Bridging Faith and Development in the Philippines

Report Launched: Faith and Development in Focus – Philippines

Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs

Georgetown University

Third Floor Conference Room

3307 M St NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20007

The event marked the release of the “Faith and Development in Focus: Philippines” report which provides an overview of the Philippines’ religious landscape in relation to major development issues. Supported by the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development, the report is part of a broad effort to explore these questions in the context of four countries. This event was co-sponsored by the World Faiths Development Dialogue, the US-Philippines Society, and Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, Asian Studies Program, and Global Human Development Program.

Principal author Cameron Pulley discussed the research methodology and initial findings of the one-year study that began in January 2019 with Washington-based consultations. Pulley undertook an extensive literature review followed by field work in the Philippines employing landscape mapping, structured data collection, formal  and unstructured interviews with tribal leaders, politicians, public officials and civil society organizers.

The Philippine focus highlighted opportunities to bridge the sometimes fragmented nature of engagement on national and local development among key government, religious and secular sectors. The study noted that the  Philippines is a deeply religious country where faith permeates social, economic, and political institutions, and can play a role in development. The WFDD initiative aims to improve awareness of the intersection of religion and development, and inspire collaboration among secular and religious organizations to achieve development goals.

Georgetown University Professor Erwin Tiongson, Consul General Jose Victor Gonzaga, WFDD Executive Director Katherine Marshall, Research Consultant Cameron Pulley and Executive Director Hank Hendrickson, February 6, 2020, Georgetown University Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, Washington D.C.

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