NRCP to host national security agenda and roadmap seminar-workshop

Addressing the internal armed conflicts is integral aspect to peace and development strategy all-encompassing protection of the freedom, public safety, and welfare of the people, National Security Strategy 2018, Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines.

While there are notable developments in the peace process, including the enactment of the Organic Law of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (OLBARMM), internal stability remains critical issue that demands significant attention from the government.  While some studies report a diminishing number of insurgents, there are still “unverified reports” about some groups that capitalize on poverty, insufficient and ineffective delivery of public services, and in some other ways, to challenge the country’s peace and order.

The National Research Council of the Philippines, the basic research arm and advisory body of the Department of Science and Technology, will lead a two-day inter-agency seminar-workshop on June 15 – 16, 2023 at Discovery Suite, Ortigas Center to establish the Philippines’ National Security Research Agenda.

This 2-day activity will be participated by National Security Council, Department of Foreign Affairs Department of National Defense, Philippine National Police, Climate Change Commission, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Commission on Human Rights, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, National Water Resource Board, Department of Migrant Workers, NDRRMC, Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development, among others, balancing traditional security and the seven UNDP human security areas namely Economic, Environmental, Food, Health, Political, Personal and Community.

The National Defense College of the Philippines crafted a research agenda for 2020-2022 with six (6) clustered  research focus areas namely New Power Politics in Asia, External Defense, Archipelagic Security, International Security Cooperation, Security Sector Reform and Governance, and Inclusive Security. This agenda will serve as reference in crafting the new research agenda and roadmap for the Philippines.

This NRCP seminar-workshop will likewise serve as a scoping activity and will cover the four (4) main aspects crucial to the new security research agenda, namely (1) Security as a Field and Spectrum: An Overview; (2) Defining Human Security from Different Perspectives; (3) Identifying Priority Security Research Areas in the Philippine Context; and (4) Towards a Working Research Definition of Human Security.

The 2-day activity will pave way in the creation of a working research definition of human security for the NSRDP research agenda roadmap as well as identify priority areas within human security which will provide a general direction to the research agenda and the roadmap.

The seminar-workshop will also derive inputs from different government agencies that could help refine the roadmap and agenda design for inclusivity and greater impact.

These themes will determine the overall direction and design of all basic research projects that will be funded under the NRCP’s the National Security Research and Development Program (NSRDP).

NSRDP is part of the Nation Building (ATIN) component under the National Integrated Basic Research Agenda (NIBRA) of NRCP. 

Written by: Jenny Leigh A. Daquioag, DOST-NRCP