How does Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental measure up to the UN-MDG target of having access to safe drinking water available to 86.6 percent of a country's population by 2015? Or to the Philippine government's target of providing... more
How does Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental measure up to the UN-MDG target of having access to safe drinking water available to 86.6 percent of a country's population by 2015? Or to the Philippine government's target of providing such access to 92-96 percent of its citizens by 2010? How about the municipalities of Sibagat, Bayugan, and Prosperidad in the province of Agusan del Sur? How do they compare in terms of local water service delivery for their populations? This case study project conducted under the auspices of the PIDS and UNICEF provides some revealing answers.drinking water, water service delivery, potable water, safe drinking water, potable water system
PIDS Policy Notes are observations/analyses written by PIDS researchers on certain policy issues. The treatise is holistic in approach and aims to provide useful inputs for decisionmaking. The authors are senior research fellow and... more
PIDS Policy Notes are observations/analyses written by PIDS researchers on certain policy issues. The treatise is holistic in approach and aims to provide useful inputs for decisionmaking. The authors are senior research fellow and research analyst II, respectively, of PIDS. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of PIDS or any of the study’s sponsors. Policy Notes
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Coastal resources management (CRM) has flourished as a manage-ment approach for attaining a more sustainable form of economicdevelopment in the coastal areas of the Philippines. This is reflected inthe phenomenal growth of CRM and... more
Coastal resources management (CRM) has flourished as a manage-ment approach for attaining a more sustainable form of economicdevelopment in the coastal areas of the Philippines. This is reflected inthe phenomenal growth of CRM and CRM-type activities over the past two decades or so (Pomeroy and Carlos 1996). The various CRM undertakings include a good number of largescale programs and projects that are implemented nationwide or with specific-area coverage, and financed significantly with public resources (FRMP 2001a). The proliferation of CRM, coupled with the reasonably long time it has been in implementation, now calls for an evaluation of its long-term impact as a manage-ment and development approach. This is particularly true when a series of CRM activities have been conducted over many years in a specific coastal area and where some evidence of performance can be generated. A cursory look at available literature shows that evaluation efforts on CRM were mostly at the program an...
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constitutes studies that are preliminary and subject to further revisions. They are be-ing circulated in a limited number of cop-ies only for purposes of soliciting com-ments and suggestions for further refine-ments. The studies under the... more
constitutes studies that are preliminary and subject to further revisions. They are be-ing circulated in a limited number of cop-ies only for purposes of soliciting com-ments and suggestions for further refine-ments. The studies under the Series are unedited and unreviewed. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not neces-sarily reflect those of the Institute. Not for quotation without permission from the author(s) and the Institute.
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n December 2004, there was guarded optimism in some quarters that the mining sector1 will soon face better times when the Supreme Court judged with finality as legal the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. Yet, since then up to the present,... more
n December 2004, there was guarded optimism in some quarters that the mining sector1 will soon face better times when the Supreme Court judged with finality as legal the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. Yet, since then up to the present, the sector continues to face the same old economic, social, and environmental problems. One of the most daunting is that mining generally remains as an extractive activity, making it a mere exporter of raw materials and limiting the potential of the country to fully benefit from mining development.
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The paper reviewed national industrialization as a long-term strategy of mining development in the Philippines. The end purpose was to suggest immediate actions that can be undertaken for the promotion of national industrialization. The... more
The paper reviewed national industrialization as a long-term strategy of mining development in the Philippines. The end purpose was to suggest immediate actions that can be undertaken for the promotion of national industrialization. The paper used secondary data and information from institutional sources and available relevant literature as well as primary data and information from institutional key informants. The paper found that the knowledge base of the country required to pursue the national industrialization strategy is poor. The following studies therefore were suggested: a) value chain analysis for the mining sector and its subsectors, including but not limited to the copper, nickel, gold, and chromite industries; b) development of community-based small and medium-scale operations in mining including the technology, financial, institutional, and other forms of government support that could be provided to them; c) analysis of resource rents in the mining sector and its subsec...
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This paper investigates the issue of underutilization of Philippine regional fishing ports using secondary data from institutional resources and interviews with key informants. Analysis indicates that most of the existing regional ports... more
This paper investigates the issue of underutilization of Philippine regional fishing ports using secondary data from institutional resources and interviews with key informants. Analysis indicates that most of the existing regional ports are underutilized, having low actual usage to projected usage ratios. The paper argues that low commercial and aquaculture fish production contributes to the underutilization of ports.
