Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Bachelor of Science in Public Administration

Public Policy and Program Administration

PUAD 20103

Professor Leonila T. Conrado, DPA

Associate Professorial Lecturer III
The key players and
processes in public
policy
 Learning Objectives

❖ Describe the concept of the policy systems framework

❖ Identify and discuss the different policy-makers in the
government
❖ Illustrate the policy environment that surrounds every
public policy
❖ Identify the different policy-makers in the Philippines, and
❖ Describe the unique characteristics of the policy environment
in the Philippines
 Lesson 1
Policymakers and Their Environment
The Philippines political system takes place in an organized
structure of a presidential, representative, and democratic
republic wherein the president is both the head of
government and the head of state within a multi-party
system. This system has three co-dependent branches: the
executive branch (the law enforcing body), the legislative
branch (the law-making body), and the judicial branch (the
law-interpreting body.
• Policymakers are individuals or groups
within a government or organization who
are responsible for making decisions and
formulating policies.

• Policymakers play a crucial role in

shaping the direction of government
actions and programs, influencing the
allocation of resources, and addressing
societal challenges.
a. Senate

Senate or Senado or upper chamber consists of 24

seats wherein one-half are elected every three years
and members elected at large by popular vote to
serve six-year terms. They can be reelected but they
are no longer eligible to run for a third consecutive
term. The Senate is elected at large.
b. House of Representative

House of Representatives or Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan or

lower chamber consists of 212 members representing districts
plus 24 sectoral party-list members and members elected by
popular vote to serve three-year terms. The Constitution
prohibits the House of Representatives from having more than
250 members. 206 are elected from the single-member districts.
The remainder of the House seats are elected for sectoral
representatives elected at large through a complex "party list"
system, hinging on the party receiving at least 2% to 6% of the
national vote total.
The judiciary branch of the government is headed by
the Supreme Court, which has a Chief Justice which is
Reynato Puno as its head and 14 Associate Justices, all
selected by the president on the recommendation of
the Judicial and Bar Council and they shall serve until
70 years of age. Court of Appeals which is Sandigan-
bayan is a special court for hearing corruption cases of
government officials.
What is a Policy System?
• Geurtz, in his study on Public Policy Making: The
21st Century Perspective, explained that public
policy making “is a complex, dynamic, constantly
evolving, interactive, and adaptive system.”

• In the process, the policy maker plays a very

important role as he has the power to influence and
establish policies and practices according to his/her
perspective.
What is a Policy System?
• According to Sabatier (1999), “public policy making
process includes the manner in which problems get
conceptualized and brought to the government for
solution;
• Governmental institutions formulate alternatives
and select policy solutions; and those solutions get
implemented, evaluated and revised” .
• As such, the establishment of a public policy making
process is indispensable, yet, may vary from country
to country
In the Philippines...
• The Philippines, being a democratic and republican
state, has three branches of government, namely:
• The executive, legislative, and judiciary which are
co-equal and inter-dependent of each other.
• As regards legislation or policy making, each branch
has a role to play.
• The legislative branch formulates laws, the
executive implements the enacted laws, and the
judiciary interprets the laws.
In the Philippines...

• As regards administrative policies, the

executive branch takes the lead.
• The President of the Republic designs
his/her platform of government or his
vision for the country.
• On the basis of his platform or reform
agenda, national policies and programs
are designed.
POLICY ENVIRONMENT IN
THE PHILIPPINES
What is Policy Environment?
Policy Environment

The policy environment includes all aspects

surrounding policy-making. This would
include the broader socio-economic aspects
that are analysed in organizational strategy-
making.
Policy Environment

There are several institutional built-in

systems of policymaking in the Philippines,
same of these are:
National Economic Development Authority
(NEDA)-for socio-economic policies
Policy Environment

National Security Council (NSC)-for security

and defense Legislative
Executive Development Advisory Council
(LEDAC)-general legislative agendas
Metro Manila Development Authority
(MMDA)-local level agencies for concerns
affecting basic services
Three broad pillar
(a strategy)
Malasakit

"Malasakit" pillar "aims to regain people's trust in

public institutions and cultivate trust among fellow
Filipinos" by "promoting awareness of anti-corruption
measures, improving t the productivity of the public
sector, implementing regulatory reforms, increasing
access to legal aid, pursuing corrections reform, and
promoting culture-sensitive governance and
development."
Pagbabago

"Pagbabago" allows inequality- reducing

transformation through increasing opportunities for
growth of output and income. "Opportunities in
agriculture will be expanded, Pursue strategies such as
achieving quality and accessible basic education for
all, enhancing disaster risk reduction and management
mechanisms, and adopting universal social
protection."
Patuloy na Pag-unlad

"Patuloy na Pag-unlad", concentrate on increasing

potential growth through sustaining and accelerating
economic growth by maximizing the demographic
dividend and vigorously advancing science, technology
and innovation.
Three Pillar

