Coalition building has been discussed extensively in the fields of collective impact, social work, social change, multiparty negotiation and mediation, sociology and anthropology, economics, civil society, and state relations, among other fields, but there is scant literature on Filipino cases of local coalition-building practitioners who navigate the complex political landscape in the Philippines.

This guidebook, featuring Filipino case studies that offer action-oriented lessons, skills, and cultural notes, is our team’s attempt to bridge this gap and share what we have learned.

We live in a world with big problems that no person or organization can solve alone. The pandemic has uprooted our lives and made our loved ones sick. The climate crisis has destroyed our homes. Disinformation campaigns have threatened our shared understanding of reality. Autocrats are eroding democracy in many parts of the world.

These problems appear so big and complex that, sometimes, it is tempting to surrender to cynicism and despair. But now, more than ever, we need to work together and find hope in one another. We must “make together work.”

Building coalitions is one of the many ways to “make together work.” It is one of the tools in a democracy that ordinary citizens can use to build power and win change, especially where there are inequities in the distribution of power and resources.

This guidebook is for ordinary citizens who want to claim their space in democracy and want to start their journey of becoming more active and engaged citizens; it is for emerging activists and advocates who want to improve their skills to fight for systems change; it is also for more experienced organizers who would like to enrich their practice through cases and frameworks from other organizers and coalitions.