By Ryan Maboloc
“Democratizing development”, in the mind of the late Dean Gaston Ortigas, refers to the dynamic interplay of these elements: people participation, empowerment, good governance, technology and cultural values. In short, it is all about being a nation and of possessing an identity and a vision that make each and every one of us equal under the rule of law.
A functioning democracy rests in realizing the vision of human development. Philosophically, this means that as a people and as one nation, the destiny we dream of creating for this country depends ultimately on the decisions, "the judgment calls", we make.
There is no development without a real democracy. A true democracy requires, fundamentally and as matter of principle, the basic respect for the dignity of the human person, anchored in the strong belief that a life lived in dignity is a human life lived fully and well. To be fully human, to live a fully dignified existence, means that the human person is “able to do and become”, not on the basis of what “the powers that be” decide, but on the basic principle that the choices we make are our own, free from coercion, the influence of money or the threat of violence.
Democractizing development therefore necessitates people’s participation in the democratic processes of governance, the rule of law, free and honest elections, political maturity, and for our basic institutions to fully function for the benefit of all and not just a few. The basic structure of government owes to each and every one of us that it works for the “whole person” and for “all persons”.