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This study reviews and assesses nongovernment reforestation in the Philippines vis-a-vis government and total reforestation using primary and secondary data. The objective is to identify issues and problems related to nongovernment... more
This study reviews and assesses nongovernment reforestation in the Philippines vis-a-vis government and total reforestation using primary and secondary data. The objective is to identify issues and problems related to nongovernment reforestation and recommend actions that can be undertaken to address them. It finds that government reforestation dominates total reforestation, while nongovernment reforestation only has a relatively small contribution in recent years. During the first three years of implementing the National Greening Program, the growth of nongovernment reforestation had been erratic, increasing in 2011 but decreasing in 2012 and 2013. This study asserts that private reforestation--or reforestation conducted by the private sector under no agreement with the government--has been the main driver of nongovernment reforestation at present. However, its full development as an industry has been hindered by various institutional, production, and marketing issues and problems....
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Wood processing is an important downstream activity of the Philippine forestry sector because it adds economic value to logs, diversifies the products that can be produced from it, and increases the incomes and employment of involved... more
Wood processing is an important downstream activity of the Philippine forestry sector because it adds economic value to logs, diversifies the products that can be produced from it, and increases the incomes and employment of involved communities. Despite its many economic contributions, however, the wood processing industry has been on the decline for many years now. This study analyzes the wood processing industry concentrating on its value chain, the major issues and problems it is facing, and recommends actions to address these problems and issues. Among others, the study finds that the wood processing industry is constrained by various technical, financial, economic, marketing, environmental, institutional, and research-related problems and issues. To address these individually, specific recommendations are forwarded. In terms of research, in particular, the study suggests the gathering of more detailed and complete data and information on the wood processing sector by relevant ...
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Some industries are relatively more harmful to the environment but industrialization has been a significant factor in Cebu’s environmental degradation. In addition, government efforts to curb degradation have failed. This has been the... more
Some industries are relatively more harmful to the environment but industrialization has been a significant factor in Cebu’s environmental degradation. In addition, government efforts to curb degradation have failed. This has been the paper’s major result after the examination of the interaction between industrialization and environmental degradation in Cebu.
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In the context of sustainable development, environmentally preferable products (EPPs) are desirable because they leave no unwelcome impacts on natural resources and environment. This study has found that though several EPPs can be... more
In the context of sustainable development, environmentally preferable products (EPPs) are desirable because they leave no unwelcome impacts on natural resources and environment. This study has found that though several EPPs can be produced, consumed and traded by the Philippine government, there are several problems that need to be addressed. This also identifies the gaps on EPPs research that might be useful if the government is to pursue its future use.
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The paper looks into the current socioeconomic research on resilience to natural disasters among urban households, firms, and communities in the Philippines. It reviews the related analytical frameworks, methodologies, and empirical... more
The paper looks into the current socioeconomic research on resilience to natural disasters among urban households, firms, and communities in the Philippines. It reviews the related analytical frameworks, methodologies, and empirical studies already available with the end purpose of identifying research gaps and recommending studies and actions that can be undertaken to address them. The paper explains that the Philippines and Manila, at present, are among the least resilient countries and cities in the world, respectively. It also shows that there are foreign and locally developed analytical frameworks and methodologies on urban resilience that have been used in research. Furthermore, it found that there are already a number of empirical studies covering resilience of households, firms, and communities, particularly to natural disasters, than have been conducted in specific urban areas like Metro Manila and other Philippine cities. From the review, the paper identifies some gaps in ...
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Traditionally, the inland fisheries subsector of the Philippines has been a modest contributor to overall fisheries production. For the period 2001-2003, inland fisheries only shared an average of 13.3 percent of aggregate catch coming... more
Traditionally, the inland fisheries subsector of the Philippines has been a modest contributor to overall fisheries production. For the period 2001-2003, inland fisheries only shared an average of 13.3 percent of aggregate catch coming from marine and inland fisheries (BAS 2005). Furthermore, inland fisheries production has significantly fallen over time, from 229,973 tons in 1992 to 136,347 tons in 2001. For its part, overall fisheries also had a small contribution to the national economy, sharing less than 3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2003.
