Norms and Practice of Public Sphere Deliberations in the Philippines: A Case Study of Naga City’s Public Market Reform

This paper analyzes how the local public market enterprise in the Philippines was reformed through public deliberations and benchmarked with Habermas’ model of deliberative democracy. The findings reveal that the normative model and the public market reform experience of Naga City fit well – although the model should be complemented by empirical observations such as leadership and facilitators to support the periphery and iterative procedures for a functioning deliberative democracy. In addition, the study shows that considerations of the public sphere deliberations and procedural minima led to sustainable results and civic renewal, consistent with the long-term governance approach of Naga City. Case study research design and discourse analyses were adopted. Review of transcripts, face-to-face interviews with key stakeholders, and use of secondary data were utilized in reconstructing the reform process.