Annual Report

Posted on August 26, 2020 Annual Report

9th Annual Report

(January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019)

I. Introduction

Officially established on October 27, 2011, the Foundation for Liberty & Prosperity is now on its ninth year of operation. Led by its Board of Trustees — namely Retired Chief Justice (CJ) Artemio V. Panganiban, Edilberto C. De Jesus, Joel Emerson J. Gregorio, Ma. Tanya Karina A. Lat, Elenita C. Panganiban, Retired Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, Maria Elena P. Sandejas-Yaptangco, Amando M. Tetangco, Jr., and Evelyn Toledo- Dumdum — the FLP has steadily gained recognition from its stakeholders and partners through its various programs, projects and activities.

The Foundation’s vision is a society that fully appreciates the necessity of “Liberty & Prosperity” and their essential interdependence. It underscores FLP’s core philosophy, that liberty and prosperity are mutually inclusive. The Foundation’s mission is to educate the people regarding this fundamental and essential interrelation between liberty and prosperity by initiating, maintaining, organizing, and supporting projects aimed at promoting, educating, training, developing, assisting and protecting liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. This year, FLP continues to implement its program on legal education with focus on four (4) key areas of development as stated in its Manual of Operations: “value formation,” “legal and scholarly education,” “information dissemination and philosophy propagation” as well as organizing “fora, events, conferences and the like.” The Foundation has also sponsored and undertaken activities that likewise advance a fifth key area of development: “publications and media disseminations.”

FLP Officers

The FLP continues to serve its purpose through its FLP officers, namely CJ Artemio V. Panganiban (Chairman of the Board), Evelyn T. Dumdum (President), Rebecca G. Felix (Treasurer), Joel Emerson J. Gregorio (Corporate Secretary), and Susana N. Gavino (Executive Director). In addition, the chairs of the various standing committees are CJ Artemio V. Panganiban (Executive Committee), Amando M. Tetangco, Jr. (Finance Committee), Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez (Governance Committee), and Edilberto C. De Jesus (Education Committee).

The first batch of officers were CJ Artemio V. Panganiban, Chairman of the Board, Maria Elena P. Yaptangco, President; Evelyn T. Dumdum, Executive Vice President; Elenita C. Panganiban, Treasurer; and Joel Emerson J. Gregorio, Corporate Secretary.

III. Ongoing Programs and Projects

The FLP was founded to perpetuate the core judicial philosophy of then Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban — that jurists and lawyers should not only safeguard the liberty of our people but must also nurture their prosperity under the rule of law. In the first few years since its incorporation, FLP focused on the following activities: (1) FLP’s first project, the “Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity,” (2) the official FLP Website (www.libpros.com), and (3) the “Liberty & Prosperity Journal,” hitherto an e-newsletter. By 2018, the Foundation is implementing two education-centered programs to complement its first project: the FLP Dissertation Writing Contest and FLP Legal Scholarship Program.

Professorial Chairs Program

The “Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity” is being implemented for almost eight (8) years now following its launch on 18 September 2012 at the Metrobank Auditorium, Makati City. This project is in partnership with the Metrobank Foundation, which has so far donated a total of One Million Four Hundred Thousand Pesos (₱ 1,400,000) in co-sponsorship of the program. The total funds for the project, including FLP’s co-sponsorship fund, amounts to Two Million Eight Hundred Thousand Pesos (₱ 2,800,000).

FLP intended its first program, in the format of the professorial chair project, to be educational and implemented in an academic setting. The main objective is to get educational institutions and law schools to research and propagate the philosophy at the level of the academia (including training of students, professors, lawyers, and judges.)

FLP started with the appointment of nine (9) deans of distinguished law schools and the Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA).[1] The outputs varied in form from traditional lectures, debates, as well as moot court competitions. The written lectures from the chair holders have been uploaded to the FLP website and published in the Liberty & Prosperity e-newsletter. These shall be compiled and will eventually be published in a book form as well as other modes of communications under the information, education and communication projects of FLP.

In 2017 to 2019, six (6) new appointments were made: Dean Melencio S. Sta. Maria, Far Eastern University, Dean Gemy Lito L. Festin, Polytechnic University of the Philippines; Professor Elizabeth Aguiling-Pangalangan, University of the Philippines College of Law; Professor Tanya Karina A. Lat, Ateneo de Manila School of Law; Dean Jose Maria Hofileña, Ateneo de Manila School of Law; Dean Fides Cordero-Tan, University of the Philippines College of Law; and Dean Virgilio delos Reyes, De La Salle University – Rufino Campus. This brings the number of chair holders to 16.

The table below shows the output of each chair holder:

	Date	Chair Holder	Output
1	25 November 2019	Tanya Karina A. Lat Ateneo Law School	The Law School as Generative Social Field for Cultivating Liberty, Prosperity, and the Rule of Law
2	28 March 2019	Elizabeth Aguiling-Pangalangan University of the Philippines	Parents and Children: When Law and Technology Unbundle Traditional Identities
3	17 October 2018	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	Writ of Prosperity
4	12 May 2018	Dean Gemy Lito M. Festin Polytechnic University of the Philippines	“Tutelary rules principle” as legal tool for easing economic rights’ access to justice in the Philippines
5	21 April 2018	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of the Peace Process with the CPP-NPA-NDFP: Issues and Concerns
6	26 September 2017	Dean Melencio Sta. Maria Far Eastern University Institute of Law	Human Rights, Politics, International Law and Trade Arrangement and Economic Prosperity: A Reading of the Philippine Situation
7	9 December 2016	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	Charting the Patch to a Relevant and Responsive Legal Education in the Philippines: A Draft Law Curriculum for the 21^st Century Filipino Lawyer
8	26 November 2014	Dean Mikhail Lee. L. Maxino Silliman University College of Law (Dumaguete City)	Right to life, Liberty, Prosperity: A Seamless Trilogy to Prosperity
9	11 September 2014	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	ASEAN Integration 2015 and the Imperative for Reforms in the Legal Profession and the Legal Education in the Philippines
10	5 March 2014	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	The 2014 Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban – Liberty & Prosperity Public International Law Moot Court Competition
11	21 February 2014	Dean Nilo T. Divina University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law	The Unpaid Creditor vs The Distressed Debtor: Proposals to Balance their Competing Interests
12	7 February 2014	Dean Andres D. Bautista Far Eastern University Institute of Law	Regulating the Practice of Professions by Foreigners
13	29 November 2013	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	Comparative Analysis of the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) Aspect of the GRP-MILF Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001 and Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB)
14	3 October 2013	Dean Reynaldo U. Agranzamendez University of the Cordilleras College of Law (Baguio City)	The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA): A Vehicle for Liberty and Prosperity
15	20 August 2013	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	LIBRT, The Economic Provisions of the 1987 Constitution be Amended so as to Allow Liberalization of Economic Policies by Congress • University of Santo Tomas Law Debate Team Position Paper on Charter Change • University of San Carlos Law Debate Team Position Paper on Charter Change
16	18 April 2013	Chancellor Adolfo S. Azcuna Philippine Judicial Academy	Supreme Court Decisions on the Economic Provisions of the Constitution
17	13 March 2013	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban Liberty and Prosperity Debate (Finals) The Constitutionality of the Aurora Pacific Eco Zone (APECO), per LIBRT R.A. 9490 (as amended by RA 10083) • APECO Position Paper: Affirmative • APECO Position Paper: Negative
18	6 March 2013	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	The Powerful Judiciary and Rule of Law in the Philippines
19	5 November 2012	Dean Jose Manuel I. Diokno De La Salle University College of Law	The Philippine Judiciary: Problems and Prospects
20	19 September 2012	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	Finance and Law: Understanding the Institutional and Functional Role of the International Monetary Fund During Sovereign Debt Crisis Situations

FLP Dissertation Writing Contest

The FLP Dissertation Writing Contest is a five-year program which aims to augment the Foundation’s first project by incorporating new, dynamic and perhaps more profound input to the body of works discussing FLP’s core philosophy. The Foundation believes that the fresh insight and unique perspective of law students will provide bold, novel and innovative avenues for the development of the Foundation’s tenets.

Through the contest, FLP looks for the best thesis and/or dissertation – or its equivalent in law schools not offering the Juris Doctor program – that espouses the philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. The contest is co-sponsored with the Ayala Group and implemented in cooperation with the Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS). The Ayala Corporation has committed to FLP the funding for the entire five-year program.

The contest is open to third year and fourth year law students as well as those taking up Master of Law. Only one (1) entry per student is allowed. Each entry must be a thesis/dissertation or its equivalent that espouses the philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. An entry must have gone through the process of a thesis/dissertation or a procedure similar thereto and is of thesis/dissertation type and quality.

The Foundation taps its roster of professorial chair holders, among others, in continuing efforts to improve the quality and relevance of the entries to the Liberty and Prosperity theme of the competition. They may conduct dialogues where the winners shall discuss, argue and debate their submissions, engendering a deeper understanding of the core philosophy of the Foundation. These discourses on their work will foment the kind of analysis that will contribute to the evolution, development and enrichment of the Foundation’s philosophy.

FLP created a Screening Committee to assist the Panel of Judges in choosing the winning entries. The Panel of Judges is composed of a Supreme Court Justice as Chairman and representatives of the PALS, Ayala Corporation, FLP, and professorial chair holders as members.

Up to twenty (20) qualifying entries are chosen by the Screening Committee from all entries submitted. Thereafter, a short list of up to ten (10) entries are chosen from the twenty (20) qualifying entries.

The FLP Panel of Judges chooses the five (5) recipients of the primary awards (first, second and three third places) from the shortlisted entries. Monetary awards are as follows: ₱300,000 to the first-place winner, ₱200,000 to the second-place winner, and ₱100,000 each to three (3) third place winners. These winners also receive plaques of recognition. Each of the twenty (20) qualifying entries chosen by the Screening Committee receives ₱20,000 and a certificate of award.

Activities in AY 2018-2019. The FLP conducted an information campaign regarding the contest in all law schools of the country. Flyers and posters were sent to the law schools throughout the country through their respective deans for dissemination to the law students to encourage them to submit entries to the dissertation writing contest. FLP officials visited law schools in the National Capital Region and in Cebu and discussed the mechanics/guidelines of the contest. Information regarding the contest were posted online on the FLP and some law school websites and through social media – Facebook pages of FLP, PALS, Association of Law School Students of the Philippines, and law schools. FLP also tapped its scholars in disseminating information regarding the contest to their fellow students.

The FLP Education Committee Chairman initiated discussions with some law school deans and Holders of the Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs to get the views of the Deans on how to improve the number and the quality of the dissertations submitted to the FLP. It was also an opportunity for the Education Committee to understand the research priorities of the country’s best law schools and how the FLP, through the awards competition and its other programs, might be able to help them achieve their objectives.

As a result of these discussions, the FLP Board approved the following changes in the contest guidelines: (a) FLP will allow collaborative/collective dissertations to be considered for the Awards Program, and (b) faculty mentors of winning contestants shall receive monetary awards as follows: Php 100,000 for the faculty mentor of the first-place winner, Php 75,000 for second-place winner, and Php 50,000 each for the 3 third place winners. Deadline for submission of entries was moved to end of April 2019.

FLP organized its Board of Judges with Supreme Court Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe (Chairman), and Retired Supreme Court Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, PALS President Joan Sarausos-Largo, Ayala Corporation Managing Director and General Counsel Solomon Hermosura, and Atty. Joel Emerson J. Gregorio as members.

A total of 21 entries were received by the FLP Secretariat.

Number of Entries by Law School, AY 2018-2019

School	No. of Entries
1. Arellano University	1
2. Ateneo de Manila University	3
3. Centro Escolar University	1
4. De La Salle Lipa	1
5. De La Salle University	1
6. Far Eastern University	6
7. LUMSA University – Rome	1
8. Lyceum of the Philippines University	1
9. Polytechnic University of the Philippines	1
10. San Beda University	1
11. San Sebastian College – Recoletos	1
12. University of Cebu	1
13. University of the Philippines	1
14. University of San Carlos	1
Total	21

Of the 21 entries, ten were shortlisted as finalists by the Screening Committee headed by Atty. Joel Emerson J. Gregorio. The five primary award winners were chosen by the Board of Judges from the ten shortlisted entries. The primary award-winning entries and other finalists are:

Place		Name	Title
1^st Place	1	Josiah David F. Quising Far Eastern University Adviser: Atty. Jared Amoroso	Liberty and Prosperity for Future Generations: Intergenerational Equity as Customary International Law
2^nd Place	2	Diana Lou L. Boado Lyceum of the Philippines University – Makati Adviser: Atty. Rommel Regalado Bagares	Balancing Liberty and Prosperity in the Market for Big Data: Towards Enforcing the Right to Personal Data Protection
3^rd Place	3	Charles O. de Belen San Beda University (No adviser)	Elevating the Status of the Right to Information through the Writ of Scientia Omnibus
3^rd Place	4	Beverly T. Lumbera LUMSA University – Rome Adviser: Mr. Matteo Rizzolli	The Liberty to Locate and the Threat of Crime: A Critical Discourse and Systematic Review of the Impact of Crime on Property Values
3^rd Place	5	Clarissa Mae A. Sawali Far Eastern University Adviser: Atty. Joan Paula Deveraturda	A Rights-Based Approach to Environmental Protection: The Balance between Police Power and Livelihood Rights
Other Finalists	6	Gwendolyn Ann I. Bañaria Far Eastern University	Rise of the Machines As Creators: The Ownership Conundrum of Computer-Generated Works
	7	Jose Angelo A. Blay De La Salle Lipa	Post-Conflict Amnesty Practice Under Contemporary Public International Law and Domestic Law
	8	Arvin Paolo D. Cortez Ateneo de Manila University	A Critique of Lagman v. Executive Secretary: Analyzing the Justiciability of the President’s Power to Declare Martial Law or to Suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus as Regards its Territorial Scope and to Provide Standards Therefor
	9	Justin Ian M. Manjares Ateneo de Manila University	There’s Death and There’s Online Death: Exploring Digital Assets as a Legal Concept for the Transmissibility of a Decedent’s (Digital) Assets to His Heirs
	10	Marlouize E. Villanueva University of San Carlos	Beyond the Minimum: Justiciability of the Question of the Right to a Living Wage in the Philippines

Awarding of prizes was done during the FLP Convocation at the APS Auditorium, Ateneo de Manila University, Rockwell Drive, Makati City on May 18, 2019.

