CEDAW/C/PHI/4 English Page 4 1. Political developments 7. In the 1992 national elections, President Fidel V. Ramos succeeded former President Corazon C. Aquino. Aside from carrying on with the thrusts of the previous administration, President Ramos adopted the Social Reform Agenda as his Government's centrepiece programme to be implemented hand-in-hand with the Government's goal to transform the Philippines into a newly industrializing country by the year 2000 - for which the country's battle cry is "Philippines 2000". This was meant to focus equally on economic and social reforms. 8. Local government units, whose decentralization was authorized by the Local Government Code (1991) passed during the Aquino administration, still need to acquire the capability for effective self-governance. 2. Social developments 9. Since "people power" surfaced in 1986, its use as a tool for political assertion has intensified the movement towards popular participation. The Philippine experience at restoring democracy had been a steady movement towards the inclusion of excluded voices in the political mainstream. The mushrooming of people's organizations, the vibrant non-governmental organization community, and the high rate of voter turnout in the last two major elections all indicate a decisive passage from apathy to creative participation. 10. However, the country continues to face internal armed conflicts posed by the communist insurgency and the Muslim secessionist movements. It is, therefore, undergoing a national unification process, consistent with the recognition that political stability and national unity are major prerequisites for economic development (Philippine country report, 1986-1995). 11. People's organizations and non-governmental organizations have observed the incongruity of the country's political and social organization with indigenous arrangements of social reality, manifested by conflicts over tribal land rights, the secessionist movements, or the failure of the so-called economic growth to "trickle down" to the common people. 12. Migration, both internal and international, is breaking up families and exposing individuals to social prejudice and stress. However, the influx of dollars from the remittances of overseas contract workers gives a boost to the country's economy. 13. Urbanization and its impact on the disintegration of families and communities have become a major concern. Urban areas grow at the expense of rural areas. Consequently, slum communities grow rapidly, which results in social crowding and increased competition for scarce community resources. 14. Migration movements have also been noted in the uplands, increasing the forest population density and its attendant environmental problems. A significant proportion of upland migration is triggered by peace and order problems in the lowlands. /...