Suchergebnisse

In 2008, about 12 percent of five- to fifteen-year-old children were not in school, five years later this had gone down to about 5 percent. Adjusted net primary school attendance rates have increased from 90.8 percent in 2008 to 96.45 percent in 2013. In this paper, we examine this decline in the proportion of out-of-school children and improved primary school participation in the country and attribute them to three key government interventions. First is the passage and full implementation of mandatory kindergarten and the K-12 Law, which aims to enhance basic education through key reforms in the curricula and addition of kindergarten and two years to basic education. Second is the increasing budget that the Department of Education has obtained from the national government. And third is the expansion of the government`s conditional cash transfer program that requires families under the program to send their children to school. These three broad public programs to invest in our human capital changed the way basic education is implemented in the country, and have helped bring the country closer to its goal of universal primary education. Ways forward include continued making full use of information systems especially the learner information system, improving school participation in the secondary education level, monitoring and evaluating the alternative learning system and alternative delivery modes of schooling, addressing gender disparities in basic education, and improving the quality of basic education.

The Philippine Statistical System (PSS), the government-wide system of providing statistical information and services, consists of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and other data producers in the public sector across all administrative levels; the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute (PSRTI), the research and training arm of the PSS; and the PSA Board (a policy-making body on statistical matters). Data producers release official statistics, i.e. data aggregates, sourced from primary data collections (such as surveys, censuses, administrative reporting systems), and compilations of secondary data. The current PSS structure is a result of Republic Act (RA) 10625, also called the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013, which envisions the PSS to be more responsive to requirements for national development planning. In the wake of the many disruptions from various technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the concomitant digitization and data revolution, this study looks into how the PSS fares in the production and communication of (official) statistics required for development planning. It also examines how governance and other issues, such as open data and confidentiality, influence various dimensions of data quality (relevance, accuracy, timeliness, accessibility, interpretability, and coherence), as well as trust in data, the data ecosystem and the enabling environment of the PSS. The report points out that RA 10625 defined an inter-agency PSA Board rather than an expert committee as the country's Statistics Policy Council, as was recommended by the Valdepeñas Committee. This effectively eliminated a mechanism for external review of the PSA and the PSS. The conversion of Technical Committees into Inter-Agency Committees further weakened outside expert input to PSA and the PSS. Agriculture and industry statistics remain very weak with PSA still relying on faulty procedures carried out by the former Bureau of Agricultural Statistics. Industry statistics weaknesses have been with the former National Statistics Office (NSO) from the beginning on account of defective sampling frames that do not readily track and deaths of firms. [.]

The reduction of poverty is at the heart of the development agenda both nationally and globally. This is reflected in the Philippine Development Plan, as well as in the worldwide commitment toward the Sustainable Development Goals. While the measurement of poverty is ex post and thus, public interventions are directed at helping those who have been identified as poor, the government must broaden the scope of assessments and take account of the dynamics in poverty in public policy. A critical dimension to poverty dynamics is vulnerability which conceptually pertains to the risk of future poverty. This study continued previous work that involves estimating the vulnerability level of households to income poverty using a modified probit model incorporating income and other poverty data sourced from the Family Income and Expenditure Survey, as well as the country's official poverty lines. The vulnerability assessment in this study provides inputs to forward-looking interventions that build the resilience of households to future poverty. The study makes a case for the need to make use of both poverty and vulnerability estimates in programs and come up with differentiated actions for those highly vulnerable and relatively vulnerable.

The Philippines has put a lot of importance to the basic education sector. The immediate past government provided more resources to the sector, in support of the Philippine Development Plan as well as to attain commitments to global goals, including the Millennium Development Goals and its successor, the Sustainable Development Goals (which include SDG4 to achieve quality education for all). In this paper, various education indicators sourced from administrative reporting systems of the Department of Education, as well as sample surveys conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, are examined for monitoring and evaluation of the basic education sector. Further, these data sources on education statistics are scrutinized for describing persisting disparities among various groups (e.g., boys versus girls, poor and nonpoor, urban and rural population), and for probing into why some children continue to be out of school. Measurement issues and policy implications are also discussed.

While the Philippines has had a new economic growth trajectory in recent years, the country has had little progress in reducing poverty and in making growth more inclusive. This paper examines trends in macroeconomic statistics, and the progress government has had in its Philippine Development Plan and in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It discusses the need to address the lack of political inclusion. It also looks into income distribution and income inequality; and proposes a definition of the middle-income class, laying down seven income classes based on the national poverty lines. It also profiles the middle-income class vis-a-vis other income classes given the potential of the middle-income class to sustain economic growth. It argues that government need not only focus its attention to the poor, but also strengthen the middle class toward improving opportunities and reducing inequalities.

Since 2011, the government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), has implemented the Social Pension (SocPen) Program which gives a noncontributory monthly pension of PHP 500 to qualified seniors, i.e., indigent Filipinos aged 60 and above. Initially, the DSWD had sought to provide assistance to 1.2 million indigent senior citizens identified by the Listahanan, on a PHP 8.71 billion budget allocation. Insufficient funds had prompted the department to realistically target only 138,960 seniors at program inception, though the actual served were 140,576 senior citizens with an actual budget of PHP 843.5million. Budget allocation for the SocPen has increased exponentially since program inception to over PHP 23.4 billion in 2021. With this 2,540 percent jump of a budget in a span of 10 years, the 2021 physical target has also increased to 3,835,066 senior citizens, a 2,634 percent increase. The 2020 physical target for SocPen is nearly two-fifths (37.8%) of senior citizens. This study describes the SocPen's design and current implementation processes, especially in the wake of Covid-19, and attempts to increase the financial assistance and coverage of beneficiaries. The examination will also look into the recent experience of DSWD with the Social Amelioration program, which included cash transfers for SocPen beneficiaries and other vulnerable populations. While overall the program is well-intentioned and is welcomed by seniors, and the SocPen has undergone some changes in response to criticisms of several external evaluations, implementation deficits persist. These need to be addressed, especially as the SocPen is currently one of the largest social protection programs of the government, and has the potential to significantly impact the lives of elderly indigent beneficiaries.