FLP Scholarship Program

The program is a unique, merit-based scholarship program which is now on its third academic year of implementation. Co-sponsored by the Tan Yan Kee Foundation and also undertaken in cooperation with PALS, it aims to look for the best and the brightest law students in the country.

There are twenty (20) scholars for each academic year, ten slots of which are for third-year law students and the other ten for fourth-year students. The program is open to all law schools that have obtained a passing percentage above the overall passing percentage for the bar exams of the relevant year based on the statistical data from the Supreme Court Office of the Bar Confidant. For AY 2018-2019, these schools are:

Aemilianum College Inc.
Angeles University Foundation
Arellano University
Ateneo de Davao University
Ateneo de Manila University
Centro Escolar University
Cor Jesu College
De La Salle University-Manila
Far Eastern University – Makati
Father Saturnino Urios University
Lyceum of the Philippines University
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Saint Louis University
San Beda College Alabang
San Beda University – Manila
San Sebastian College-Recoletos
Silliman University
University of Batangas
University of Cagayan Valley
University of Cebu
University of Pangasinan
University of Perpetual Help-Rizal
University of San Agustin
University of San Carlos
University of San Jose-Recoletos
University of Santo Tomas
University of St. La Salle
University of the Cordilleras
University of the Philippines
Xavier University

No law school shall have more than three (3) new awardees in a year.

Applicants are required to submit an essay of two thousand (2,000) words to 3,000 words on the philosophy of the Foundation, expanding on and espousing the precept: safeguarding of liberty and nurturing of prosperity under the rule of law, and how he/she will apply the same in his/her legal career.

Selection of scholars is done initially by a Screening Committee which determines the shortlist of applicants/candidates qualified to undergo final screening by the FLP Board of Judges. The Board of Judges conducts a panel interview, taking into consideration the candidate’s ability to demonstrate clearly, logically and concisely what he/she has done and intends to do to propagate and espouse the philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. Although the scholarship is merit-based, the less privileged shall be preferred in case of a tie between two nominees.

Awardees must agree to the terms and conditions of the FLP Scholarship Program, including but not limited to, the requirement to provide volunteer services for the Foundation as well as giving back to the FLP Scholarship Program to ensure its sustainability such as teaching law subjects that espouse the philosophy of liberty and prosperity, developing a concept/program along the philosophy of the FLP and commitment to mentoring other law students, subject to institutional arrangements with partner law schools. Awardees must likewise agree to enter into a formal commitment agreement with FLP and the pertinent academic institution for this purpose.

Each of the twenty FLP Scholarship is a monetary scholarship award of ₱200,000 of which a maximum of ₱100,000 shall be for tuition fee and ₱20,000 for book allowance. The remaining ₱80,000 shall constitute the scholar’s stipend. For the tuition fee component, only such amount needed shall be given to the awardee. If the tuition fee component of the monetary scholarship award is in excess of the awardee’s tuition, the balance shall be used by FLP for the scholarship program. If the awardee is entitled to another scholarship award, he/she will still receive the monetary scholarship award to be provided by the FLP.

The Tan Yan Kee Foundation has provided a total of Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand Pesos (₱10,400,000) for the first three academic years of the program.

Activities in Academic Year 2018–2019. Similar to the previous academic year, activities in AY 2018-2019 involved meetings with law school deans in Manila; production and dissemination of information materials to all qualified law schools via email and snail mail and requesting their deans to disseminate the information to their students; displaying program posters on their bulletin boards; FLP Scholars posting program materials on law schools’ Facebook pages; and involving incumbent FLP scholars in actively encouraging law students in their respective schools to apply to the program. The academic performance of AY 2017-2018 scholars were evaluated to determine who were able to maintain their scholarship for S/Y 2018-2019.

Third year scholars of FLP in AY 2017-2018 may continue receiving the grant for their fourth year provided that they maintain a GPA not lower than 85% or 2.25 for the immediately preceding school year, with no grade lower than 75% or 3.0 during his or her stay at the law school. They must likewise complete a full load for each semester and must have not dropped any subject nor taken a leave of absence.

AY 2017-2018 Scholars. Based on the GPA requirement, eight (8) of the AY 2017-2018 3^rd year scholars qualified to continue their scholarship for the academic year 2018-2019. These scholars are:

Student	School
1. Abot, Leo Francis F.	Ateneo de Manila University
2. Almerino, John Anthony F.	University of San Carlos
3. Cortez, Arvin Paolo D.	Ateneo de Manila University
4. Ilao, Mikael Gabrielle E.	University of the Cordilleras
5. Manuel, Kenneth Glenn L.	University of Santo Tomas
6. Perez, King Anthony Y.	University of Cebu
7. Rojas, Jun Dexter H.	Polytechnic University of the Philippines
8. Villarico, Ma. Vida Malaya M.	Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Applicants. Twelve (12) scholarship awards were announced for the following: 10 scholars for incumbent third year law students, and two (2) scholars for incumbent fourth year law students. The deadline for submission of entries was on September 16, 2018. The Foundation received 13 applications from 3rd year students and 4 applications from 4th year students from the following schools:

Ateneo de Manila University
Centro Escolar University
De La Salle University
Far Eastern University-Makati
Saint Louis University
San Beda University-Manila
University of San Carlos
University of Santo Tomas
University of the Cordilleras

The Board of Judges for the interview and final judging of applicants to the Legal Scholarship Program for AY 2018-2019 was organized with Supreme Court Senior Justice Antonio Carpio as Chairman, and Former Secretary of Education Dr. Edilberto C. De Jesus, PALS President and USC Law School Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo, Tan Yan Kee executive Ms. Elizabeth T. Alba, and Ateneo Law School Professor Tanya Karina A. Lat as members.

The scholars for AY 2018-2019 were:

Name		Law School
3rd Year
1	Abratique, Banoar R.	University of the Cordilleras
2	Barredo, Pamela Camille A.	Far Eastern University
3	Bulacan, Angelette C.	Far Eastern University
4	Domingo, Stephanie Mae B.	University of the Cordilleras
5	Guinto, Maria Carissa C.	San Beda University – Manila
6	Gutierrez, Patrick Angelo M.	Far Eastern University
7	Matsumura, Mayumi G.	Ateneo de Manila University
8	Obra, Juralyn Lilian A.	University of the Cordilleras
9	Perez, Carmella Gaye D.	University of San Carlos
10	Ramirez, Edrea Jean V.	University of Santo Tomas
4th Year
1	Abot, Leo Francis F.	Ateneo de Manila University
2	Almerino, John Anthony F.	University of San Carlos
3	Carpio, Micah Celine S.	De La Salle University
4	Cortez, Arvin Paolo D.	Ateneo de Manila University
5	Ilao, Mikael Gabrielle E.	University of the Cordilleras
6	Malabad, Alimar Mohammad	San Beda University – Manila
7	Manuel, Kenneth Glenn L.	University of Santo Tomas
8	Perez, King Anthony Y.	University of Cebu
9	Rojas, Jun Dexter H.	Polytechnic University of the Philippines
10	Villarico, Ma. Vida Malaya M.	Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Honor Graduates. Six of the 4^th-year scholars of AY 2018-2019 graduated with honors or on top of their class. These scholars are:

Name		School	Honors
1	Leo Francis Abot	Ateneo de Manila University	Valedictorian
2	John Anthony F. Almerino	University of San Carlos	Valedictorian
3	Micah Celine S. Carpio	De La Salle University	Valedictorian
4	Kenneth Glenn L. Manuel	University of Santo Tomas	Cum Laude
5	King Anthony Y. Perez	University of Cebu	Valedictorian
6	Ma. Vida Malaya M. Villarico	Polytechnic University of the Philippines	No. 1 of graduating class

Bar Exams Topnotchers and Passers. Ten of the eleven 4^th-year scholars of AY 2017-2018 took the bar exams in November 2018. All of them passed the bar exams, with Sean James B. Borja and Katrina Monica C. Gaw as Bar Exam Topnotcher No. 1 and No. 5, respectively. Ervin Fredrick H. Dy was in 17^th place in the 2018 bar exams. The bar exam passers and topnotchers were recognized during the FLP awards ceremony in May 2019. Atty. Sean B. Borja and Atty. Katrina Monica C. Gaw were given cash awards for placing in the top ten, along with AY 2017-2018 4^th-year scholars who graduated with honors: Atty. Sean B. Borja (valedictorian), Atty. Rexlyn Anne M. Evora (No.1 in her class), Atty. Jose Noel B. Hilario (cum laude), Atty. Summerson A. Macasarte (No. 1 in his class), and Atty. Nigel Carmelo Q. Reago (valedictorian).

Applicants for AY 2019-2020. A total of 33 law students (28 3^rd year students and five 4^th year students) applied for legal scholarship for the academic year AY 2019-2020. Of the 33 applicants, 25 met the qualifications. The Board of Judges, led by Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta as Chairman, was organized to conduct the final judging of applicants.

Awards Ceremony for FLP Programs AY 2018-2019

The awarding for FLP Programs in AY 2018-2019 was held on May 18, 2019 at the APS Auditorium of the Ateneo de Manila University, Rockwell Drive, Makati City. Dr. Raul C. Pangalangan, International Criminal Court Judge, was the special guest of honor. FLP Scholar, Atty. Sean James B. Borja, who was the 2018 Bar Exams Topnotcher No. 1, delivered a message to the FLP Scholars.

Panganiban Educational Assistance Program

The program is a merit-based education assistance program for poor but bright relatives of the FLP Chairman. It is at an experimental stage with nine awardees for AY 2019-2020. It will be rolled out with six (6) slots open in AY 2020-2021. Fund source of the program has been set up with the purchase of a unit at 101 Hotel.

The financial assistance is a monetary award for the awardees which can contribute to their expenses for college/university education and will be given on a year-to-year basis. Awardees must reapply for each year, with priority given to existing awardees, all things being equal.

The six (6) slots will be open to all schools that have obtained in the relevant course’s licensure examination a percentage of passing above the overall percentage of passing for the immediately preceding year based on the statistical data from the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC). Applicants should enroll or be enrolled in priority courses of the Commission on Higher Education and which shall lead to practice of professions regulated by the PRC.

The awardees at this experimental stage are:

FLP Newsletter

FLP has so far released thirteen (13) e-newsletters, with another issue in the finalization stage. Volume VIII Issue 1 features the 2018 Bar Exam Topnotchers, winning entries of the 2018-2019 Dissertation Writing Contest and the awarding of FLP scholars for AY 2018-20198. It also gave an overview of FLP’s 8^th Annual Report.

FLP Website

The Foundation has continued to use a simple, neat and uniform design aesthetic for its website (www.libpros.com) that remains consistent whatever device is being used to view or access it – either desktop, tablet or smartphone. It features front and center the three (3) education programs being undertaken by the Foundation: the Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity, FLP Dissertation Writing Contest and the FLP Legal Scholarship Program. The guidelines and forms for the dissertation writing contest and the legal scholarship program have also been uploaded and are ready for download by interested participants and the public. The current composition of the Board of Trustees has also been updated. The FLP Secretariat continues to work with the site’s administrator, Mr. Kristian Jeff C. Agustin, to further improve and enhance the website.

IV. Future Plans and Direction

Project 85^th and Beyond

The Foundation will undertake an IEC project that will reinforce current FLP programs by engaging/involving stakeholders and the public in its planning and implementation. The project will promote the FLP vision and mission within its current reach as well as towards the arenas of media and museums. It will translate the scholarly outputs of current programs into more publicly accessible products, such as books and publications, museum interactive exhibitions, and musical performances. The project will focus on information dissemination, media penetration, and access to information by its stakeholders, e.g., government, academe, business sector, and civil society.

Project 85^th and Beyond will consist of the following subprojects:

Curatorial Project
1. FLP Museum and Research Center (roving museum)
2. Museum of Liberty and Prosperity (main Museum)
3. CJAVP Biography
4. Coffee Table Book
5. With Due Respect Vol 3
Media Project
1. Documentary Film 1 and 2
2. FLP Website
Events
1. 10^th Anniversary of the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity
2. CJAVP & FLP Book Launches
3. Museum opening
4. Global Forum on Liberty and Prosperity
5. Ageless Passion The Musical

FLP Visual Art Competition

A project proposed by Mr. Kristian Jeff C. Agustin, the Liberty & Prosperity: Images, Figures, Expressions (LIFE) is a visual art competition that aims to make known the Foundation’s philosophy of “liberty and prosperity under the rule of law” in creative ways. It is designed after three well-established and long-running visual art competitions in the Philippines, namely: the DPC-PLDT Visual Art Competition, the Metrobank Art & Design Excellence Competition and the Shell National Students Art Competition.

By launching a new visual art competition, the FLP can make itself more relevant to the country’s art and culture scene, which is very instrumental in capturing or defining the “zeitgeist” of a particular society. For instance, today’s zeitgeist of “Filipino Democracy” has eventually latched on to the consciousness and culture of Filipinos by way of the media’s constant revisiting of the EDSA People Power Revolution and representations of the spirit of “Filipino-ness” (especially by means of evocative images and stories). Hence, to better promote its vision of “a society that safeguards liberty and nurtures prosperity under the rule of law” to the public, the FLP must tap and develop the potential of Filipino artists, designers, and other creative practitioners.

