The Social Welfare Study Program (IKS) of the Faculty of Da’wah and Communication at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta hosted a public lecture titled “Social Protection for the Precariat: Insights from the Philippines” on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Room 410 of the Faculty. The event formed part of the Poverty Alleviation course taught by Muhammad Izzul Haq, PhD, and was attended by undergraduate students of the Social Welfare Study Program.

The lecture featured Emir Tumanon, Union Leader of the ABC 5 Employees Union, Philippines, who shared his perspectives on the realities faced by precarious workers in the Philippines and the social protection measures developed to address their economic and social vulnerabilities.

In his presentation, Tumanon described the precariat as a growing segment of the workforce characterized by insecure employment, unstable income, and limited access to social protection. Many individuals within this group work in the informal economy, on short-term contracts, as freelancers, or in other forms of flexible employment that often lack adequate social security coverage. As a result, they face heightened risks of poverty, economic insecurity, and social exclusion.

A central theme of the lecture was the concept of Dimensions of Poverty, developed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Drawing on this framework, Tumanon emphasized that poverty should not be understood merely as a lack of income. Rather, it is a multidimensional condition that affects various aspects of human well-being. According to Sida’s approach, people living in poverty experience not only a shortage of material resources but may also face deprivation in other dimensions that limit their ability to live dignified and fulfilling lives.

Tumanon outlined four key dimensions of poverty. The first, resources, refers to access to income, assets, education, health, skills, and other forms of capital necessary for maintaining a decent standard of living. The second, opportunities and choice, concerns access to productive employment, education, healthcare services, infrastructure, markets, and information that enable individuals to improve their circumstances. The third, power and voice, highlights people’s ability to express their interests, claim their rights, and participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives. The fourth, human security, encompasses protection from physical, psychological, and structural threats that undermine well-being and human dignity.

He further argued that poverty cannot be separated from the broader social, economic, political, and environmental contexts in which people live. Effective social protection, therefore, must go beyond cash transfers and social insurance schemes. It should also expand opportunities, strengthen the agency of vulnerable groups, and create conditions that allow individuals and families to live free from fear and insecurity. This perspective, he noted, is essential for understanding the challenges confronting precarious workers in the Philippines and across many developing countries.

The discussion session that followed generated lively engagement from students, who raised questions about informal employment, multidimensional poverty, labor organizing, and the future of inclusive social protection in the digital economy. Through examples drawn from the Philippine context, participants were encouraged to critically examine how public policy, labor market structures, and power relations shape the well-being of vulnerable populations.

By hosting this public lecture, the Social Welfare Study Program reaffirmed its commitment to exposing students to global perspectives on contemporary social issues. The event provided a valuable opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of poverty, labor vulnerability, and social protection while reflecting on the relevance of these issues to Indonesia and the broader Southeast Asian region.

As the nature of work continues to evolve, discussions such as these serve as an important reminder that poverty is not merely an economic condition, but a complex social reality that demands multidimensional and inclusive responses.