Resilience theme draws a crowd to Philippine National Social Science Congress

The Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) gathererd over 250 social
scientists and delegates in timely conference on resilience.

For the first time, the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) brought the ninth National Social Science Congress to the southernmost city of the Philippines, General Santos City, from 20–22 February 2020. With the conference held every three years, PSSC gathered over 250 students, audience, academicians and social scientists — the majority of which coming from Mindanao– to discuss the dimensions of resilience in the face of climate change, imperialist plunder, war and peace, and other environmental, gender, and cultural issues.

First held in 1983, NSSC is PSSC’s signature program that serves as a platform for social scientists to share their latest research, test concepts, theories and ideas, and critically examine issues of social significance.

“What better time to hold a relevant discourse on resilience than the present time when we, Filipinos, are not only witnessing, but, also, experiencing one calamity after another in, and across, our country!” PSSC Executive Director Dr. Lourdes M. Portus said in a message to delegates, noting the issues hounding Filipinos such as the COVID19, African Swine, Taal Volcano eruption, the government’s “drug war,” the series of earthquakes, as well as the West Philippine Sea dispute.

A total of 124 paper and research presentations across 36 panels were featured to spark discussions on resiliency in relation to cultural identity, wars and disasters, women’s rights, digital technologies, environment and climate change management, food security, education, national security, health and gender issues, among others.