Coffee Table Books on the Professorial Lectures and Speeches of CJ Panganiban

FLP also plans to partner with the Metrobank Foundation regarding the publication of two (2) coffee table books: one, a compilation of the lectures and output delivered under the CJ Panganiban Professorial Chair Program; and two, a compilation of selected speeches of CJ Panganiban. Metrobank Foundation agreed in principle to sponsor said coffee table book projects and offered to assist FLP in undertaking the same considering that they have had several similar projects. The first coffee table book is at the concept development stage.

Support to the Reform Program of the Judiciary and the Ombudsman

In terms of its commitment to reforms, FLP plans to work closely with the SC and the Office of the Ombudsman in establishing a reform program patterned after the SC’s Action Program for Judicial Reform (APJR). The Foundation is planning to seek the assistance from the World Bank (which provided the funding for the APJR) and other international funding institutions in this endeavor.

Legal Education Reform Program

Another avenue as regards reform (as well as education) is FLP’s plan to partner with the Legal Education Board in developing a program to reform the legal education in the Philippines.

Teaching Exemplars on the Rule of Law

The Department of Education (DepEd) has adopted the teaching exemplars on the rule of law developed under the Public Education on the Rule of Law Advancement and Support (PERLAS) Project of the Supreme Court and DepEd. The exemplars integrate concepts of the rule of law into the basic education curriculum to educate and inform the public on the functioning of a society anchored on the justice system and to mold the students into becoming responsible and law-abiding citizens. A total of 112 teachers from 82 public schools nationwide have been trained on the use of these exemplars in 2011.

FLP will collaborate with the Department of Education in revisiting these exemplars and enhance these as may be necessary to keep these relevant to the current situation in the country. FLP plans to assist in the roll-out of these exemplars to all public and private schools in the country.

FLP Museum

The Foundation is looking at establishing an FLP Museum where various memorabilia and important items will be kept and made available for viewing of the public. This will be through a possible purchase of the entire floor of a building in FEU Makati at cost which the Chairman has proposed to the Chairman of FEU to be put up in the land purchased by FEU where the old 6-storey Zuellig building is located at the corner of Ayala and Buendia Avenues. The Chairman of FEU said that she will bring this proposal to the Board of FEU and that she agrees in principle to sell one floor to the Foundation.

V. Assets and Financial Position

As reported by then FLP President Maria Elena P. Yaptangco in her First Annual Report (2012), the Foundation was incorporated with a total of two million pesos (P2,000,000.00) as initial funds, contributed by retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban. At present, based on the 2019 Audited Financial Report presented before and approved by the Board of Trustees, the Foundation’s total assets is one hundred thirty-seven million two hundred ninety-five thousand seven hundred thirty-five pesos (₱137,295,735) which includes the value of the PCCI property in Makati and the real property donation from Peecee Holdings.

FLP’s depository bank is Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). The funds may be withdrawn only by signature of two of its four authorized signatories, preferably, the President and/or the Treasurer.

[1] These were—surnames in alphabetical order—(1) Atty. Reynaldo U. Agranzamendez (Dean, University of the Cordilleras College of Law); (2) retired Supreme Court Justice Adolfo S. Azcuna (Chancellor, PhilJA); (3) Atty. Andres D. Bautista (Dean (until 2014), Far Eastern University Institute of Law, now Commission on Elections [COMELEC] Chairman); (4) Atty. Sedfrey M. Candelaria (Dean, Ateneo de Manila School of Law); (5) Atty. Danilo L. Concepcion (Dean, University of the Philippines College of Law, now President of the University of the Philippines System); (6) Atty. Jose Manuel I. Diokno (Dean, De La Salle University College of Law); (7) Atty. Nilo T. Divina (Dean, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law); (8) Atty. Joan Sarausos-Largo (Dean, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance); (9) retired Supreme Court Justice Eduardo B. Nachura (Chairman, Arellano University Law Foundation); and (10) Atty. Manuel Quibod (Ateneo de Davao University College of Law). Regrettably, the 10^th appointee failed to respond to FLP’s cordial invitation and appointment letter; hence he was eventually and decidedly removed from the list of chair holders.

Posted on June 25, 2019January 14, 2022 Annual Report

8th Annual Report

(January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018)

I. Introduction

Officially established on October 27, 2011, the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity is now on its seventh year of operation. Led by its Board of Trustees — namely Retired Chief Justice (CJ) Artemio V. Panganiban, Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, Washington Z. Sycip^† [until October 7, 2017], Edilberto C. De Jesus, Elenita C. Panganiban, Maria Elena P. Sandejas-Yaptangco, Jennifer J. Manalili, Evelyn T. Dumdum and Joel Emerson J. Gregorio — the FLP has steadily gained recognition from its stakeholders and partners through its various programs, projects and activities.

FLP Officers

The FLP continues to serve its purpose through its FLP officers, namely CJ Artemio V. Panganiban (Chairman of the Board), Evelyn T. Dumdum (President), Rebecca G. Felix (Treasurer), Joel Emerson J. Gregorio (Corporate Secretary), and Susana N. Gavino (Executive Director). In addition, the chairs of the various standing committees are: CJ Artemio V. Panganiban (Executive Committee), Rebecca G. Felix (Finance Committee), Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez (Governance Committee), and Edilberto C. De Jesus (Education Committee).

II. Ongoing Programs and Projects

Professorial Chairs Program

The “Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity” is being implemented for more than six (6) years now following its launch on 18 September 2012 at the Metrobank Auditorium, Makati City. This project is in partnership with the Metrobank Foundation, which has so far donated a total of One Million Four Hundred Thousand Pesos (₱ 1,400,000) in co-sponsorship of the program. The total funds for the project, including FLP’s co-sponsorship fund, amounts to Two Million Eight Hundred Thousand Pesos (₱ 2,800,000).

intended its first program, in the format of the professorial chair project, to be educational and implemented in an academic setting. The main objective is to get educational institutions and law schools to research and propagate the philosophy at the level of the academia (including training of students, professors, lawyers, and judges.)

started with the appointment of nine (9) deans of distinguished law schools and the Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA).[1] The outputs varied in form from traditional lectures, debates, as well as moot court competitions. The written lectures from the chair holders have been uploaded to the FLP website and published in the Liberty & Prosperity e-newsletter. These shall be compiled and will eventually be published in a book form as well as other modes of communications under the information, education and communication projects of FLP.

In 2017, four new appointments were made: Dean Melencio S. Sta. Maria, Far Eastern University, Dean Gemy Lito L. Festin, Polytechnic University of the Philippines; Professor Elizabeth Aguiling-Pangalangan, University of the Philippines College of Law; and Professor Tanya Karina A. Lat, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law. This brings the number of chair holders to 13.

The table below shows the output of each chair holder:

	Date	Chair Holder	Output
1	17 October 2018	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	Writ of Prosperity
2	12 May 2018	Dean Gemy Lito M. Festin, College of Law, Polytechnic University of the Philippines	“Tutelary rules principle” as legal tool for easing economic rights’ access to justice in the Philippines
3	21 April 2018	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of the Peace Process with the CPP-NPA-NDFP: Issues and Concerns
4	26 September 2017	Dean Melencio Sta. Maria, Far Estern University Institute of Law	Human Rights, Politics, International Law and Trade Arrangement and Economic Prosperity: A Reading of the Philippine Situation
5	9 December 2016	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	Charting the Patch to a Relevant and Responsive Legal Education in the Philippines: A Draft Law Curriculum for the 21^st Century Filipino Lawyer
6	26 November 2014	Dean Mikhail Lee. L. Maxino, Silliman University College of Law (Dumaguete City)	Right to life, Liberty, Prosperity: A Seamless Trilogy to Prosperity
7	11 September 2014	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	ASEAN Integration 2015 and the Imperative for Reforms in the Legal Profession and the Legal Education in the Philippines
8	5 March 2014	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	The 2014 Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban – Liberty & Prosperity Public International Law Moot Court Competition
9	21 February 2014	Dean Nilo T. Divina, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law	The Unpaid Creditor vs The Distressed Debtor: Proposals to Balance their Competing Interests
10	7 February 2014	Dean Andres D. Bautista, Far Eastern University Institute of Law	Regulating the Practice of Professions by Foreigners
11	29 November 2013	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	Comparative Analysis of the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) Aspect of the GRP-MILF Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001 and Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB)
12	3 October 2013	Dean Reynaldo U. Agranzamendez, University of the Cordilleras College of Law (Baguio City)	The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA): A Vehicle for Liberty and Prosperity
13	20 August 2013	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	LIBRT, The Economic Provisions of the 1987 Constitution be Amended so as to Allow Liberalization of Economic Policies by Congress University of Santo Tomas Law Debate Team Position Paper on Charter Change University of San Carlos Law Debate Team Position Paper on Charter Change
14	18 April 2013	Chancellor Adolfo S. Azcuna, Philippine Judicial Academy	Supreme Court Decisions on the Economic Provisions of the Constitution
15	13 March 2013	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban Liberty and Prosperity Debate (Finals) The Constitutionality of the Aurora Pacific Eco Zone (APECO), per LIBRT R.A. 9490 (as amended by RA 10083) APECO Position Paper: Affirmative APECO Position Paper: Negative
16	6 March 2013	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	The Powerful Judiciary and Rule of Law in the Philippines
17	5 November 2012	Dean Jose Manuel I. Diokno, De La Salle University College of Law	The Philippine Judiciary: Problems and Prospects
18	19 September 2012	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	Finance and Law: Understanding the Institutional and Functional Role of the International Monetary Fund During Sovereign Debt Crisis Situations

FLP Dissertation Writing Contest

The FLP Dissertation Writing Contest is a five-year program which aims to augment the Foundation’s first project by incorporating new, dynamic and perhaps more profound input to the body of works discussing FLP’s core philosophy. We believe that the fresh insight and unique perspective of law students will provide bold, novel and innovative avenues for the development of the Foundation’s tenets.

FLP will look for the best thesis and/or dissertation – or its equivalent in law schools not offering the Juris Doctor program – that espouses the philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. The contest is co-sponsored with the Ayala Group and implemented in cooperation with the Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS).

The contest is open to third year and fourth year law students as well as those taking up Master of Law. Only one (1) entry per student is allowed. Each entry must be a thesis/dissertation or its equivalent that espouses the philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. An entry must be certified to have gone through the process of a thesis/dissertation or a procedure similar thereto and that it is of thesis/dissertation type and quality.

The Foundation will also tap its roster of professorial chair holders, among others, to create the Panel of Judges who will choose the winning entries and conduct dialogues where the winners shall discuss, argue and debate their submissions, engendering a deeper understanding of the core philosophy of the Foundation. These discourses on their work with the Panel of Judges will foment the kind of analysis that will contribute to the evolution, development and enrichment of the Foundation’s philosophy. FLP will also constitute a Screening Committee to assist the Panel of Judges.

Up to twenty (20) qualifying entries will be chosen by the Screening Committee from all entries submitted. Thereafter, a short list of up to ten (10) entries will be chosen from the twenty (20) qualifying entries.

The FLP Panel of Judges will choose the five (5) recipients of the primary awards (first, second and three third places) from the shortlisted entries. Monetary awards are as follows: ₱300,000 to the first-place winner, ₱200,000 to the second-place winner, and ₱100,000 each to three (3) third place winners. These winners will also receive plaques of recognition. The twenty (20) qualifying entries chosen by the FLP Dissertation Contest Committee will each receive ₱20,000 and a certificate of award.

The Ayala Corporation has already agreed to facilitate the provision of funds for this project through its various partners and have committed to FLP the funding for the entire five-year program.

Activities in AY 2017-2018. Deadline for submission of entries was on November 30, 2017. The Foundation received a total of 18 entries from the following schools:

School	No. of Entries
1. Ateneo de Manila University	7
2. Centro Escolar University	1
3. De La Salle University	1
4. Far Eastern University Institute of Law	1
5. Polytechnic University of the Philippines	1
6. San Beda University – Manila	1
7. University of Oxford	1
8. University of the Philippines	1
9. University of San Carlos	4
Total	18

Of the 18 entries, only 6 entries were considered for the final round by the Panel of Judges, chaired by Senior Justice Presbitero J, Velasco, Jr., with Former Secretary of Education, Dr. Edilberto C. De Jesus, PALS President and Ateneo Law School Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Ayala Managing Director and General Counsel Atty. Solomon Hermosura, and Ateneo Law School Professor Tanya Karina A. Lat as members.

The final judging of entries was done on February 8, 2018. The judges were unanimous in awarding the first and second place winners. They also agreed no entry qualified for third place. The winning entries are shown in the table below:

Place	Name	Title
1^st Place	1. Raphael Lorenzo Aguiling Pangalangan, University of Oxford	Enforcing Liberty and Prosperity through the Courts of Law: A Shift in Legal Thought from Juridification to Judicialization
2^nd Place	2. Tess Marie P. Tan, University of San Carlos	Liberty and Prosperity in the Digital Age: Determining the Proper Treatment of Online Intermediaries in Light of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Other Finalists	3. Rexlyn Anne M. Evora, Polytechnic University of the Philippines	Delivering to the Poor: Microfinance Policies in Cooperatives in Rural Areas in the Philippines as a Means in Promoting Entrepreneurship and Economic Independence
	4. Helen May M. Frias, Far Eastern University	The Role of Private Justice: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the Promotion and Protection of Liberty and Prosperity Under the Rule of Law
	5. Janine Faye A. Napoles, Centro Escolar University	Leadership Quality Reconsideration: Strengthening the Vanguards of Liberty and Prosperity through the Imposition of Academic Qualifications on National Elective Officials
	6. Odulio, Joben Mariz Tiongco, Ateneo de Manila University	Weeding out the Fake Grassroots: Expanding the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 to include Online Astroturfing as an Offense

Awarding of prizes and plaques/certificates of recognition was done on March 23, 2018 at the Ateneo Professional Schools Auditorium.

