PARALLEL SESSION 3A: PUBLIC SECTOR TRANSFORMATIONS

​Presentations in Parallel Session 3A dealt with dynamic political landscapes at the micro-level (e.g., student elections) and at the national level (e.g., ageing societies, domestic abuse, and political turbulence), all of which require public administration reforms. Professor Naomi Aoki of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, chaired the session. Professor Akio Kamiko of Ritsumeikan University, Japan; Dr. Pairote Pathranarakul and his colleagues from the National Institute of Development Administration, Thailand; Mr. Jonald F. Carrera of Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Philippines; and Mr. Arius Lauren Raposas of EROPA Secretariat, delivered their presentations in this session.

Prof. Akio Kamiko's presentation discussed the Japan’s issue on ageing of population and the reduction of the number of municipalities in from over 3,000 to a little more than 1,700 in just a dozen of years. This means that the scale of democracy was pushed up. However, in rural areas where population reduction is especially conspicuous, this reduction in number of municipalities may not have led to the increased size of democracy in the longer term.

Meanwhile, Dr. Pairote Pathranarakul and his colleagues introduced the audience to the new nationwide development model called “Thailand 4.0.” This model aimed to ensure sustainability and global competitiveness of the country. The essential elements of this agenda are focused on a “sustainable growth and development” with long-term vision on security, prosperity, and sustainability. Pairote, et al indicated that, to become successful with this agenda of Thailand 4.0 and to comply with the UN’s SDGs of the new millennium, there are certain forms and patterns of governance that the Thai government needs to comply with.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jonald Carrera's study determined the current situation of violence against women cases (VAWC) in the City of San Fernando, La Union using qualitative-quantitative research design. Findings showed that current situation of VAWC in the City of San Fernando includes cases fall both in economic and physical abuse. The researcher concluded that victims were deprived of financial support due to unwarranted circumstances; provisions of VAWC law are given full attention for stricter compliance; and the intervention program gives emphasis on the Commission’s mandate in addressing the needs of the victims.

Finally, Mr. Arius Raposas' study, mainly a commentary on student elections in the University of the Philippines, analyzed how Filipino democracy works in the national or the local scale through understanding student politics. The findings of the research observed that key factors other than politics (such as culture and social media) influence leadership formation in schools, colleges, and universities.