Strategies under this pillar will ensure maintaining

macroeconomic and financial stability, and observing
fiscal prudence while the tax system is being reformed
into a much simpler, fair and equitable one.
Policy Context
Policymaking process (agenda-setting-formulation-
formalization- adoption-implementation) formalized in
institutions with policy making mandate (legislative
branch) •
Executive Branch translates legislation into executive
policies (Exec/Admin Orders) at the sector and/or
department levels (Implementing Rules and
Regulations, Dept Order, Memo Circular, etc) and
down to local governments (Local Council Provisions)
Policy Environment in th Philippines

Critical role of institutions with specific legal mandates

(policymaking, regulatory, oversight, implementing,
etc) in translating policies to programs, projects and
activities
Has provisions for participation by non-state
governance actors
WHAT IS THE
POLICY
SYSTEMS
FRAMEWORK?
• A policy framework is document that sets
out a set of procedures or goals, which
might be used in negotiation or decision-
making to guide a more detailed set of
policies, or to guide ongoing maintenance
of an organization's policies.
• Is a logical structure that is established to
organize policy documentation into groupings
and categories.
• It provides a set of principles and long-term
goals that form the basis of making rules and
guidelines, and to give overall direction to
planning and development of the
organization.
• Policies are often implemented within a legal
and regulatory framework. This includes
laws, regulations, and administrative
procedures that provide the authority and
structure for policy implementation.
• "Policy System Framework" in the
Philippines, various policies and
frameworks guide the policymaking process
in the country.

• The diverse range of policy areas and

frameworks in the Philippines, existed to
address specific challenges and
opportunities within different sectors of
governance and development.
Here are some of the examples;

• Philippine Development Plan (PDP):

⚬ The Philippine Development Plan is a medium-term plan that
serves as the government's primary blueprint for development.
It outlines the country's goals, strategies, and programs for a
six-year period, aligning policies and initiatives across various
sectors.

2. National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework:

⚬ This framework focuses on disaster risk reduction and
management, emphasizing the importance of preparedness,
response, recovery, and resilience in the face of natural
disasters.
Here are some of the examples;

3. National Cybersecurity Plan

• Given the increasing importance of cybersecurity, this plan
outlines policies and strategies to enhance the country's
cybersecurity capabilities, protect critical infrastructure, and
address cyber threats.

4. Universal Health Care Act

• The Universal Health Care Act aims to provide all Filipinos
access to quality and affordable health care. It involves a
comprehensive set of policies to reform the healthcare system,
including the establishment of the Philippine Health
Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
Here are some of the examples;

5. Education Sector Development Framework

⚬ The Department of Education implements policies
and frameworks to improve the education sector. This
includes the K to 12 Basic Education Program, which
extends the basic education cycle to enhance the
quality of education in the Philippines.
6. Philippine Energy Plan
⚬ This plan provides a framework for energy policies
and strategies to ensure a sustainable, reliable, and
affordable energy supply. It covers areas such as
renewable energy development, energy efficiency, and
power infrastructure
Policymaking cannot adequately be studied apart from the
environment or context in which it occurs.

According to systems theory, demands for policy actions

stem from problems and conflicts in the environment and
are transmitted to the political system by groups, officials,
and others. At the same time, the environment both limits
and directs what policy-makers can effectively do.
The environment, broadly viewed, includes geographic
characteristics such as climate, natural resources, and
topography; demographic variables such as population
size, age distribution, and spatial location; political
culture; social structure, or the class system; and the
economic system. Other nations also become an
important part of the environment when foreign and
defense policies are involved.
Political Culture

The anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn defined culture as "the total life

way of a people, the social legacy the individual acquires from his
group. Or culture can be regarded as that part of the environment that
is the creation of man.“

Most social scientists seem to agree that culture shapes or influences

social action but does not fully determine it.
Political culture, however, is widely held values, beliefs,
and attitudes on what governments should try to do, how
they should operate, and relationships between the
citizen and government.“

Political culture is transmitted from one generation to

another by socialization, a process in which the individual,
through many experiences with parents, friends, teachers,
political leaders, and óthers, learns politically relevant
values, beliefs, and attitudes.
Political culture, then, is acquired by the
individual, becomes a part of his or her
psychological makeup, and is manifested in his
or her behavior.
Political scientist Daniel J. Elazar contends that we have three
identifiable political cultures- individualistic, moralistic, and
traditionalistic and mutations thereof.

1. The individualistic political culture emphasizes private concerns

and views government as a utilitarian device to be used to
accomplish what the people want. Politicians are interested in
holding office as a means of controlling the government's favors or
rewards.
2. The moralistic political culture views government as a mechanism
for advancing the public interest. Government service is
considered public service. More governmental intervention in the
economy is accepted, and there is much public concern about
policy issues.
3. The traditionalistic political culture takes a paternalistic
and elitist view of government and favors its use to
maintain the existing social order. Real political power
centers in a small segment of the population and most
citizens are expected to be relatively inactive in politics.
Gabriel A. Almond and Sidney Verba differentiated among
parochial, subject, and participant political cultures.