Activities in AY 2018-2019. The FLP conducted an information campaign regarding the contest in all law schools of the country. Flyers and posters were sent to the law schools throughout the country through their respective deans for dissemination to the law students to encourage them to submit entries to the dissertation writing contest. FLP officials visited law schools in the National Capital Region and in Cebu and discussed the mechanics/guidelines of the contest. Among these law schools are the University of the Philippines, Ateneo Law School, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, Centro Escolar University, Far Eastern University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of San Carlos, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and San Beda University. Information regarding the contest were posted online on the FLP and some law school websites and through social media – Facebook pages of FLP, PALS, Association of Law School Students of the Philippines, and law schools. FLP also tapped its scholars in disseminating information regarding the contest to their fellow students.

The FLP Education Committee Chairman initiated discussions with some law school deans and Holders of the Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs to get the views of the Deans on how to improve the number and the quality of the dissertations submitted to the FLP. The Education Committee also wanted an opportunity to understand the research priorities of the country’s best law schools and how the FLP, through the awards competition and its other programs, might be able to help them achieve their objectives.

As a result of these discussions, the FLP Board approved the following changes in the contest guidelines:

Some law schools allow students to submit a collective dissertation to fulfill JD requirements. FLP will allow these collaborative dissertations to be considered for the Awards Program.
Faculty mentors of winning contestants shall receive monetary awards as follows: Php 100,000 for the faculty mentor of the first-place winner, Php 75,000 for second-place winner, and Php 50,000 each for the 3 third place winners.

Deadline for submission of entries was moved to end of April 2019 on the request of UP college of Law as this is the time when papers of their students are expected to be completed.

Meanwhile, FLP organized its Board of Judges with Supreme Court Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe (Chairman), and Retired Supreme Court Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, PALS President Joan Sarausos-Largo, Ayala Corporation Managing Director and General Counsel Solomon Hermosura, and Atty. Joel Emerson J. Gregorio as members.

FLP Scholarship Program

There will be ten (10) scholars for the program and the scholarship is open to those entering their third year as law students. FLP is opening ten (10) slots to all law schools that have obtained a passing percentage above the overall passing percentage for the bar exams of the relevant year based on the statistical data from the Supreme Court Office of the Bar Confidant. No law school shall have more than three (3) awardees in a year.

Applicants must submit an essay written in English with a minimum of two thousand (2,000) words and a maximum of 3,000 words. The essay must be on the philosophy of the Foundation, expanding on and espousing the precept: safeguarding of liberty and nurturing of prosperity under the rule of law, and how he/she will apply the same in his/her legal career.

There will be an interview to be conducted by the FLP Panel of Judges who will be given full discretion in the conduct of the said interview. The Panel shall consider the candidate’s ability to demonstrate clearly, logically and concisely what he/she has done and intends to do to propagate and espouse the philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. Although the scholarship is merit-based, the less privileged shall be preferred in case of a tie between two nominees. Selection shall be final when affirmed by the FLP.

Each of the ten FLP Scholarship is a monetary scholarship award of ₱200,000 of which a maximum of ₱100,000 shall be for tuition fee and ₱20,000 for book allowance. The remaining ₱80,000 shall constitute the scholar’s stipend. For the tuition fee component, only such amount needed shall be given to the awardee. If the tuition fee component of the monetary scholarship award is in excess of the awardee’s tuition, the balance shall be used by FLP for the scholarship program. If the awardee is entitled to another scholarship award, he/she will still receive the monetary scholarship award to be provided by the FLP.

The Tan Yan Kee Foundation has provided a total of Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand Pesos (₱10,400,000) for the first three academic years of the program.

Activities in School Year 2018–2019. The FLP is continuously undertaking activities that will broaden the reach of its programs. As usually done at the start of its program implementation, FLP conducted an information campaign on the FLP legal scholarship program in the 31 law schools of the country that had a percentage of passing higher than the overall percentage of passing for the 2016 bar exams. FLP produced handouts and posters and sent these to the qualified law schools throughout the country through their respective deans for dissemination to the law students to encourage them to submit applications to the legal scholarship program. Posters were also displayed in the law schools’ bulletin board.

FLP officials visited law schools in the National Capital Region and in Cebu and discussed the mechanics/guidelines of the program. Among these law schools are the University of the Philippines, Ateneo Law School, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, Centro Escolar University, Far Eastern University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of San Carlos, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and San Beda University. Information regarding the contest were posted online on the FLP and some law school websites, and through social media – Facebook pages of FLP, PALS, Association of Law School Students of the Philippines, law school student councils, and law schools. FLP also tapped its incumbent scholars in disseminating information regarding the scholarship program to their fellow students.

In the meetings with law school deans, FLP officials learned the challenges law students face in applying for FLP scholarship: the requirements of the FLP scholarship program are too high, students are having a hard time getting the grades required in the program, most of their students are working students and this contributes to the difficulty in maintaining high grades.

AY 2017-2018 Scholars. The final judging and selection of FLP Scholars for AY 2017-2018 was done on February 2, 2018. In addition to the five (5) AY 2016-2017 scholars who were able to maintain their scholarship grants, new scholars were chosen for AY 2017-2018. Thus, the scholars for AY 2017-2018 are as follows:

NAME		SCHOOL
A. Third Year Students
1	Abot, Leo Francis F.	ADMU
2	Almerino, John Anthony F.	USC
3	Cortez, Arvin Paolo D.	ADMU
4	Ilao, Mikael Gabrielle E.	UCordilleras
5	Manuel, Kenneth Glenn L.	UST
6	Perez, King Anthony Y.	UCebu
7	Quising, Josiah David F.	FEU
8	Rojas, Jun Dexter H.	PUP
9	Salvacion, Julienne Therese V.	SBC- Manila
10	Villarico, Ma. Vida Malaya M.	PUP
B. Fourth Year Students
1	Badua, Karina Mae A.	UST
2	Borja, Sean James B.	ADMU
3	Castillo, Kaycelle Ann M.	FEU-Makati
4	Dy, Ervin Fredrick H.	UP
5	Evora, Rexlyn Anne M.	PUP
6	Gaw, Katrina Monica C.	ADMU
7	Macasarte, Summerson A.	St. Thomas More
8	Reago, Nigel Carmelo Q.	DLSU
9	Tiglao, Jose Angelo C.	DLSU
10	Vergara, Althea A.	USC
11	Vergara, Vanessa Gloria S.	ADMU

Awarding of prizes and plaques/certificates of recognition was done on March 23, 2018 at the Ateneo Professional Schools Auditorium.

Of the ten (10) 3^rd year FLP Scholars, only eight (8) were able to meet the requirements for another year’s scholarship award in AY 2018-2019.

AY 2018-2019 Legal Scholarship Program. For the school year 2018-2019, Twelve (12) scholarship awards were announced for the following: 10 scholars for incumbent third year law students, and two (2) scholars for incumbent fourth year law students. The deadline for submission of entries was on September 16, 2018. The Foundation received 13 applications from 3^rd year students and 4 applications from 4^th year students from the following schools:

Ateneo de Manila University
Centro Escolar University
De La Salle University
Far Eastern University-Makati
Saint Louis University
San Beda University-Manila
University of San Carlos
University of Santo Tomas
University of the Cordilleras

The Board of Judges for the interview and final judging of applicants to the Legal Scholarship Program for S/Y 2017-2018 was organized with Supreme Court Senior Justice Antonio Carpio as Chairman, and Former Secretary of Education Dr. Edilberto C. De Jesus, PALS President and USC Law School Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo, Tan Yan Kee representative Ms. Elizabeth T. Alba, and Atty. Joel Emerson J. Gregorio as members. Final evaluation and interview of applicants was done on December 6, 2018.

The scholars for AY 2018-2019 are:

NAME		SCHOOL
3^rd year students
1	Abratique, Banoar R.	University of the Cordilleras
2	Barredo, Pamela Camille A.	Far Eastern University
3	Bulacan, Angelette C.	Far Eastern University
4	Domingo, Stephanie Mae B.	University of the Cordilleras
5	Guinto, Maria Carissa C.	San Beda University – Manila
6	Guttierez, Patrick Angelo M.	Far Eastern University
7	Matsumura, Mayumi G .	Ateneo de Manila University
8	Obra, Juralyn Lilian A.	University of the Cordilleras
9	Perez, Carmella Gaye D.	University of San Carlos
10	Ramirez, Edrea Jean V.	University of Santo Thomas
4^th Year Students
1	Abot, Leo Francis F.	Ateneo de Manila University
2	Almerino, John Anthony F.	University of San Carlos
3	Carpio, Micah Celine S.	De La Salle University
4	Cortez, Arvin Paolo D.	Ateneo de Manila University
5	Ilao, Mikael Gabrielle E.	University of the Cordilleras
6	Malabad, Alimar Mohammad	San Beda University – Manila
7	Manuel, Kenneth Glenn L.	University of Santo Thomas
8	Perez, King Anthony Y.	University of Cebu
9	Rojas, Jun Dexter H.	Polytechnic University of the Philippines
10	Villarico, Ma. Vida Malaya M.	Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Awards Ceremony for FLP Programs AY 2017-2018

The awarding for FLP Programs in AY 2017-2018 was held on March 23, 2018 at the APS Auditorium of the Ateneo de Manila, Rockwell Drive, Makati City. Supreme Court Acting Chief Justice Antonio T. Carpio awarded the 21 FLP scholars for the FLP Legal Scholarship Program while Supreme Court Senior Justice Presbitero J. Velasco awarded the winners and finalists of the 2017-2018 Dissertation Writing Contest of the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity (FLP) and the Ayala Corporation.

As guest of honor and speaker, Acting Chief Justice Carpio delivered his message titled “A Culture of Respect for, and Understanding of, International Law“.

FLP Newsletter

FLP has so far released twelve (12) e-newsletters. The two most recent issues are ready for printing and release. These are Volume VII Issue 1 and Volume VII Issue 2. Volume VII Issue 1 features the winning entries of the 2017-2018 Dissertation Writing Contest and the awarding of FLP scholars for AY 2017-2018. It also presented brief summaries of the public lectures of Professorial Chair Holders, PUP College of Law Dean Gemy Lito L. Festin (‘Tutelary Rules Principle’ as Legal Tool for Easing Economic Rights’ Access to Justice in the Philippines) and ADMU Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria (Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of the Peace Process with the CPP-NPA-NDFP: Issues and Concerns). Volume VII Issue 2, on the other hand, provides a brief overview of the papers of the finalists in the Dissertation Writing Contest AY 2017-2018. It also announced the FLP Dissertation Writing Contest 2018-2019. It also features the public lecture of Professorial Chair Holder, Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo: Writ of Prosperity.

FLP Website

III. Recent Developments in 2018

19^th PCNC Annual Assembly

The Foundation, through its Treasurer and Executive Director, participated in the 19^th PCNC Annual Assembly held last June 6, 2018 at the JY Campos Hall, UNILAB Bayanihan Center, Kapitolyo, Pasig City. As one of the accredited members in good standing, FLP was able to participate in the discussions and vote for the new members of the PCNC Board of Trustees.

IV. Future Plans and Direction

FLP Visual Art Competition

Coffee Table Books on the Professorial Lectures
and Speeches of CJ Panganiban

Support to the Reform Program of the Judiciary
and the Ombudsman

Legal Education Reform Program

Another avenue as regards reform (as well as education) is FLP’s plan to partner with the Legal Education Board in developing a program to reform the legal education in the Philippines.

Teaching Exemplars on the Rule of Law

FLP Museum

The Foundation is looking at establishing an FLP Museum where various memorabilia and important items will be kept and made available for viewing of the public. This will be through a possible purchase of the entire floor of a building in FEU Makati at cost which the Chairman has proposed to the Chairman of FEU to be put up in the land purchased by FEU where the old 6-story Zuellig building is located at the corner of Ayala and Buendia Avenues. The Chairman of FEU said that she will bring this proposal to the Board of FEU and that she agrees in principle to sell one floor to the Foundation.

V. Assets and Financial Position

As reported by then FLP President Maria Elena P. Yaptangco in her First Annual Report (2012), the Foundation was incorporated with a total of two million pesos (P2,000,000.00) as initial funds, contributed by retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban. At present, based on the 2018 Audited Financial Report presented before and approved by the Board of Trustees, the Foundation’s total assets is seventy-one million eight hundred ninety-two thousand six hundred thirty pesos (₱71,892,630.00) which includes the value of the PCCI property in Makati.

Apart from its cash assets, the Foundation is the recipient of copyrights over the “Ageless Passion” musical compositions of Mr. Ryan Cayabyab and lyrics thereto by Mr. Kristian Jeff C. Agustin

Posted on December 31, 2017January 14, 2022 Annual Report

7th Annual Report

(January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017)

I. Introduction

Officially established on October 27, 2011, the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity is now on its sixth year of operation. Ably led by its Board of Trustees—namely Chief Justice (CJ) Artemio V. Panganiban, CJ Hilario G. Davide Jr., Washington Z. Sycip, Edilberto C. De Jesus, Elenita C. Panganiban, Maria Theresa P. Mañalac, Jennifer J. Manalili, Evelyn T. Dumdum and Joel Emerson J. Gregorio—the FLP has steadily gained recognition from its stakeholders and partners through its various programs, projects and activities.

The Foundation’s vision is a society that fully appreciates the necessity of “Liberty & Prosperity” and their essential interdependence. It underscores FLP’s core philosophy, that liberty and prosperity are mutually inclusive. The Foundation’s mission is to educate the people regarding this fundamental and essential interrelation between liberty and prosperity by initiating, maintaining, organizing, and supporting projects aimed at promoting, educating, training, developing, assisting and protecting liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. This year, FLP continues to implement its program on legal education with focus on four (4) key areas of development as stated in its Manual of Operations: “value formation,” “legal and scholarly education,” “information dissemination and philosophy propagation” as well as organizing “fora, events, conferences and the like.” The Foundation has also sponsored and undertaken activities that likewise advance a fifth key area of development: “publications and media dissemination.”

