The Hanns Seidel Foundation
The Hanns Seidel Foundation has been active in the Philippines since 1979, extending development assistance to Philippine partner organizations mainly in the field of human resource and policy development, ranging from training and education, community-based and top-level policy dialogues, research and publication, international/regional exchange, to project development. Its work and mission both in Germany and abroad is guided by its motto, “In the service of Democracy, Peace and Development.”
One of the pioneering programs supported by HSF for a long time was the “Dual Training System” that was institutionalized in the country by virtue of the enactment of Republic Act. No. 7686, also known as the Dual Training Act, in 1994. The Dual Training Act recognizes the effectiveness of the DTS in alleviating poverty as it enhances the employability and productivity of graduates. HSF pursued its development initiatives in cooperation with local partners in developing skilled and employable graduates, one of which is the establishment of the Dualtech Center based in Canlubang, Laguna. Through its training programs, it has transformed the unskilled, unemployed and underpaid out-of-school youth into highly-skilled workers earning above-the-minimum wage, thus, alleviating their families from the grip of poverty.
In advancing the process of peacebuilding, democracy and human rights, HSF currently provides support to two program areas, namely the “Practical, Casebased Training Methods for Police Officers” and the “Community-based Dialogues on Human Rights Promotion and Protection.” The former is in cooperation with the Philippine Public Safety College and the latter with an inter-agency consortium led by the Alternative Law Groups.
The cooperation with PPSC aims to strengthen police training through the extensive use of practical, case-based training. All ‘case-based scenarios’ training materials integrate principles of community-oriented and rights-based policing, rule of law, and cultural sensitivity, in all aspects of police operations. Training focuses on the use and conduct of practical training exercises as well as to demonstrate the linkage between theoretical subjects and conduct of practical training, and how a scenario could capture several subjects such as legal principles, police operational procedures, communication, selfdefense, use of force, among others. PPSC training directors, professors, and training managers have attended relevant courses at the Second Standby Police Academy in Eichstätt, Bavaria in Germany to learn and observe police training.
The Community-based Dialogues project was conceptualized to enhance the relationship between the security sector (Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police) and civil society. Dialogue sessions had been organized in all administrative regions of the country and key provinces. Follow-through activities were initiated by the participants of the dialogue sessions in their respective areas, with the support of other stakeholders such as Local Government Units and the community at large. In addition to the dialogue sessions, the project has organized inter-region Training and Planning Sessions; Top-Level Policy Dialogues; Regional Trainers’ Training Sessions; Trainers’ Skills Upgrading and Sharing Sessions; Human Rights Week Fora; Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation Sessions; as well as developed and published an initial Information Material, and a modular Multisectoral Human Rights Training Handbook to share the results of the program.
For more information, visit the Hans Seidel Foundation website at www.hss.de/philippines, or follow its official Facebook page at www. facebook.com/HSF.Philippines.