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What is the most commonly used symbol of the PDSP? The most commonly used symbol of the PDSP is a fist holding a red rose with two green leaves, on a white background. The fist stands for militancy in promoting the authentically humanist values symbolized by the red rose with its green leaves. Justice, liberty, equality, participation, solidarity, the health of the environment, respect for religion, peace, and progress are among the most important of these values. What does the PDSP aim to accomplish for the people of the Philippines? The PDSP aims to help the people of the Philippines build a society that cares equally for all Filipinos. The PDSP is firmly convinced that each unique human being can develop only in a society embodying the value of the equality of moral worth of all human beings. If human beings are to develop their distinct identities and capacities they must be accorded the equal respect and opportunities denied them by the inequalities of capitalist Philippine society today. The PDSP aims to help transform Philippine society into a democratic community committed to the equal moral worth of each Filipino. This will be manifested by the institutionalization of procedures for effective participation of all Filipinos in political decision-making, as well as in the social provision for all Filipinos of the cultural and economic necessities (such as adequate education and health care) for the development of their individual human personalities and capacities. What principles, vision of society, and societal model guide the PDSP? The foundational principles guiding the PDSP are authentic humanism, the common good, and nationalism. Its guiding vision is democratic socialism. The societal model that guides its actions is social democracy (sanlipunang demokrasya). Authentic humanism promotes the welfare of human beings and of the whole Earth by knowing and appropriately acting upon the characteristics of the human being and of a good society. The latter include the moral responsibility, equality of moral worth, social nature, right and duty to work, and moral ambivalence of all human beings, and the universal purpose of property. The common good embraces the sum of those conditions of social life whereby human individuals and groups may pursue their own perfection more adequately and readily. The aspects of the common good include respect for life, basic welfare, liberty, equality, participation, solidarity, and the integrity of the environment. Nationalism or patriotism is an intelligent, reasonable, and responsible love for one’s nation. It leads one to pursue the true interests and the moral excellence of one’s people, and to constructively participate in the political life of the nation. It includes respect for the rights of other nations and peoples. What is democratic socialism? The PDSP bases its understanding of democratic socialism on the principle that the economy, along with other aspects of social life such as politics and culture, should be run democratically to meet the needs of the whole community and not to make profits for a few. This means preserving and strengthening political democracy, working to form a citizenry that is well-educated and morally upright, and establishing appropriate degrees of control by society over economic production, distribution, and investment so that these redound to the common good. Democratic socialism is democratic and communitarian. What is social democracy (sanlipunang demokrasya)? Social democracy (sanlipunang demokrasya) is a societal model that promotes social unity and harmony by carrying out in concrete form the democratic and communitarian vision of democratic socialism. This societal model includes policies that broadly guide the program of government of the PDSP. What are the broad policies of sanlipunang demokrasya that guide the program of government of the PDSP? The broad policies of sanlipunang demokrasya that guide the program of government of the PDSP include the following:
What are some of the salient points and achievements in the history of the PDSP? Established on May 1, 1973, the PDSP played a leading role in the difficult task of establishing and expanding a progressive and democratic alternative to the Marcos dictatorship and to Marxism-Leninism. It made an important contribution to the mass campaigns which eventually led to the People Power revolution in 1986. The PDSP then helped much to consolidate the newly restored democracy, especially through education and mobilization among the small farmers and fisherfolk, workers, urban poor, women, youth, Bangsa Moro, and the indigenous peoples of Luzon and of Mindanao. Finally, the PDSP, mainly through its members in people’s organizations and non-government organizations, has helped much to draft socially progressive and pro-people laws and government regulations, especially in relation to issues and concerns of farmers, fisherfolk, workers, urban poor, women, and other sectors of Philippine society. What international connections does the PDSP have? The PDSP is a consultative member of the Socialist International. The latter is a worldwide association represented in one hundred and five countries by some one hundred and twenty six parties that share aims and aspirations like that of the PDSP, for their respective countries and for humankind. Many of the most progressive countries of the world are governed or have been governed for long periods by parties similar to the PDSP. What need is there for the PDSP? The PDSP and its societal model of social democracy (sanlipunang demokrasya) are needed so that the people of the Philippines can put an end to the widespread poverty, malnutrition, poor health, lack of housing, lack of quality education, and lack of gainful and decent employment that burden the majority of the people. These signs of a badly functioning society are caused by the neoliberal economy, politics, and culture presently dominant in the Philippines. The form of "democracy" now dominant in Philippine society is a liberal democracy which stresses equality of formal political rights but does not promote equality of social power for all Filipinos to effectively avail of these rights. The result of this is formal equal rights for all, but actually privilege for the few who are wealthy, and systematic disadvantage for the majority who are poor. The PDSP and social democracy (sanlipunang demokrasya) will promote formal equality and at the same time socially empower all Filipinos, especially the poor and disadvantaged. In that way all Filipinos will have equal access to the protection of the law and equal opportunities for all-around human fulfillment.
PDSP and social democracy (sanlipunang demokrasya) will build a Philippine society that
cares equally for all Filipinos.
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