FLP Officers

The FLP continues to serve its purpose through its FLP officers, namely CJ Artemio V. Panganiban (Chairman of the Board), Evelyn T. Dumdum (President), Tanya Karina A. Lat (Executive Vice-President), Rebecca G. Felix (Treasurer), Joel Emerson J. Gregorio (Corporate Secretary), Martin Angelo L. Esguerra (Executive Director [until June 2017]), and Susana N. Gavino (Executive Director [since August 2017]). In addition, the chairs of the various standing committees are: CJ Artemio V. Panganiban (Executive Committee), Washington Z. Sycip† [until October 7, 2017] (Finance Committee), Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez (Governance Committee), and Edilberto C. De Jesus (Education Committee).

The first batch of officers was CJ Artemio V. Panganiban, Chairman of the Board, Maria Elena P. Yaptangco, President; Evelyn T. Dumdum, Executive Vice President; Elenita C. Panganiban, Treasurer; and Joel Emerson J. Gregorio, Corporate Secretary.

II. Ongoing Programs and Projects

The FLP was founded to perpetuate the core judicial philosophy of then Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban—that jurists and lawyers should not only safeguard the liberty of our people but must also nurture their prosperity under the rule of law. In the first few years since its incorporation, FLP focused on the following activities: (1) FLP’s flagship project, the “Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity,” (2) the official FLP Website (www.libpros.com), and (3) the “Liberty & Prosperity Journal,” hitherto an e-newsletter. By 2017, the Foundation is implementing two education-centered programs to complement its flagship project: the FLP Dissertation Writing Contest and FLP Legal Scholarship Program.

Professorial Chairs Program

The “Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity” is being implemented for more than five (5) years now following its launch on 18 September 2012 at the Metrobank Auditorium, Makati City. This flagship project is in partnership with the Metrobank Foundation, which has so far donated a total of One Million Four Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP 1,400,000) in co-sponsorship of the program. The total funds for the project, including FLP’s co-sponsorship fund, amounts to Two Million Eight Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP 2,800,000).

FLP started with the appointment of nine (9) deans of distinguished law schools and the Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA)[1]. The outputs varied in form from traditional lectures, debates, as well as moot court competitions. The written lectures from the chair holders have been uploaded to the FLP website and published in the Liberty & Prosperity e-newsletter. These shall be compiled and will eventually be published in a book form as well as other modes of communications under the information, education and communication projects of FLP.

In 2017, the appointment of two (2) chair holders were renewed, namely (1) Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria (Ateneo de Manila School of Law); and (2) Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo (University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance). In addition, four new appointments were made: Dean Melencio S. Sta. Maria, Far Eastern University, Dean Gemy Lito L. Festin, Polytechnic University of the Philippines; Professor Elizabeth Aguiling-Pangalangan, University of the Philippines College of Law; and Professor Tanya Karina A. Lat, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law. This brings the number of chair holders to 13.

The table below shows the output of each chair holder:

	Date	Chair Holder	Output
1	26 September 2017	Dean Melencio Sta. Maria, Far Estern University Institute of Law	Human Rights, Politics, International Law and Trade Arrangement and Economic Prosperity: A Reading of the Philippine Situation
2	9 December 2016	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	Charting the Patch to a Relevant and Responsive Legal Education in the Philippines: A Draft Law Curriculum for the 21^st Century Filipino Lawyer
3	26 November 2014	Dean Mikhail Lee. L. Maxino, Silliman University College of Law (Dumaguete City)	Right to life, Liberty, Prosperity: A Seamless Trilogy to Prosperity
4	11 September 2014	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	ASEAN Integration 2015 and the Imperative for Reforms in the Legal Profession and the Legal Education in the Philippines
5	5 March 2014	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	The 2014 Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban – Liberty & Prosperity Public International Law Moot Court Competition
6	21 February 2014	Dean Nilo T. Divina, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law	The Unpaid Creditor vs The Distressed Debtor: Proposals to Balance their Competing Interests
7	7 February 2014	Dean Andres D. Bautista, Far Eastern University Institute of Law	Regulating the Practice of Professions by Foreigners
8	29 November 2013	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	Comparative Analysis of the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) Aspect of the GRP-MILF Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001 and Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB)
9	3 October 2013	Dean Reynaldo U. Agranzamendez, University of the Cordilleras College of Law (Baguio City)	The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA): A Vehicle for Liberty and Prosperity
10	20 August 2013	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	LIBRT, The Economic Provisions of the 1987 Constitution be Amended so as to Allow Liberalization of Economic Policies by Congress University of Santo Tomas Law Debate Team Position Paper on Charter Change University of San Carlos Law Debate Team Position Paper on Charter Change
11	18 April 2013	Chancellor Adolfo S. Azcuna, Philippine Judicial Academy	Supreme Court Decisions on the Economic Provisions of the Constitution
12	13 March 2013	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban Liberty and Prosperity Debate (Finals) The Constitutionality of the Aurora Pacific Eco Zone (APECO), per LIBRT R.A. 9490 (as amended by RA 10083) APECO Position Paper: Affirmative APECO Position Paper: Negative
13	6 March 2013	Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance (Cebu City)	The Powerful Judiciary and Rule of Law in the Philippines
14	5 November 2012	Dean Jose Manuel I. Diokno, De La Salle University College of Law	The Philippine Judiciary: Problems and Prospects
15	19 September 2012	Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law	Finance and Law: Understanding the Institutional and Functional Role of the International Monetary Fund During Sovereign Debt Crisis Situations

FLP Dissertation Writing Contest

The FLP Dissertation Contest is a five-year program which aims to augment the Foundation’s flagship project by incorporating new, dynamic and perhaps more profound input to the body of works discussing FLP’s core philosophy. We believe that the fresh insight and unique perspective of law students will provide bold, novel and innovative avenues for the development of the Foundation’s tenets.

FLP will look for the best thesis and/or dissertation – or its equivalent in law schools not offering the Juris Doctor program – that espouses the philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. The contest is co-sponsored with the Ayala Group and in cooperation with the Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS).

The contest is open to third year and fourth year law students as well as those taking up Master of Law. Only one (1) entry per student is allowed. Each entry must be a thesis/dissertation or its equivalent that espouses the philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. An entry must be certified to have gone through the process of a thesis/dissertation or a procedure similar thereto and that it is of thesis/dissertation type and quality.

Up to twenty (20) qualifying entries will be chosen by the FLP Dissertation Contest Committee from all entries submitted. Thereafter, a short list of up to ten (10) entries will be chosen by the FLP Panel of Judges from the twenty (20) qualifying entries. The authors on the shortlist will then each submit a new entry, either expanding on their respective original entries or covering a completely new subject.

The FLP Panel of Judges will choose the five (5) recipients of the primary awards (first, second and honorary mentions) from the new entries submitted by the ten (10) authors on the short list. Monetary awards are as follows: PhP300,000 to the first-place winner, PhP 200,000 to the second-place winner, and PhP100,000 each to three (3) honorary mentions. These winners will also receive commemorative plaques. The twenty (20) qualifying entries chosen by the FLP Dissertation Contest Committee will each receive PhP20,000.

The Ayala Corporation has already agreed to facilitate the provision of funds for this project through its various partners and has committed to FLP the funding for the entire five-year program. They have given Two Million Pesos (PhP 2,000,000) for the first year of the program.

Activities in School Year 2017-2018. The FLP conducted an information campaign regarding the contest in all law schools of the country. Flyers and posters were sent to the law schools throughout the country through their respective deans for dissemination to the law students to encourage them to submit entries to the dissertation writing contest. FLP officials visited law schools in the National Capital Region and in Cebu and discussed the mechanics/guidelines of the contest. Among these law schools are the University of the Philippines, Ateneo Law School, De La Salle University, Centro Escolar University, Far Eastern University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of San Carlos, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and San Beda University. Information regarding the contest was posted online on the FLP and some law school websites and through social media – Facebook pages of FLP, PALS, Association of Law School Students of the Philippines, Bar Boys, and law schools. FLP also tapped its scholars in disseminating information regarding the contest to their fellow students.

Deadline for submission of entries was moved twice to allow more students to join the contest and to synchronize the contest timetable with the law schools’ calendar. During the discussion with the law school deans, it was learned that thesis/dissertation writing usually starts in the second semester of the 3^rd year level and it is only in the second semester of the 4^th year level when students have a full paper ready for presentation.

With the deadline extended to 30 November 2017, a total of 18 entries were received from the following schools:

School	No. of Entries
1. Ateneo Law School	7
2. Centro Escolar University	1
3. De La Salle University	1
4. Far Eastern University Institute of Law	1
5. Polytechnic University of the Philippines	1
6. San Beda College – Manila	1
7. University of Oxford/University of the Philippines	1
8. University of the Philippines	1
9. University of San Carlos	4
Total	18

The table below shows the list of entries.

Entries to the Dissertation Writing Contest S/Y 2017-2018

Name

Title

1. Nicolene S. Arcaina, Ateneo Law School

Rules and Rights: Invalidating the BJMP Manual’s Provisions Allowing for Close Confinement

2. Gerime Mae A. Basalo, University of San Carlos

An Appellate Mechanism’s Appeal: A Critical Analysis On the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Convention (ICSID) by the Philippines as Basis for Amendments to Introduce an Appellate Mechanism

3. Sabrina Victoria M. Dayao, Ateneo Law School

Reframing Suicide: Establishing the Compensability of Suicides Due to Work-Related Psychosocial Disorders

4. Maria Ana Espinosa, San Beda University

The Plight of Internally Displaced Persons in the Philippines

5. Rexlyn Anne M. Evora, Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Delivering to the Poor: An Analysis of the Microfinance Policies in Cooperatives in Rural Areas in the Philippines

6. Daniel John A. Fordan, Ateneo de Manila University

Liberating Information for a Learned Citizenry: Reinvigorating the Fair Use Doctrine as an Integral Component of Copyright Infringement

7. Helen May M. Frias, Far Eastern University

The Role of Private Justice: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the Promotion and Protection of Liberty and Prosperity Under the Rule of Law

8. April Joy B. Guiang, Ateneo de Manila University

The Supremacy of Chief Executive Powers in Treaty Withdrawal Under the Philippine Constitutional Framework

9. Carlos S. Hernandez Jr., University of the Philippines

Defining the Undefinable: Treating Atheism, Agnosticism, and Secular Humanism as Religion for Conscientious Objection and Tax Exemption Purposes

10. Shiela Vae A. Hoylar, University of San Carlos

Transcending the Intangibility of Philippine Corporations: a Proposal for a Legal Framework Criminalizing Corporate Killings

11. Mark Nester T. Mendoza, Ateneo de Manila University

Guarding the Guards: Allowing Hearsay Evidence in Administrative Proceedings Against Judges and Justices in Charges of Bribery Under Section 8 (1), Rule 140 of the Rules of Court

12. Janine Faye A. Napoles, Centro Escolar University

Leadership Quality Reconsideration: Professionalizing Philippine Elective Officials at the National Level Through the Imposition of Academic Qualifications

13. Marcley Augustus D. Natu-El, University of San Carlos

Regulating Bitcoin in the Philippines, A Study On Risks and Recommended Legal Solutions: Striking the Balance between Security and Development.

14. Joben Mariz Odulio, Ateneo de Manila University

Weeding Out the Fake Grassroots: Expanding the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 to Include Online Astroturfing as an Offense

15. Raphael Lorenzo A. Pangalangan, University of Oxford/University of the Philippines

Bread and Freedom, Rice and Rights: Enforcing Liberty and Prosperity through the Courts of Law

16. Nigel Carmelo Q. Reago, De La Salle University

Release of Prisoners Pending Appeal from Orders of Discharge Issued by Lower Courts in Habeas Corpus Petitions

17. Joren Lex A. Tan, Ateneo de Manila University

The Clouds Above: A Study on the Applicability of the Current Search and Seizure Procedure of the Philippines to Online Computer Data

18. Tess Marie P. Tan, University of San Carlos

Liberty and Prosperity in the Digital Age: Determining the Proper Treatment of Online Intermediaries in Light of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

A Screening Committee headed by FLP Corporate Secretary, Atty. Joel Gregorio, conducted the initial screening of the 18 entries and determined that 5 entries passed the qualifying round. Another 3 entries were found to have potential and may be considered for a merit award subject to their submission of a revised paper that meets the requirements of the contest.

Authors of qualifying entries, as well as the authors of entries with potential, were advised to submit a new entry (revised/improved entry) by 5 pm, January 26, 2018. The shortlist is shown in the table below:

Name	Title
A. Qualifying Entries
1. Rexlyn Anne M. Evora, Polytechnic University of the Philippines	Delivering to the Poor: An Analysis of the Microfinance Policies in Cooperatives in Rural Areas in the Philippines
2. Helen May M. Frias, Far Eastern University	The Role of Private Justice: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the Promotion and Protection of Liberty and Prosperity Under the Rule of Law
3. Janine Faye A. Napoles, Centro Escolar University	Leadership Quality Reconsideration: Professionalizing Philippine Elective Officials at the National Level Through the Imposition of Academic Qualifications
4. Raphael Lorenzo A. Pangalangan, University of the Philippines / University of Oxford	Bread and Freedom, Rice and Rights: Enforcing Liberty and Prosperity through the Courts of Law
5. Tess Marie P. Tan, University of San Carlos	Liberty and Prosperity in the Digital Age: Determining the Proper Treatment of Online Intermediaries in Light of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
B. With Potential; may be considered for merit award
6. Daniel John A. Fordan, Ateneo de Manila University	Liberating Information for a Learned Citizenry: Reinvigorating the Fair Use Doctrine as an Integral Component of Copyright Infringement
7. Joben Mariz Odulio, Ateneo de Manila University	Weeding Out the Fake Grassroots: Expanding the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 to Include Online Astroturfing as an Offense
8. Joren Lex A. Tan, Ateneo de Manila University	The Clouds Above: A Study on the Applicability of the Current Search and Seizure Procedure of the Philippines to Online Computer Data

Meanwhile, FLP organized its Board of Judges with Supreme Court Justice Presbitero J. Velasco, Jr. (Chairman), and Former Education Secretary Dr. Edilberto De Jesus, PALS President Sedfrey Candelaria, Ateneo Law School Professor Tanya Karina A. Lat, and Ayala Corporation General Counsel Solomon Hermosura as members.