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Years of rapid and indiscriminate logging of Philippine forests, coupled with little reforestation, have led to more frequent, widespread, and damaging natural disasters, such as floods, landslides, and other environmental damages. With... more
Years of rapid and indiscriminate logging of Philippine forests, coupled with little reforestation, have led to more frequent, widespread, and damaging natural disasters, such as floods, landslides, and other environmental damages. With strong political will and noble intentions, President Benigno S. Aquino III issued Executive Order 23 (EO 23) in 2011. This order sought to protect the country's natural forests by imposing a total ban over logging activities and imposing stronger measures against illegal cutting. Unfortunately, EO 23 intensified the rent-seeking behavior among the regulating agencies and has led to damaging unintended economic and social consequences without accomplishing much of its avowed objectives. Moreover, there are other potentially more effective ways of protecting Philippine forests. On this score, would it possible to achieve a win-win strategy where natural forests are effectively protected without paralyzing the wood industry that provides incomes an...
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This study analyzed the interactions between natural disasters and household poverty and discussed the coping strategies used by households in response to natural disasters in the Philippines. It used data from the 2011 CBMS Household... more
This study analyzed the interactions between natural disasters and household poverty and discussed the coping strategies used by households in response to natural disasters in the Philippines. It used data from the 2011 CBMS Household Profile Survey for Pasay City, Metro Manila and results of relevant past studies. The study found that a) there are existing analytical frameworks for the study of the interactions between natural disasters, household poverty, and household coping strategies; b) some empirical studies have been done in the Philippines analyzing the aforementioned interactions; c) relevant past studies generally point to the negative effect of natural disasters on household income and subsequently on household poverty; and d) past studies also showed that households practice several coping mechanisms to address the effects of natural disasters. Furthermore, based on own estimation done, the study found that the occurrence and frequency of typhoons and/or floods in Pasay...
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This study quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed the impacts of natural disasters (particularly typhoons, floods and droughts) on agriculture, food security and the natural resources and environment in the Philippines. It aimed to... more
This study quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed the impacts of natural disasters (particularly typhoons, floods and droughts) on agriculture, food security and the natural resources and environment in the Philippines. It aimed to propose recommendations as to how best to respond to the impacts of natural disasters and to suggest further studies that can be undertaken. In general, the study found that: a) typhoons, floods and droughts have an insignificant impact on overall agricultural production at the national level, yet typhoons may have a significant negative impact on paddy rice production at the provincial level; b) typhoons, as exemplified by Ondoy and Pepeng in 2009, have a significant negative impact on the food security of the households in the affected areas; c) households have varying consumption and non-consumption strategies to cope with the impacts of typhoons; and d) the different impacts of typhoons, floods and droughts on the natural resources and environment ...
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The study analyzed the perceptions of fishermen households of the long-term impact of Coastal Resources Management (CRM) using Panguil Bay in Mindanao as case study. It used data gathered through a survey that measured perceptions using a... more
The study analyzed the perceptions of fishermen households of the long-term impact of Coastal Resources Management (CRM) using Panguil Bay in Mindanao as case study. It used data gathered through a survey that measured perceptions using a ladder diagram along a 10-point scale. The study found that fishermen households in Panguil Bay perceived that their harvest, income and overall well-being have deteriorated in the last ten years when CRM was in implementation and will continue to decline in the next ten years. They further believed that the well-being of the coastal resources on which they depend on has decreased in the last ten years and will continue to do so in the future. Based on these results, the study concluded that in the eyes of fishermen households in Panguil Bay, CRM has failed to attain the long-term objectives of improving their well-being and that of the coastal resources in their areas. Since the perceptions of the fishermen households are important to their accept...
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This paper assessed the local service delivery (LSD) of potable water in Dumaguete City and selected areas of Agusan del Sur. It is based on a recent study conducted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the... more
This paper assessed the local service delivery (LSD) of potable water in Dumaguete City and selected areas of Agusan del Sur. It is based on a recent study conducted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the United Nations Children`s Fund (UNICEF). The results and findings of the study indicated, among others, that Dumaguete City had met national and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) related to potable water delivery while some of the covered municipalities of Agusan del Sur were far from achieving them.Findings also showed that LSD in the two sites faces numerous problems--many of which were institutional in nature--that need to be addressed if national and international goals are to be realized. Some recommendations, including those on the institutional and other related aspects, were put forward for the further development of the LSD of potable water in the two sites as well as in similarly situated areas in the country.
