CEO of the WR Advisory Group, and Karlo Abadines, Executive Director of the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan, examined the implications of these findings on the various and complex ways Filipinos assess historical trends and political leaders, the importance of performance legitimacy in the Philippine setting, and the reconsideration of political education in the future.

As stated by Dean Tuano, the democratic consolidation challenges and opportunities offered by the survey results resonates with appeals for a better kind of politics as frequently referred to by the late Pope Francis one genuinely geared towards the common good, grounded in inclusive encounter and dialogue, social friendship, and political participation commitment. For Dr Czarina Saloma Akpedonu, the Dean of the Dr Rosita G. Leong School of Social Sciences, placing universal ideas like democracy into context is very important as we navigate the ever more inter-connected reality. 

POD Consortium can perhaps demonstrate a global perspective by being part of the Democracy Observatory managed by IAJU, but we are also increasingly positioning ourselves to find out more about how global developments make an impact on us locally. These survey results are not the end of the quest to understand democratic attitudes, but only the beginning of a wider, deeper, and more inclusive discussion of democracy.

The Philippine Observatory on Democracy is determined to turn the challenges to democracy and lessons on how Filipinos perceive it, as revealed in the survey, into actionable wisdom through practical debates in the next few months.