FLP Scholarship Program

Each of the ten FLP Scholarship is a monetary scholarship award of PhP200,000 of which a maximum of PhP100,000 shall be for tuition fee and PhP20,000 for the book allowance. The amounts for the tuition fee and the book allowance will be transferred to the account of the student created especially for this purpose and in tranches corresponding to the schedule of payment for tuition fee per semester of the pertinent academic institution. The remaining PhP 80,000 for stipend shall be deposited monthly throughout the academic year to the same account created for this purpose. Only such amount needed shall be deposited. If the tuition fee component of the monetary scholarship award is in excess of the awardee’s tuition, the balance will be returned to FLP, which will be used for the scholarship program. If the awardee is entitled to another scholarship award, he/she will still receive the cash monetary scholarship award to be provided by the FLP.

The Tan Yan Kee Foundation has provided a total of Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP 6,400,000) for the first two school years of the program.

Activities in Academic Year 2017–2018. The FLP is continuously undertaking activities that will broaden the reach of its programs. As usually done at the start of its program implementation, FLP conducted an information campaign on the FLP legal scholarship program in the 34 law schools of the country that had a percentage of passing higher than the overall percentage of passing for the 2015 bar exams. FLP produced flyers and posters and sent these to the qualified law schools throughout the country through their respective deans for dissemination to the law students to encourage them to submit applications to the legal scholarship program. Posters were also displayed in the law schools’ bulletin board.

FLP officials visited law schools in the National Capital Region and in Cebu and discussed the mechanics/guidelines of the program. Among these law schools are the University of the Philippines, Ateneo Law School, De La Salle University, Centro Escolar University, Far Eastern University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of San Carlos, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and San Beda University. Information regarding the contest was posted online on the FLP and some law school websites, and through social media – Facebook pages of FLP, PALS, Association of Law School Students of the Philippines, Bar Boys, law school student councils, and law schools. FLP also tapped its incumbent scholars in disseminating information regarding the scholarship program to their fellow students.

AY 2016-2017 Scholars. The FLP Board of Trustees reviewed the requirements of the Legal Scholarship Program and agreed to change the GPA requirement from 86% or 2 for each semester to 86% or 2 for the entire academic year. Based on the revised GPA requirement, five (5) scholars qualified to continue their scholarship for the academic year 2017-2018. These scholars are:

School	Student
Ateneo de Manila University	Borja, Sean James B.
Far Eastern University	Castillo, Kaycelle Ann M.
University of the Philippines	Dy, Ervin Fredrick H.
Polytechnic University of the Philippines	Evora, Rexlyn Anne M.
Ateneo de Manila University	Vergara, Vanessa Gloria S.

The slots for the six (6) 2016-2017 FLP Scholars who were not able to maintain their scholarship was opened to new applicants.

AY 2017-2018 Legal Scholarship Program. For the academic year 2017-2018, the legal scholarship guidelines were revised as follows:

“2.3 Must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) not lower than 85% or 2.25 for the immediately preceding school year (2017-2018);

2.4 No dropped subject and no grade lower than 75% or 3.0 during his or her stay at the law”

The number of awardees was also increased to a maximum of three (3) for each school per year.

Sixteen (16) scholarship openings for the following: ten (10) scholars for incumbent third-year law students, and six (6) scholars for incumbent fourth-year law students. To allow more students to participate in the contest, the deadline for submission of entries was moved from September 15, 2017 to October 31, 2017.

By end of October 2017, the Foundation received a total of 25 applications. The table below shows the number of applicants for each year level.

School		Number of Applicants			No. of Applicants Who Met Requirements
School		3rd Year	4th Year	Total	3rd Year	4th Year	Total
1	Ateneo Law School	2	1	3	2	1	3
2	De La Salle University		2	2		2	2
3	Far Eastern University Institute of Law	1	1	2	1		1
4	Polytechnic University of the Philippines	2		2	2		2
5	San Beda College-Alabang		1	1		1	1
6	San Beda College-Manila	3	1	4	1		1
7	St. Thomas More School of Law and Business (Tagum City)	1	2	3		1	1
8	University of Cebu	1		1	1		1
9	University of San Carlos (Cebu)	1	1	2	1	1	2
10	University of Sto. Tomas	1	1	2	1	1	2
11	University of the Cordilleras (Baguio City)	2		2	2		2
12	University of the Philippines	1		1	1		1
	Total	15	10	25	12	7	19

The Board of Judges for the interview and final judging of applicants to the Legal Scholarship Program for AY 2017-2018 was organized with Supreme Court Senior Justice Antonio Carpio as Chairman, and Former Secretary of Education Dr. Edilberto C. De Jesus, PALS President and Ateneo Law School Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Tan Yan Kee representative Ms. Elizabeth T. Alba, and FLP Corporate Secretary Atty. Joel Emerson J. Gregorio as members.

Final evaluation and interview of applicants were scheduled to be held in February 2018.

FLP Newsletter

FLP has so far released eight (8) e-newsletters. The two most recent issues are Volume IV Issue 1 and Volume V Issue 1. Volume IV features the Fourth Annual Report as well as the Chairman’s lecture entitled: “ASEAN: Unleashing Entrepreneurial Ingenuity.” Volume V on the other hand, features the Fifth Annual Report, and contains articles on PCNC’s site visit, FLP’s ongoing programs and projects as well as the Executive Director’s legal article entitled: “Untangling the Dragnet Clause.”

FLP Website

The Foundation has continued to use a simple, neat and uniform design aesthetic for its website (www.libpros.com) that remains consistent whatever device is being used to view or access it – either desktop, tablet or smartphone. It features front and center the two (2) new programs being undertaken by the Foundation: the FLP Dissertation Writing Contest and the FLP Legal Scholarship Program. The guidelines and forms for these programs have also been uploaded and are ready for download by interested participants and the public. The current composition of the Board of Trustees has also been updated. We have also provided a special email address for the Secretariat (secretariat@libpros.com) for coordination and support for these programs. We will continue to work with the site’s administrator, Mr. Kristian Jeff C. Agustin, to further improve and enhance the website.

III. Recent Developments in 2017

Accreditation with the PCNC and BIR Certification

FLP accreditation with the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) has been renewed, this time for an extended period of three years (compared to the previous one-year period accreditation) from March 31, 2017 to March 30, 2020. This was after we submitted the necessary documents to PCNC and the site visit last August 23, 2016. PCNC thereafter transmitted our application for renewal to the BIR. FLP has already received the BIR’s Certification also effective for an extended period of three years from July 17, 2017 to April 5, 2020.

18^th PCNC Annual Assembly

The Foundation, through its Executive Director, participated in the 18^th PCNC Annual Assembly held last June 1, 2017 at the JY Campos Hall, UNILAB Bayanihan Center, Kapitolyo, Pasig City. As one of the accredited members in good standing, FLP was able to participate in the discussions and vote for the new members of the PCNC Board of Trustees.

IV. Future Plans and Direction

FLP Visual Art Competition

Coffee Table Books on the Professorial Lectures
and Speeches of CJ Panganiban

Support to the Reform Program of the Judiciary
and the Ombudsman

Legal Education Reform Program

Another avenue as regards reform (as well as education) is FLP’s plan to partner with the Legal Education Board in developing a program to reform the legal education in the Philippines.

Teaching Exemplars on the Rule of Law

FLP Museum

The Foundation is looking at establishing an FLP Museum where various memorabilia and important items will be kept and made available for viewing of the public. This will be through a possible purchase of the entire floor of a building in FEU Makati at cost which the Chairman has proposed to the Chairman of FEU to be put up in the land purchased by FEU where the old 6-story Zuellig building is located at the corner of Ayala and Buendia Avenues. The Chairman of FEU said that she will bring this proposal to the Board of FEU and that she agrees in principle to sell one floor to the Foundation.

V. Assets and Financial Position

As reported by then FLP President Maria Elena P. Yaptangco in her First Annual Report (2012), the Foundation was incorporated with a total of two million pesos (P2,000,000) as initial funds, contributed by retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban. At present, based on the 2017 Audited Financial Report presented before and approved by the Board of Trustees, the Foundation’s total assets reached a sum of seventy million six hundred seventy-nine thousand seven hundred twenty-four pesos (Php70,679,724.00) which includes the value of the PCCI property in Makati.

[1] These were—surnames in alphabetical order—(1) Atty. Reynaldo U. Agranzamendez (Dean, University of the Cordilleras College of Law); (2) retired Supreme Court Justice Adolfo S. Azcuna (Chancellor, PhilJA); (3) Atty. Andres D. Bautista (Dean (until 2014), Far Eastern University Institute of Law, now Commission on Elections [COMELEC] Chairman); (4) Atty. Sedfrey M. Candelaria (Dean, Ateneo de Manila School of Law); (5) Atty. Danilo L. Concepcion (Dean, University of the Philippines College of Law, now President of the University of the Philippines System); (6) Atty. Jose Manuel I. Diokno (Dean, De La Salle University College of Law); (7) Atty. Nilo T. Divina (Dean, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law); (8) Atty. Joan Sarausos-Largo (Dean, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance); (9) retired Supreme Court Justice Eduardo B. Nachura (Chairman, Arellano University Law Foundation); and (10) Atty. Manuel Quibod (Ateneo de Davao University College of Law). Regrettably, the 10th appointee failed to respond to FLP’s cordial invitation and appointment letter; hence he was eventually and decidedly removed from the list of chair holders.

Posted on December 31, 2016January 14, 2022 Annual Report

6th Annual Report

(January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016)

I. Introduction

Officially established on October 27, 2011, the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity is now on its fifth year of operation. Ably led by its Board of Trustees—namely Chief Justice (CJ) Artemio V. Panganiban, CJ Hilario G. Davide Jr., Washington Z. Sycip, Edilberto C. De Jesus, Elenita C. Panganiban, Maria Theresa P. Mañalac, Jennifer J. Manalili, Evelyn T. Dumdum and Joel Emerson J. Gregorio—the FLP has steadily gained recognition from its stakeholders and partners through its various programs, projects and activities.

The Foundation’s vision is a society that fully appreciates the necessity of “Liberty & Prosperity” and their essential interdependence. It underscores FLP’s core philosophy, that liberty and prosperity are mutually inclusive. The Foundation’s mission is to educate the people regarding this fundamental and essential interrelation between liberty and prosperity by initiating, maintaining, organizing, and supporting projects aimed at promoting, educating, training, developing, assisting and protecting liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. This year, FLP is implementing programs focused on two (2) key areas of development: “legal and scholarly education” and “information dissemination and philosophy propagation.”

FLP Officers

The FLP continues to serve its purpose through its FLP officers, namely CJ Artemio V. Panganiban (Chairman of the Board), Evelyn T. Dumdum (President), Rebecca G. Felix (Treasurer), Joel Emerson J. Gregorio (Corporate Secretary) and Martin Angelo L. Esguerra (Executive Director and Chief Operations Officer). In addition, the chairs of the various standing committees are: CJ Artemio V. Panganiban (Executive Committee), Washington Z. Sycip (Finance Committee), CJ Hilario G. Davide Jr. (Governance Committee), and Edilberto C. De Jesus (Education Committee).

II. Ongoing Programs and Projects

The FLP was founded to perpetuate the core judicial philosophy of then Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban—that jurists and lawyers should not only safeguard the liberty of our people but must also nurture their prosperity under the rule of law. In the first three years since its incorporation, FLP focused on the following activities: (1) FLP’s flagship project, the “Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity,” (2) the official FLP Website (www.libpros.com), and (3) the “Liberty & Prosperity Journal,” hitherto an e-newsletter. In 2016, the Foundation launched two new education-centered programs to complement its flagship project: the FLP Dissertation Writing Contest and FLP Legal Scholarship Program.

Professorial Chairs Program

As the flagship project of the Foundation, the Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity is being implemented for four years now, following its launch on September 18, 2012 at the Metrobank Auditorium, Makati City. The Metrobank Foundation partnered with the FLP in this endeavor and has so far donated a total of One Million Four Hundred Thousand Pesos (P1,400,000.00) in co-sponsorship of the program.

FLP started with the appointment of nine (9) deans of distinguished law schools and the Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA). The Foundation wanted to encourage educational institutions and law schools to research and propagate the philosophy at the level of the academia (including training of students, professors, lawyers, and judges). The outputs varied in form from traditional lectures, debates, as well as moot court competitions. The written lectures from the chair holders have been uploaded to the FLP website and published in the Liberty & Prosperity e-newsletter. These shall be compiled and will eventually be published in a book and/or in other modes of communications under the information, education and communication projects of FLP.