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This report presents the final outputs of the project on "Aquatic resources valuation and policies for poverty elimination in the Lower Mekong Basin". Volume 1 summarizes the implementation process, outcomes and key lessons of... more
This report presents the final outputs of the project on "Aquatic resources valuation and policies for poverty elimination in the Lower Mekong Basin". Volume 1 summarizes the implementation process, outcomes and key lessons of the project. The project was implemented in partnership with the Dept of Fisheries, Cambodia. It was developed to improve understanding of the economic and social values of aquatic resources, as a step towards improving institutional and policy processes in the Lower Mekong Basin so that resource management decisions better reflect the interests of the rural poor.
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Initiatives toward the attainment of global food security have been done not just unilaterally but also regionally and globally. Among the platforms that have made great efforts in this aspect is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation... more
Initiatives toward the attainment of global food security have been done not just unilaterally but also regionally and globally. Among the platforms that have made great efforts in this aspect is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). In 2015, the Philippines will host the next APEC Summit. Food security shall be high on the agenda of the Summit and of various meetings. To provide advice to the Philippine Government on the possible Philippine position on food security during its hosting, this paper recommends that the Philippines should adopt agribusiness development based on sustainable food supply chains as its priority advocacy, while continuing to promote elements of food security as expressed in the APEC road map. This "branding" integrates a strong position on blue economy with the agribusiness development and road map thrusts of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture.
This paper reviews the status of fishpen and fishcage culture in Laguna de Bay, with emphasis on its economic importance and the relative severity of the problems affecting its continued practice. The paper aims to provide an economic... more
This paper reviews the status of fishpen and fishcage culture in Laguna de Bay, with emphasis on its economic importance and the relative severity of the problems affecting its continued practice. The paper aims to provide an economic analysis that will help decisionmakers, stakeholders, and other interested parties make informed decisions and opinions on the conduct of the activity. Sources of data are the survey of fishpen and fishcage operators and their operations and key informant interviews conducted in 2007, records of government institutions involved in aquaculture in Laguna de Bay, and relevant published literature. The analysis shows that fishpen and fishcage culture in Laguna de Bay has important economic and social contributions to the lake municipalities and to the country. In particular, it significantly contributes to fish production, income, employment, and generation of public revenues. Furthermore, it helps supply cheaper fish to Metro Manila where a large segment ...
The employment performance of the employment generation programs appears transitory and short term. Although some programs exceeded the employment targets, it is not clear how these numbers are translated at the macro level. The programs... more
The employment performance of the employment generation programs appears transitory and short term. Although some programs exceeded the employment targets, it is not clear how these numbers are translated at the macro level. The programs are apparently intended to address other social issues such as poverty reduction, social/human development or community development rather than for providing net employment impact. These inferences however need to be validated through in-depth impact analysis of specific programs, which has not been possible under this study. To provide effective evaluation of these studies, there is a need to create convergence and agreements among key departments with regards to the methodology and definitions in identification and counting of jobs. The absence of central monitoring and evaluation office in each department has also created difficulty in identifying and integrating information and data.
This paper presents some of the preliminary results and findings of an ongoing study jointly conducted by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC AQD) and Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), which... more
This paper presents some of the preliminary results and findings of an ongoing study jointly conducted by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC AQD) and Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), which assesses the current state of aquaculture in Laguna de Bay. The study uses primary and secondary data. The primary data were gathered through interviews with key informants and a cross-section survey of fishpen and fishcage operators and their operations in Laguna de Bay conducted in 2007. The secondary data were gathered from the published statistical indices of institutional sources and other relevant literature. The results of the study indicate that aquaculture in Laguna de Bay is a vibrant industry that includes not only fishpen and fishcage operators but also various participants in its input and product markets. Furthermore, they show that aquaculture contributes significantly to fish production in the lake as well as to national aquaculture and fi...
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Community-Based Coastal Resources Management (CBCRM) activities in the Philippines have phenomenally increased over the years while studies that assess their performance were few. This paper reviews the literature dealing on the... more
Community-Based Coastal Resources Management (CBCRM) activities in the Philippines have phenomenally increased over the years while studies that assess their performance were few. This paper reviews the literature dealing on the evaluation of CBCRM and the methods they applied with the end view of generating useful information for the possible development of a common methodology for future work. The paper found that most of the studies evaluating CBCRM dealt only on individual projects or project sites. They either used simple descriptive statistics comparing actual performance against pre-set objectives or more quantitative methods, particularly the Baseline-Independent Technique and the Institutional Analysis Approach. The limited number of studies at present suggests that CBCRM is under-assessed as a management method. A reason is that methodologies for the purpose are not yet fully developed and familiar to researchers. This renders methodology development a priority research co...