In a parochial political culture, citizens have little awareness

of or orientation toward either the political system as a
whole, the input process, the output process, or the citizen as
a political participant. The parochial expects nothing from the
system. It is suggested that some African chiefdoms,
kingdoms, and tribal societies as well as modern Italy
illustrate parochial political cultures.
In a participant political culture, citizens have a
comparatively high level of political awareness and
information along with explicit orientations toward
the political system as a whole, its input and output
processes, and meaningful citizen participation in
politics. They also understand how individuals and
groups can influence decision-making.
In the participant political culture, individuals may
organize themselves into groups and otherwise seek
to influence governmental action to rectify their
grievances. Government and public policy are thus
viewed as controllable by citizens. It can also be
assumed that more demands will be made on
government in a participant political culture than in
either a parochial or a subject culture.
In sum, Political culture ….

❑helps shape political behavior;

❑it "is related to the frequency and probability of various kinds of behavior and
not their rigid determination." Common values, beliefs, and attitudes inform,
guide, and constrain the actions of both decision-makers and citizens.
❑Political cultural differences help ensure that public policy will be more likely to
favor economic competition, where individual opportunity is a widely held
value,
but it is more likely to tolerate industrial cartels, where economic competition
has not been highly valued.
❑Some political scientists shy away from using political culture as an analytic tool
because they see it as too imprecise and conjectural, and subject to varying
interpretations. This argument undervalues the usefulness of political culture
for the analysis and explanation of policy.
Socio-economic Conditions

Socio-economic conditions are used because it is often

impossible to separate social and economic factors as they
impinge on or influence political activity.

Public policies often arise out of conflicts among groups of

people, private and official, with differing interests and
desires. This origin especially applies to regulatory and
redistributive policies.

One of the prime sources of conflict, particularly in

modern industrial societies, is economic activity.
Socio-economic Conditions

Conflicts may develop between the interests of big

business and small business, employers and employees,
wholesalers and retailers, bankers and securities dealers,
hospitals and medical-insurance companies, farmers and
agricultural-commodity importers, and consumers and
manufacturers.
Socio-economic Conditions

Groups that are underprivileged or dissatisfied with their

relationships with other groups in the economy may seek
governmental assistance to improve their situation. Thus
it has been labor groups, dissatisfied with the wages
sometimes resulting from bargaining with corporate
employers,that have sought minimum-wage legislation.
Socio-economic Conditions

Consumer groups, who feel disadvantaged in the

marketplace, have sought protection against
unwholesome foods and hazardous products. In a private
conflict it is customarily the weaker or disadvantaged
party, at least in a comparative sense, who seeks to
expand the conflict by bringing government into the fray.
Socio-economic Conditions

The dominant group, which can achieve its goals

satisfactorily by private action, has no incentive to bring
government into the conflict and instead usually seeks to
privatize the conflict by contending that governmental
action is unnecessary, improper, or unwise.
Socio-economic Conditions

Satisfactory relationships between groups nay be

disrupted or altered by economic change or development.
Those who feel adversely affected or threatened may then
demand government action to protect their interests or
establish a new equilibrium.

It is a truism that a society's level of economic

development will impose limits on what government can
do in providing public goods and services to its citizens.
Socio-economic Conditions

Nonetheless, this fact is occasionally overlooked by those

who assume that the failure of governments to act on
problems is invariably due to official recalcitrance or
unresponsiveness or citizens' reluctance to pay higher
taxes, rather than limited resources.
Socio-economic Conditions

Social change and conflict also stimulate demands for

governmental action. Strong value conflicts exist on these
issues and public officials often find themselves hard-pressed
to craft acceptable policy solutions.

How socioeconomic conditions influence or constrain public

policies in the states has been extensively analyzed by political
scientists. Controversy has developed over the relative
influence of political and socioeconomic variables on policy.
Socio-economic Conditions

Dye contends that the level of economic development (as

measured by such variables as per capita personal
income, percentage of urban population, median
education, and industrial employment) had a dominant
influence on state policies (as measured by expenditures)
on such matters as education, welfare, highways,
taxation, and public regulation.
Socio-economic Conditions

Comparing the effects of economic development with

those of the political system, he found that political
variables (voter participation, interparty competition,
political-party strength, and legislative apportionment)
had only a weak relationship to public policy.
Socio-economic Conditions

Much of the literature in state politics implies that the

division of the two- party vote, the level of interparty
competition, the level of voter participation, and the
degree of malapportionment in legislative bodies all
influence public policy.
Socio-economic Conditions

Economic development shapes both political systems

and policy out- comes, and most of the association that
occurs between system characteristics and policy
outcomes can be attributed to the influence of economic
development. Differences in the policy choices of states
with different types of political systems turn out to be
largely a product of differing socioeconomic levels rather
than a direct product of political variables.
Socio-economic Conditions

Levels of urbanization, industrialization, income,

and education appear to be more influential in
shaping policy outcomes than political system
characteristics.
Socio-economic Conditions

Two conclusions can be fairly drawn from this discussion.

One is that to understand how policy decisions are made
and why some decisions are made rather than others, we
must take into account social and economic as well as
political factors. The second is that whether
socioeconomic factors are more important than political
factors in shaping public policy remains an open
question.
Activity#1: Look for factors (at least 5)
affecting public policy and describe each
how these factors affect the public policy
formulation. Cite your reference.

DEADLINE; FEBRUARY 2, 2023

THANK YOU!