The first batch of recipients include the following deans of the top nine (9) law schools in the Philippines, plus a tenth chair in the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA). These were—surnames in alphabetical order—(1) Atty. Reynaldo U. Agranzamendez (Dean, University of the Cordilleras College of Law); (2) retired Supreme Court Justice Adolfo S. Azcuna (Chancellor, PhilJA); (3) Atty. Andres D. Bautista (Dean, Far Eastern University Institute of Law); (4) Atty. Sedfrey M. Candelaria (Dean, Ateneo de Manila School of Law); (5) Atty. Danilo L. Concepcion (Dean, University of the Philippines College of Law); (6) Atty. Jose Manuel I. Diokno (Dean, De La Salle University College of Law); (7) Atty. Nilo T. Divina (Dean, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law); (8) Atty. Joan Sarausos-Largo (Dean, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance); (9) retired Supreme Court Justice Eduardo B. Nachura (Chairman, Arellano University Law Foundation); and (10) Atty. Manuel Quibod (Ateneo de Davao University College of Law). Regrettably, the 10^th appointee failed to respond to FLP’s cordial invitation and appointment letter; hence he was eventually and decidedly removed from the list of chair holders.

Two (2) chair holders were renewed, namely (1) Atty. Sedfrey M. Candelaria (Dean, Ateneo de Manila School of Law); and (2) Atty. Joan Sarausos-Largo (Dean, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance). FLP recently included Atty. Melencio S. Sta. Maria, Dean of the Far Eastern University – Makati to the roster of distinguished lecturers.

Notably, Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria delivered his commitment in full. The Ateneo Law School Dean delivered his second public lecture entitled “Comparative Analysis of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain and the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro” on November 29, 2013. Thereafter, he organized an international moot court competition at the Ateneo Justitia Hall from March 4 to 5, 2014.

Marking the second anniversary of the Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity (September 18, 2014), Deans Joan Sarausos-Largo and Mikhail Lee L. Maxino delivered their public lectures in September and November 2014, in Cebu City and Dumaguete City, respectively.

This year, Dean Sarausos-Largo of USC delivered a lecture on “Charting a Path to a Relevant and Responsive Legal Education in the Philippines: A Draft Law Curriculum for the 21^st Century Filipino Lawyer”, proposing a revision of the existing law curriculum and legal training to make it more responsive to the challenges on both liberty and prosperity. The lecture was held on December 9, 2016 in Cebu.

In summary, the table below shows the output of each chair holder as well as recent updates, including future deliverables:

CHAIR HOLDER

OUTPUT

STIPEND RECEIVED

Updates

Reynaldo Agranzamendez (Cordilleras)

1 lecture (October 2013)

PhP 100,000

1 lecture pending

J. Adolfo Azcuna (PhilJA)

1 lecture (April 2013)

PhP 100,000

1 lecture pending

Andres Bautista (FEU)

1 lecture (February 2014)

PhP 100,000

Will deliver 1 lecture on Bar Reforms

Sedfrey Candelaria (Ateneo)

2 lectures, 2 debates (September 2012, March & Nov 2013, March 2014)

PhP 400,000

Fully complied, eligible for 3rd batch of appointments

Danilo Concepcion (UP)

NONE

Will deliver a lecture on the integration of the practice of law within ASEAN framework

Manuel Diokno (La Salle)

1 lecture
(November 2012)

PhP 100,000

Will deliver 1 lecture with focus on economic rights

Nilo Divina (UST)

1 lecture (February 2014)

PhP 100,000

1 lecture pending

Joan Sarausos-Largo
(San Carlos Cebu)

3 lectures, 1 debate
(March & August 2013, September 2014, December 2016)

PhP 400,000

Fully complied

Melencio S. Sta. Maria (FEU Makati)

NONE

Will deliver 1 output with constitution and the media and/or economics of scale in marital property relationship as proposed topics

Mikhail Lee L. Maxino (Siliman University)

1 lecture (November 2014)

PhP100,000

FLP Dissertation Writing Contest

The contest will be open to all law schools nationwide. Each school may submit a maximum of three (3) entries, with one (1) entry per student. Participants will be junior and senior law students (3^rd and 4^th year). FLP will look for the best thesis/dissertation (or its equivalent in law schools not offering the Juris Doctor program) that espouses the philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. An entry must be certified to have gone through the process of a thesis/dissertation or a procedure similar thereto and that is of thesis/dissertation type and quality.

The committee shall choose a maximum of twenty (20) entries, which will already receive Twenty Thousand Pesos (PhP 20,000). Thereafter, the Panel of Judges composed of five (5) members shall come up with a shortlist of ten (10) entries from which five (5) winners will be chosen: 1^st place will receive Three Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP 300,000), 2^nd place Two Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP 200,000) and three (3) honorable mentions each receiving One Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP 100,000). The authors on the shortlist will then each submit a new entry, either expanding on their respective original entries or covering a completely new subject.

The Foundation has already announced the Contest Guidelines in its website and the Chairman’s column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. These, together with flyers and posters were also disseminated through the deans of law schools in cooperation with the Philippine Association of Law Schools.

The total estimated cost for the five-year program, including expenses for coordination, stipend for the panel of jurors and other miscellaneous expenses as well as ten percent (10%) to cover inflation, is Twelve Million Two Hundred Ten Thousand Two Hundred Pesos (PhP 12,210,200) broken down in the table below:

Item	Number	Cost	Total
1^st Place	1	PhP 300,000	PhP 300,000
2^nd Place	1	PhP 200,000	PhP 200,000
Honorable Mentions	3	PhP 100,000	PhP 300,000
Chosen Entries	20	PhP 20,000	PhP 400,000
Stipend for Judges	5	PhP 100,000	PhP 500,000
Coordination Fees		PhP 300,000	PhP 300,000
Total for 1^st Year			PhP 2,000,000
Total for 2^nd Year			PhP 2,200,000
Total for 3^rd Year			PhP 2,420,000
Total for 4^th Year			PhP 2,662,000
Total for 5^th Year			PhP 2,928,200
GRAND TOTAL			PhP 12,210,200

FLP Legal Scholarship Program

This is a four-year program. The Foundation is sponsoring a unique, merit-based FLP Scholarship Program. Co-sponsored by the Tan Yan Kee Foundation and also undertaken in cooperation with PALS, it aims to look for the best and the brightest law students in the country. There will be ten (10) scholars for the program and the scholarship is open to those entering their third year as law students. FLP is opening the ten (10) slots to all law schools that have obtained a percentage of passing above the overall percentage of passing for the 2014 bar exams based on the statistical data from the Supreme Court Office of the Bar Confidant. The Foundation will add one more scholar each year for the duration of the program so that eventually, in four years, we will have forty (40) beneficiaries/scholars.

Applicants must submit an essay written in English with a minimum of two thousand (2,000) words and a maximum of three thousand (3,000) words. The essay must be on the philosophy of the Foundation, expanding on and espousing the precept: safeguarding of liberty and nurturing of prosperity under the rule of law, and how he/she will apply the same in his/her legal career.

There will be an interview to be conducted by the FLP Panel of Judges who will be given full discretion in the conduct of the said interview. The Panel shall consider the candidate’s ability to demonstrate clearly, logically and concisely what he/she has done and intends to do to propagate and espouse the philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. Although the scholarship is merit based, the less privileged shall be preferred in case of a tie between two nominees. Selection shall be final when affirmed by the FLP.

Each of the ten FLP Scholarship is a monetary scholarship award of PhP200,000 of which a maximum of PhP100,000 shall be for tuition fee and PhP20,000 for book allowance. The amounts for the tuition fee and the book allowance will be transferred to the account of the student created especially for this purpose and in tranches corresponding to the schedule of payment for tuition fee per semester of the pertinent academic institution. The remaining PhP80,000.00 for stipend shall be deposited monthly throughout the academic year to the same account created for this purpose. Only such amount needed shall be deposited. If the tuition fee component of the monetary scholarship award is in excess of the awardee’s tuition, the balance will be returned to FLP, which will be used for the scholarship program. If the awardee is entitled to another scholarship award, he/she will still receive the cash monetary scholarship award to be provided by the FLP.

The Tan Yan Kee Foundation has initially provided Two Million Pesos (PhP 2,000,000) for the first year of the program. TYK has likewise approved the funding for the second year of implementation of the program and will transmit the funds once FLP secures the required BIR Certification.

The first set of FLP scholars, consisting of eleven (11) third year law students were chosen for the school year 2016-2017.

FLP Newsletter

Volume IV features the FLP Annual Report as well as the Chairman’s lecture titled: “ASEAN: Unleashing Entrepreneurial Ingenuity.” Volume V, on the other hand, contains articles on PCNC’s site visit, FLP’s ongoing programs and projects as well as the Executive Director’s legal article entitled: “Untangling the Dragnet Clause.”

FLP Website

The Foundation’s website (www.libpros.com) has undergone a complete revamp, with major changes in layout as well as scalability. Based on the comments and suggestions of the Chairman, the new website now has a simple, neat and uniform design aesthetic that remains consistent whatever device is being used to view or access it – either desktop, tablet or smartphone. It also features front and center the two (2) new programs being undertaken by the Foundation: the FLP Dissertation Contest and the FLP Scholarship Program. The guidelines and forms for these programs have also been uploaded and are ready for download by interested participants and the general public. We have also provided a special email address for the Secretariat (secretariat@libpros.com) for coordination and support for these programs. We will continue to work with the site’s administrator, Mr. Kristian Jeff C. Agustin, to further improve and enhance the website.

III. Recent Developments in 2016

Awarding Ceremonies for the FLP Scholarship Program

The Foundation conducted a formal awarding ceremony for the Eleven (11) LibPros Scholars last December 1, 2016 at the new University of the Philippines Campus in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) with Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno as guest of honor. The Chairman of the Foundation gave the closing remarks, thanking our co-sponsor, partners and stakeholders as well as the invited guests in attendance.

Ageless Passion

The musicale was first staged with seven original songs as part of a concert on December 20, 2011 at the Meralco Theater, during Chief Justice Panganiban’s 75th birthday, where the Chairman publicly announced the nascent beginnings of the Foundation. Five years after, on December 20, 2016 – in celebration of CJ Panganiban’s 80th birthday – the Foundation once again sponsored Ageless Passion held at the new Maybank Performing Arts Theater, in BGC. The musicale featured a full-length 18-song libretto penned by Kristian Jeff Cortez Agustin, a promising lyricist and poet (also FLP’s first Executive Secretary), with original music masterfully composed by no less than the internationally acclaimed Maestro Ryan Cayabyab with an all-star cast accompanied by the Manila Symphony Orchestra. (View or download the 2016 Souvenir Program here)

FLP Secretariat

With the transfer of the Foundation office to the 3^rd Floor, PCCI Corporate Center in Makati from 1203 Acacia Street, Dasmariñas Village, Makati, the Foundation has also hired a secretary and a clerk/driver as part of the secretariat. FLP has likewise executed lease contracts with Baron Travel Corporation and Arpan Air Incorporated, receiving a total monthly rental of PhP 303,032.60, which is being used for administrative and operational expenses.

Accreditation with the PCNC

FLP accreditation with the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) was up for renewal on June 8, 2016. The FLP Secretariat has submitted the necessary documents to PCNC and a site visit was conducted on August 23, 2016. The representatives from PCNC went over the documents FLP prepared for their review and conducted interviews with members of the BoT and FLP staff.

17^th PCNC Annual Assembly

The Foundation participated in the 17^th PCNC Annual Assembly on May 24, 2016 at the JY Campos Hall, UNILAB Bayanihan Center, Kapitolyo, Pasig City. As one of the 435 accredited members in good standing, FLP was able to participate in the discussions and vote for the new members of the PCNC Board of Trustees. FLP voted for Ms. Carmen Linda M. Atayde of SM Foundation Inc. and Mr. Augusto P.I. Carpio III of the Aboitiz Foundation Inc. Both won and became the new membes of the board.

IV. Future Plans and Direction

The Foundation plans to implement the following programs and projects within a three to five year program framework:

FLP Visual Art Competition

By launching a new visual art competition, the FLP can make itself more relevant to the country’s art and culture scene, which is very instrumental in capturing or defining the “zeitgeist” of a particular society. For instance, today’s zeitgeist of “Filipino Democracy” has eventually latched on to the consciousness and culture of Filipinos by way of the media’s constant revisiting of the EDSA People Power Revolution and representations of the spirit of “Filipino-ness” (especially by means of evocative images and stories). Hence, to better promote its vision of “a society that safeguards liberty and nurtures prosperity under the rule of law” to the general public, the FLP must tap and develop the potential of Filipino artists, designers, and other creative practitioners.

Coffee Table Books on the Professorial Lectures and Speeches of CJ Panganiban

Support to the Reform Program of the Judiciary and the Ombudsman

In terms of its commitment to reforms, FLP plans to work closely with the SC and the Office of the Ombudsman in establishing a reform program patterned after the SC’s Action Program for Judicial Reform (APJR). The Foundation is planning to once seek the assistance from the World Bank (which provided the funding for the APJR) and other international funding institutions in this endeavor.

Legal Education Reform Program

Another avenue as regards reform (as well as education) is FLP’s plan to partner with the Legal Education Board in developing a program to reform the legal education in the Philippines.

FLP Museum

The Foundation is looking at establishing an FLP Museum where various memorabilia and important items will be kept and made available for viewing of the public. This will be through a possible purchase of the entire floor of a building in FEU Makati at cost which the Chairman has proposed to the Chairman of FEU to be put up in the land purchased by FEU where the old 6-story Zuellig building is located at the corner of Ayala and Buendia Avenues. The Chairman of FEU said that she will bring this proposal to the Board of FEU and that she agrees in principle to sell one floor to the Foundation.

V. Assets and Financial Position

As reported by then FLP President Maria Elena P. Yaptangco in her First Annual Report (2012), the Foundation was incorporated with a total of two million pesos (P2,000,000) as initial funds, contributed by retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban. Presently, based on the 2016 Audited Financial Report presented before and approved by the Board of Trustees, the Foundation’s total assets reached a sum of Sixty-Seven Million Four Hundred Seventy-Two Thousand Three Hundred Two Pesos (P67,472,302)—which includes the value of the recently purchased PCCI property in Makati.