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PIDS Policy Notes are observations/analyses written by PIDS researchers on certain policy issues. The treatise is holistic in approach and aims to provide useful inputs for decisionmaking. The authors are Senior Research Fellows, PIDS.... more
PIDS Policy Notes are observations/analyses written by PIDS researchers on certain policy issues. The treatise is holistic in approach and aims to provide useful inputs for decisionmaking. The authors are Senior Research Fellows, PIDS. Research assistance was provided by Ma. Diyina Gem Arbo, Research Analyst II, also of PIDS. Gratitude is also extended to the CBMS project management and the local government of Pasay City, Metro Manila for the use of its 2011 CBMS dataset. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of PIDS or any of the study’s sponsors. Policy Notes
The study reviewed and assessed nongovernment reforestation in the Philippines vis-a-vis government and total reforestation using primary and secondary data. The end purpose was to identify issues and problems related to nongovernment... more
The study reviewed and assessed nongovernment reforestation in the Philippines vis-a-vis government and total reforestation using primary and secondary data. The end purpose was to identify issues and problems related to nongovernment reforestation and recommend actions that can be undertaken to address them. The study found that government reforestation dominated total reforestation while nongovernment reforestation only has a relatively small contribution in recent years. During the first three years of implementation of the National Greening Program, in particular, nongovernment reforestation had been erratic, increasing in 2011 but decreasing in 2012 and 2013. The study asserted that private reforestation, or reforestation conducted by the private sector under no agreement with the government, has been the main driver of nongovernment reforestation at present. However, its full development as an industry has been hindered by various institutional, production, and marketing issue...
The main purpose of the study was to determine if the reforestation program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) over the years has been successful in attaining its stated objectives and in mitigating the adverse... more
The main purpose of the study was to determine if the reforestation program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) over the years has been successful in attaining its stated objectives and in mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change on forest resources and the natural environment. The corollary goal was to develop recommendations to improve reforestation activities in light of the National Greening Program (NGP) of the current administration. The study used secondary data generated from institutional sources and primary data gathered through key informant interviews and focus group discussions conducted in some selected NGP sites in the Caraga region in Mindanao. In summary, the study found the following: a) At the national level, the reforestation program of the DENR has only partially attained its replanting targets; b) Also at the national level, it appears to have become relatively inefficient in the conduct of replanting activities over the years;...
The Philippines is blessed with rich marine fishing grounds that are valuable sources of food and livelihood for the population. Unfortunately, over the years, these fishing grounds have become increasingly less productive, and many are... more
The Philippines is blessed with rich marine fishing grounds that are valuable sources of food and livelihood for the population. Unfortunately, over the years, these fishing grounds have become increasingly less productive, and many are in danger of depletion. At the heart of the problem is the generally open-access nature of Philippine fisheries, which leads to the unintended consequence of overfishing. This paper reviews the basic theory of overfishing; institutions, laws, and policies related to overfishing in the Philippines; and past and current efforts to curb overfishing in the country. As case study, it looks into the sardine industry zeroing in on the Zamboanga Peninsula experience. The paper shows how choosing to act collectively in ways that effectively minimize overfishing can keep the sardine industry profitable and sustainable for its participants in the long haul. It also provides some recommendations on how to potentially improve the current situation and make the sa...
The persistence of serious natural resource depletion and environmental degradation means that much remains to be done years into the implementation of Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21). With this background, the paper reviewed the past... more
The persistence of serious natural resource depletion and environmental degradation means that much remains to be done years into the implementation of Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21). With this background, the paper reviewed the past experiences and discussed the future challenges faced in the natural resource and environment sector, concentrating on the most important issues still to be addressed in light of PA 21, including those that have policy implications. The purpose was to highlight the issues and promote a more focused discussion. The paper reviewed the natural resource and environmental problems across ecosystems, per ecosystem and per critical resource. Then, it presented a history of natural resources and environmental laws and policies, with PA 21 highlighted, and discussed some of the important gaps and issues. In conclusion, the paper argued that while the implementation of PA 21 may be behind schedule, a determined effort to address the most pressing issues will hasten...