About Us

Brief History

PSSC was established in 1968 through the efforts of social science stalwarts as Dr. Mercedes
Concepcion, Fr. Frank Lynch, Dr. Cristina Parel, Dr. Eufronio Alip and Dr. Armand Fabella who
comprised the first Executive Board (now Board of Trustees) of PSSC. They embraced the idea
of an umbrella organization for the social sciences put forward by Dr. Estafania Aldaba-Lim of
the Social and Human Sciences Committee of the UNESCO National Commission of the
Philippines in line with UNESCO's global thrust of tapping learned social science societies to
address contemporary issues and challenges.

The early years of PSSC were spent building the institutional and financial capability of the
organization. PSSC forerunners framed PSSC's constitution/by-laws, established linkages and
worked to secure funding support. The Ford Foundation, Asia Foundation and the National
Science Development Board were among the first agencies to recognize PSSC's potential and
provided grants for PSSC's newly-established programs.

In the mid-70s, following its successes in program implementation, PSSC clinched endowment
grants from the Ford Foundation and the National Economic and Development Authority, giving
the organization a measure of financial independence and stability. In 1983, PSSC operations
further received a boost when the Government of Japan gifted PSSC with its own home, the
Philippine Social Science Center, which was envisioned to be the hub of social science activities
and events in the country.

PSSC's mission, from the very beginning, has been to advance Philippine social sciences and at
the same time, serve as a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and activities. Early programs of
PSSC reflected this thrust, such as the thesis and dissertation assistance grants, research
capacity training workshops, and travel assistance program. Towards the 80s, PSSC's
leadership saw the need to expand its mandate amid the turmoil and complex challenges faced
by Philippine society. It began the quinquennial National Social Science Congress and
regularized the holding of public lectures and social issues forums designed to engage the public
and private sectors in national program and policy discussions.

Today, PSSC is one of the country's longest running and financially viable non-profit
organizations. It has carved its niche as a base for developing social science scholarship and
training, and as repository of social science resources in the country.