Apart from its cash assets, the Foundation is the recipient of copyrights over the “Ageless Passion” musical compositions of Mr. Ryan Cayabyab and lyrics thereto by Mr. Kristian Jeff C. Agustin. Mr. Cayabyab’s professional fees amounting to four hundred thousand pesos (P400,000) were paid for directly by several friends of our Chairman, led by businessman Eduardo Yap. Atty. Joel Emerson J. Gregorio, FLP Corporate Secretary, obtained copyrights of these works from the government.

Posted on December 31, 2015January 14, 2022 Annual Report

5th Annual Report

(January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015)

I. Introduction

Officially established on October 27, 2011, the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity is now on its fourth year of operation. Ably led by its Board of Trustees—namely Chief Justice (CJ) Artemio V. Panganiban, CJ Hilario G. Davide Jr., Washington Z. Sycip, Edilberto C. De Jesus, Elenita C. Panganiban, Maria Theresa P. Mañalac, Jennifer J. Manalili, Evelyn T. Dumdum and Joel Emerson J. Gregorio—the FLP has steadily gained recognition from its stakeholders and partners through its various programs, projects and activities.

FLP Officers

The FLP continues to serve its purpose through its FLP officers, namely CJ Artemio V. Panganiban (Chairman of the Board), Evelyn T. Dumdum (President), Rebecca G. Felix (Treasurer), Joel Emerson J. Gregorio (Corporate Secretary) and its recently hired Executive Director and Chief Operations Officer, Martin Angelo L. Esguerra. In addition, the chairs of the various standing committees remain—CJ Artemio V. Panganiban (Executive Committee), Washington Z. Sycip (Finance Committee), CJ Hilario G. Davide Jr. (Governance Committee), and Edilberto C. De Jesus (Education Committee).

II. Ongoing Programs and Projects

The FLP was founded to perpetuate the core judicial philosophy of then Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban—that jurists and lawyers should not only safeguard the liberty of our people but must also nurture their prosperity under the rule of law. In the first three years since its incorporation, FLP focused on the following activities: (1) the “Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity,” (2) the official FLP Website (www.libpros.com), and (3) the “Liberty & Prosperity Journal,” hitherto an e-newsletter.

Professorial Chairs Program

As the flagship project of the Foundation, the Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity is being implemented for three years now, following its launch on September 18, 2012 at the Metrobank Auditorium, Makati City. The Metrobank Foundation partnered with the FLP in this endeavor and has so far donated a total of One Million Four Hundred Thousand Pesos (P1,400,000.00) in co-sponsorship of the program.

Two (2) chair holders were renewed, namely (1) Atty. Sedfrey M. Candelaria (Dean, Ateneo de Manila School of Law); and (2) Atty. Joan Sarausos-Largo (Dean, University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance). In addition to the roster of distinguished lecturers, we have recently included Atty. Melencio S. Sta. Maria, Dean of the Far Eastern University – Makati.

In summary, the table below shows the output of each chair holder as well as recent updates, including future deliverables:

CHAIR HOLDER

OUTPUT

STIPEND RECEIVED

Updates

Reynaldo Agranzamendez (Cordilleras)

1 lecture (October 2013)

PhP 100,000

1 lecture pending

J. Adolfo Azcuna (PhilJA)

1 lecture (April 2013)

PhP 100,000

1 lecture pending

Andres Bautista (FEU)

1 lecture (February 2014)

PhP 100,000

Will deliver 1 lecture

Sedfrey Candelaria (Ateneo)

2 lectures, 2 debates (September 2012, March & Nov 2013, March 2014)

PhP 400,000

Fully complied, eligible for 3rd batch of appointments

Danilo Concepcion (UP)

NONE

Will deliver a lecture on the integration of the practice of law within ASEAN by October 2015

Manuel Diokno (La Salle)

1 lecture
(November 2012)

PhP 100,000

Will deliver 1 lecture with focus on economic rights

Nilo Divina (UST)

1 lecture (February 2014)

PhP 100,000

1 lecture pending

Joan Sarausos-Largo
(San Carlos Cebu)

2 lectures, 1 debate
(March & August 2013, September 2014)

PhP 300,000

1 pending lecture

Melencio S. Sta. Maria (FEU Makati)

NONE

Will deliver 1 output

Mikhail Lee L. Maxino (Siliman University)

1 lecture (November 2014)

PhP100,000

FLP Newsletter

The Foundation published and distributed its e-newsletter “Liberty & Prosperity Journal” by the second quarter of 2013. These were received in PDF format by FLP’s network of VIPs, stakeholders, and academics via email. The ten professorial chair holders likewise received copies of the e-newsletter and promised to disseminate them to their respective law schools for the benefit of students and faculty alike. FLP has so far released six (6) e-newsletters with the two most recent issues (Volume II Issue 4 and Volume III Issue 1) completed in time for the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) visit last March 16, 2015. Fifty (50) copies of the last two issues were likewise printed for limited distribution. The Foundation plans to source funds from the World Bank for the mass printing and distribution of these newsletters.

FLP Website

The Foundation’s website has undergone some changes, most notably its new landing page. Visitors to the site www.libpros.com will now arrive at the “about” page that has been redesigned to feature the two most recent article and/or activity of the foundation as well as an active slide showing notable events and activities. This gives the website a more dynamic feel as compared to the previous layout. Updates with regard to the FLP Officers were also included. New articles, activities and events are continuously being updated. The Secretariat will continue to work with the site’s administrator, Mr. Kristian Jeff C. Agustin, in order to further improve it.

III. Recent Developments in 2015

FLP Secretariat and Acquisition of PCCI Property

In order to expedite ongoing projects as well as implement future programs, the Foundation has begun its planned establishment of an FLP Secretariat. FLP started by hiring a chief operating officer to run the day-to-day operations of the secretariat. However, in order to hire additional support staff and meet its operational and administrative expenses, the Foundation needs a steady stream of funds. For this purpose, the Foundation—through the Chairman—has requested contributions from several generous donors[1] for the purchase of a 709 sq. m. property located at the PCCI Corporate Center in Makati. A small portion of the said property shall serve as the FLP Secretariat’s headquarters, while the rest shall be leased out to provide funds for the FLP Secretariat’s operational expenses. The Foundation was able to purchase the property in December 2015. A Deed of Dale was signed between Lopez Holdings Corporation and FLP on December 23, 2015.

Pursuant to its earlier verbal commitment, the Toyota Motors Philippines Corporation donated one (1) Innova on March 15, 2015 for the use of the Secretariat. This will facilitate the implementation of the various projects of the Foundation, particularly through liaising with partners, donors and stakeholders as well as delivering FLP output to target beneficiaries of its programs/projects.

ALA General Assembly and ASEAN Chief Justices Summit

As part of the Foundation’s thrust on information, education and communication programs, FLP recently co-sponsored the ASEAN Law Association (ALA) General Assembly and the ASEAN Chief Justices Summit together with the ALA and the Supreme Court (SC) with financial assistance from PLDT and the San Miguel Group. It was the FLP Chairman who suggested the theme for the event, i.e., “Sharing Prosperity at the Crossroads of ASEAN Integration – the Legal Challenges.” The Foundation also provided technical and financial assistance, particularly with regard to the airfare expenses of the Chief Justices from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos and their respective spouses. FLP Chairman CJ Panganiban also delivered a speech on entrepreneurship and the FLP philosophy during the ALA Delegates’ Luncheon. The ALA General Assembly was held at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel last February 26, 2015 while the ASEAN Chief Justices Summit was in Boracay from March 1 to 2, 2015.

Accreditation with the PCNC

On June 9, 2015, the Board of Trustees of PCNC approved the Foundation’s application for accreditation and resolved to endorse the same to the Bureau of Internal Revenue for the issuance of a Certificate of Donee Institution. This came after the site visit by the representatives from PCNC conducted on March 16, 2015. After going over the documents FLP prepared for their review and conducting interviews with members of the BoT and FLP staff as well as the Deans and law students invited to participate during the site visit, PCNC shared their observations and recommendations. Most notable of these were the need to come up with an operations manual, financial management procedures, the establishment of an administrative structure and revised organization structure as well as guidelines for volunteers. As it were, all these have been complied with as FLP now has a Manual of Operations and Financial Management Procedures duly approved by the Board of Trustees.

IV. Future Plans and Direction

With the planned establishment of the FLP Secretariat, the Foundation will also begin to implement the following programs and projects within a three to five year program framework:

IEC and ICT Projects

Apart from the information dissemination efforts of the Foundation by means of e-newsletters and its official website mentioned above, FLP will seek World Bank (WB) sponsorship of its ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) projects. Also, the Foundation will spearhead the reconvening of the Global Forum on Liberty and Prosperity on October 2016, marking the 10^th year of the first one in 2006. These high-profile projects are lined up to elevate FLP’s philosophy to the international arena—to gain traction and support outside the Philippines.

Centers for Liberty and Prosperity

On April 13, 2015, FLP met with Dean Melencio S. Sta. Maria of FEU Institute of Law (FEU-IL) to discuss, inter alia, the establishment of the Center for Liberty and Prosperity within the school premises. A space has already been provided for this and it was agreed that a draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) will be transmitted to FEU-IL for consideration of the Board. Dean Sta. Maria, for his part, undertook to take it up with the President of FEU-IL. Meanwhile, a work plan is being prepared by the FLP Secretariat.

As regards the Center for Liberty and Prosperity at the Ateneo Law School in Rockwell, the Ateneo Law School has assured us that a space will be provided for said purpose at the annex building being constructed and the details will be discussed soon after the constructions are finished.

Coffee Table Books on the Professorial Lectures
and Speeches of CJ Panganiban

FLP also had a meeting last April 15, 2015 with the Metrobank Foundation regarding the updates on the FLP Professorial Chairs as well as the publication of two (2) coffee table books: one, a compilation of the lectures and output delivered under the CJ Panganiban Professorial Chair Program; and two, a compilation of selected speeches of CJ Panganiban. Metrobank Foundation agreed in principle to sponsor said coffee table book projects and offered to assist FLP in undertaking the same considering that they have had several similar projects.

More Proactive Advocacy Program

As part of its thrust on education and information dissemination, FLP will organize a contest among students (candidates of doctor of jurisprudence) for best thesis/dissertation or its equivalent in law schools not offering the Juris Doctor program, that espouses the philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. This would foster more scholarly studies on FLP’s judicial philosophy, encourage critical thinking and analysis and eventually, a synthesis on the legal theory and judicial philosophy of the Foundation.

Student Scholarships

Another program for education, FLP will provide scholarships for deserving law students. The intention is to cultivate the seeds of FLP’s judicial philosophy and thus encourage future lawyers to build their legal careers in promoting liberty and prosperity under the rule of law, becoming catalysts for its development and propagation. FLP met with Mr. Philip Sing, the Head of the Tan Yan Kee Foundation, and discussed partnership in bringing this project to fruition.

Basic Education on the Rule of Law Program

The Foundation will organize a program that teaches the rule of law to elementary students. FLP believes that young students represent the next generation of the country, so this will be planting seeds for the future.

In connection with this, the President and the Executive Director met with Mr. Jonas Turingan of Libertas last April 17, 2015 to discuss the continuation of the public education on the rule of law or PERLAS project which the Foundation aims to revive and implement under the auspices of the World Bank with emphasis on poverty alleviation and education. FLP seeks to tap the World Bank and other foreign and local funding sources in order to implement this major program as part of its information, education and communication thrust. Mr. Turingan has committed to submit a concept note for this program.

Together with the More Proactive Advocacy Program and the Student Scholarship program, these three programs represent FLP’s three-pronged education-centered thrusts in propagating, evolving and developing its core philosophy.

Support to the Reform Program of the Judiciary and the Ombudsman

In terms of its commitment to reforms, FLP plans to work closely with the SC and the Office of the Ombudsman in establishing a reform program patterned after the SC’s Action Program for Judicial Reform (APJR). The Foundation is planning to once seek the assistance from the World Bank (which provided the funding for the APJR) and other international funding institutions in this endeavor.

Legal Education Reform Program

Another avenue as regards reform (as well as education) is FLP’s plan to partner with the Legal Education Board in developing a program to reform the legal education in the Philippines.

FLP Museum

Apart from the Centers for Liberty and Prosperity, the Foundation is looking at establishing an FLP Museum where various memorabilia and important items will be kept and made available for viewing of the public. This will be through a possible purchase of the entire floor of a building in FEU Makati at cost which the Chairman has proposed to the Chairman of FEU to be put up in the land purchased by FEU where the old 6-story Zuellig building is located at the corner of Ayala and Buendia Avenues. The Chairman of FEU said that she will bring this proposal to the Board of FEU and that she agrees in principle to sell one floor to the Foundation.

V. Assets and Financial Position

As reported by then FLP President Maria Elena P. Yaptangco in her First Annual Report (2012), the Foundation was incorporated with a total of two million pesos (P2,000,000) as initial funds, contributed by retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban. Presently, based on the 2015 Audited Financial Report presented before and approved by the Board of Trustees, the Foundation’s total assets reached a sum of Sixty Million Nine Hundred Eighty-Seven Thousand Three Hundred Ninety-Two Pesos (P60,987,392).

To date, the Foundation has not incurred any salaries and personnel expenses. The Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Atty. Martin Angelo L. Esguerra, is being given an allowance by The Baron Travel Corporation until the FLP Secretariat can be fully established through the purchase and subsequent leasing out of the PCCI property which shall cover, among others, the salary of the ED and other personnel to be hired. In addition, the Board of Trustees is meeting quarterly pro bono. Regular meetings, including meals and snacks, are generously hosted by Chief Justice & Mrs. Artemio V. Panganiban at 1203 Acacia, Dasmariñas Village, Makati.

[1] Namely: Mr. Ramon Ang, Manila Electric Company, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, Metro Pacific Investment Corporation, Lopez Holdings Corporation, Inc. and First Philippine Holdings.