Think tanks, while not as common in the Philippines as in other parts of the world, offer Filipinos an opportunity to participate in political discussions and develop the research and advocacy skills needed to become future policy leaders.

As one of the country’s leading advocacy think tanks, the Stratbase ADR Institute, in partnership with Democracy Watch Philippines, hopes to share its expertise to those who aspire to be involved in pushing for reform advocacies, knowledge transfer, and network-building through a two-part discussion series with the theme, “Evidence-Based Research and Advocacy for Democratic Governance”.

Entitled “Advocating Evidence-based Good Governance Reforms”, the first discussion in this series was held on 10 November 2022, Thursday, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM (Manila Time) via Zoom Webinar.

This discussion aimed to tackle the importance of democratic principles, including collective citizen participation, transparency and accountability, and the rule of law. It also tackled how public opinion or surveys affect the multi-dimensional issues besetting the current administration. Lastly, it looked into various strategies that participants can use in advancing their own governance-related advocacies in the digital age.

Program

The Role of Think-Tanks in Promoting Evidence-Based Advocacy: Experiences and Practices of the Stratbase ADR Institute
Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit
President, Stratbase ADR Institute;
Lead Convenor, Democracy Watch Philippines

Rethinking Public Spending Priorities Towards an Inclusive Recovery
Ms. Zy-Za Nadine Suzara
Executive Director, Institute for Leadership, Empowerment and Democracy (iLEAD)

Data-Driven Research and Policy Advocacy
Dr. Francisco “Kiko” Magno
Trustee and Program Convenor, Stratbase ADR Institute;
Full Professor of Political Science, De La Salle University-Manila