This paper was presented at the United Nations Development Programme inter-regional workshop titled "Social Protection in an Insecure Era: A South-South Exchange on Alternative Policy Responses to Globalization," Santiago de Chile, 14-16 May 2002.This paper identifies the most critical problems and issues regarding Philippine social protection. It begins with a definition of social protection, its objectives and a list of Philippine social protection programs and their features. It also presents a background of the underlying development problems for a better appreciation of the prime issues relating to social protection in the Philippines before proceeding to a discussion of the main social protection issues.
