In 2016, Rodrigo Duterte launched his war on drugs immediately after assuming the presidency. By the time he was done, about 30,000 individuals had been killed according to independent documentation efforts done by various human rights organizations in the Philippines. Apart from the killings, what made the war on drugs remarkable was the amount of support it received from the public. What just happened? How did mass killing become morally acceptable— even virtuous — in a democratic society? Drawing on Critical Discourse Analysis and examining 1,155 presidential speeches, the study unpacks how Duterte justified the campaign and normalized state violence at a devastating scale. The study shows that Duterte's discursive strategies — nomination, predication, argumentation, perspectivation, and intensification and mitigation — cohered into a durable ideology organized around a Manichean world of virtuous victims and condemned enemies. Illegal drugs were framed as an existential national threat; Duterte, as the indispensable sovereign capable of resolving it. This ideology, the study argues, is not Duterte's invention. It is rooted in coloniality — specifically, the ontological division between the "salvaged" and the "condemned" inherited from colonial governance and reactivated through his rhetoric. Within this colonial ontology, the drug user was produced as the modern homo sacer: a figure stripped of juridical protection and rendered killable without legal consequence. The elimination of the homo sacer, however, required a sovereign of extraordinary configuration. This study proposes the concept of homo superanus to describe Duterte's unique exercise of power: a figure who does not merely decide the exception but becomes the living embodiment of sovereignty itself — moving fluidly between legal authority, charismatic mandate, traditional paternal power, and divine purpose as circumstances demand.

This study examined the changing terrain of community security and peacebuilding in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan, and the transition from conflict vulnerability to resilience in the Yakan-Muslim community. Based on qualitative reflections from community members, educators, religious leaders, ex-combatants, and military actors, the study highlighted the dynamic between prolonged socio-economic complexities and resilient local community resources. The results showed that poverty, educational disparities, historical grievances, weak governance, trauma, and the legitimization of gun culture were significant factors that contributed to susceptibility to violent extremism. But there were also equally strong assets: inculcated respect for education, strong family and community cohesion, genuine religious and political conversions, pride in the indigenous identity, openness to other tribes and to other partners within the civil society coalition, and the participatory nature of governance. The study called for a shift from a traditional needs-based framework to a strengths-based community security model characterized by dignity, faith, resilience, and indigenous self-determination. The reeducation of Islam that highlighted the original teaching of the realities of peace, mercy, and justice remained an important element in preserving these victories, as Basilan, once plagued by decades of conflict and war, has now declared itself Abu Sayyaf-free. This culminated in the articulation of Tennun Governance, a strengths-based community security framework that reframes peacebuilding as an indigenous, participatory, and dignity-centered social development process, focused on institutionalizing asset and strengths-based development strategies, capitalizing on culturally-rooted and faith-sensitive education, reframing traditional ideas of honor away from gun culture, healing historical injustices and trauma through indigenous modes and values, and amplifying strengths as key elements in participatory governance. The study concluded that just and lasting peace is not a “one size fits all,” but co-created by empowered communities confident in their strengths, aspirations, and identities.

The study generally aims to examine the integration of SSE within CBFM and its role in enhancing community participation, conflict resolution and sustainable livelihoods. Specifically, it seeks to (1) identify the factors that promote strong community participation in CBFM areas engaged in SSE practices, (2) investigate how SSE contributes to reducing forest resource conflicts and the mechanisms behind this reduction, (3) analyze environmental conservation outcomes associated with communities that adopt SSE principles (4) identify key SSE practices, values, and principles within CBFM and assess

their influence on governance and livelihoods, and (5) propose policy frameworks that strengthen the integration and institutionalization of SSE in forest management.
Findings reveal a distinct gradient in SSE internalization across the three organizations. TKFPI demonstrates the most comprehensive SSE integration. Its practices such as collective decision-making, gender-inclusive participation, transparent benefit sharing and community-driven enterprise development are deeply rooted in shared values of cooperation, stewardship and democratic accountability. These values, in turn, reinforce organizational principles such as participatory governance, equity in resource access, and collective responsibility for forest protection. This cyclical reinforcement between practices, values and principles creates a robust institutional culture that supports long-term ecological and socioeconomic resilience. As Berkes et al. (2000) posit when livelihoods and conservation are mutually reinforcing communities are more likely to protect forest resources. TKFPI exemplifies this synergy its diversified livelihood programs not only reduced dependence on extractive activities but also increased community investment in forest rehabilitation and protection.

This research examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the biopsychosocial and spiritual well-being of working Field Instruction (FI) students in social work education. Using case study methods, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and respondent validation,
the study explores the multifaceted effects of the pandemic on various aspects of student wellbeing. Data were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Pre-Post Analysis to identify patterns and shifts across biological, psychological, social, and spiritual domains. Findings revealed that the respondents experienced profound disruptions in their overall
well-being, manifested in their lifestyle changes, experiences of emotional distress, isolation, and spiritual questioning as they went through the Social Work Field Instruction program during the
pandemic. In each domain identified, despite significant challenges, the participants demonstrated resilience through a range of coping strategies, such as schedule adjustments, digital engagement, and spiritual reflection. Facilitating factors such as optimism, faith, relational support, and institutional interventions contributed positively to student wellness, while academic overload, emotional fatigue, and exclusion intensified their challenges.

The study underscores the importance of a holistic, culturally grounded, and inclusive support system in field education to promote student well-being during public health emergencies. It recommends strengthening institutional well-being initiatives, providing flexible and adaptive fieldwork models, and fostering collaborations with health clinics, guidance centers, and faith-based offices. Field supervisors are encouraged to cultivate student-centered
environments through mentorship, supportive policies, and technology-based engagement. Future research should explore post-pandemic student well-being, the effectiveness of hybrid field instruction, and the prevalence of mental health conditions among social work students.

This study develops the Capacitor Model as a theoretical and practical framework for transforming how social development partnerships are conceived and practiced. Anchored in trust-based development assistance and locally-led leadership, the model challenges the dominance of donor-driven, compliance-based funding systems that perpetuate dependency and inequality among Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). It proposes instead a capacitation approach, rooted in trust, equity, and mutual learning. One where funders act not as controllers of resources but as partners who strengthen agency and self-determination among local development actors.
Using a qualitative-dominant mixed methods multiple-case design, the research explores three cases across different sectors: (1) the Pasig City CSO Academy under the leadership of Mayor Victor Ma. Regis N. "Vico" Sotto (government sector), (2) Xchange, a private social enterprise venture capital organization (private sector), and (3) the Vibrant Village Foundation, an international trust-based philanthropic institution (international sector). Through in-depth interviews with 15 key informants, survey research with 13 PCCA Fellows, and thematic document analysis, the study identifies practices of capacitation, mentorship, unrestricted funding, long-term accompaniment, and shared decision-making as key drivers of organizational empowerment and sustainability.
The findings demonstrate that trust-based partnerships, when grounded in local leadership and Filipino cultural ethics of mutual aid (*bayanihan*, *pakikipagkapwa*, and *malasakit*), can dismantle the "nonprofit starvation cycle," challenge dependency

Equitable Social Development Partnerships Through Trust-Based Development Assistance and Local Leadership: A Capacitor Model
structures, and enable authentic participation. Survey data revealed that 92.3% of PCCA Fellows felt empowered in decision-making and 70% now hold executive or leadership positions. Yet 100% remain constrained by traditional funding requirements from other sources, revealing the Dual Power Paradox where micro-level empowerment does not automatically translate to macro-level systemic change.