Using a purposive online and paper-based survey and focus group discussions with select target groups, this study makes inferences about the level of awareness of the Filipino people on ASEAN; their perceived problems confronting the Philippines and ASEAN; and their aspirations, concerns, and hopes for the association. It reveals moderate familiarity about ASEAN, as well as modest identification as ASEAN citizens, which improves with age and experience. There is also a general sentiment that Philippine membership in the association is beneficial for the country, albeit only moderate as well. Media coverage on ASEAN is also perceived to be inadequate. The study validates the most immediate concerns being faced by the Philippines today, notably affordable internet connection, poverty, corruption, agriculture and food security, and energy provision and price. Most pressing regional-level concerns are climate change and natural disasters, territorial/maritime disputes, trade and investment issues, agriculture and food security, and income disparity and social inequality. These reflect the priorities that ASEAN leaders should focus on in the immediate future to remain relevant and responsive to the needs of ASEAN peoples. Aspirations are high for ASEAN to realize its integration agenda and to play an active role in global negotiations and forums and for its member-states to achieve inclusive economic prosperity. How to realize these aspirations rests in part on the ability of its member-states to work harmoniously with one another and contribute actively toward the realization of the ASEAN Community Vision. For its part, ASEAN has to provide a strong leadership role in integrating its member-states, which individually are also confronted by a host of problems. As ASEAN's coordinating body, its Secretariat needs to strengthen its capability so it can provide more effective technical support to the association in meeting its goals and aspirations.

Research and development (R and D) activities have long been recognized as one of the critical components to improve a country's productivity and competitiveness as well as people's well-being. Notable advancements in agriculture (to develop new variety of crops), health (to improve nutrition and combat various diseases), industry (to develop new products and services), as well as in climate change adaptation and mitigation are products of R and D. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), chiefly through sectoral councils and R and D performers, has been successfully undertaking or supporting a considerable share of R and D activities in the country while noting limited resources available. However, there is a need to improve the thrust for R and D, which may require the conduct of an R and D summit to finalize the scope of the government's R and D medium- and long-term agenda. The DOST also needs to reexamine the distribution of grant-in-aid funds to R and D institutes and identify breakdowns of R and D funding for basic research, applied research, and development. The DOST may need to pilot test scientific methods, such as Analytic Hierarchy Processes, for selection of R and D proposals for funding by its sectoral councils.

The global goal to attain gender equality, including ending all forms of discrimination against women and girls, and ensuring their safety, is central to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Its attainment means that every person, regardless of sex, is empowered to reach their full potential. This entails having both men and women given equal opportunities to education, paid employment, and real decisionmaking power whether in private or public sectors. This paper discusses how the country fares in several gender-related indicators that can be used to monitor progress toward gender equality and women empowerment. It provides an overview of the current situation in areas such as equality of human capabilities, equality of economic opportunity, equality in political voice and leadership, and the safety of women and girls. The paper also identifies priorities for public policy while seeking new directions in addressing several transformational issues to attain gender equality and women empowerment in the country.

From 2012 to 2015, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) released a full report, two discussion papers, and two policy notes on Out of School Children (OOSC) in the Philippines. These PIDS papers examined the magnitude of the problem, comparative trends across subgroups of location, sex, and income group of their families, as well as the various possible causes of OOSC. The OOSC statistics from this PIDS-led country study came from national surveys in earlier years, largely the waves of the Annual Poverty Indicator Surveys from 2008 to 2013, as well as from administrative data from the Department of Education, chiefly the 2008-2014 Basic Education Information System. The current study aims to: obtain estimates of out of school (both in magnitude and rates) ; profile OOSC and their families, as well as provide a discussion of the reasons why these children are out of school, and what makes children at risk of dropping out of school; and, discuss and recommend policies to reduce OOSC in the country. The OOSC estimates were generated before the full roll-out of K-12 program that mandates kindergarten, as well as adds two extra years (of senior high school) in basic education. In this context, this current study updates information about OOSC from household surveys and DepED administrative data, partly to assess the degree to which the government has been able to close gaps in education access and completion while at the same time extending its mandate through the K-12 Law. In order to gain a full picture of the problems faced by current OOSC, results of unstructured interviews with parents, school educators, and administrators are also discussed. [.]

In this paper, results of the 2009 Survey of Innovation Activities are described and discussed. The term innovation, traditionally associated with research and development, has evolved to mean the implementation of new or significantly improved goods and services, production process, marketing, or organizational methods in a firm. Innovation data gathered in the survey help better understand innovation and its relation to economic growth, and provide indicators for benchmarking national performance. Results of the survey suggest that more than half of sampled firms are innovators, with larger firms innovating more than smaller ones. Firms vary in innovation activity by study areas. Effects of innovation are largely customer-driven. Firms suggest cost factors to be the most important barrier to innovation. Government support is found to be limited, particularly for product innovations, to medium-sized firms. Knowledge and cooperation networks for innovation are rather weak. Firms do not access technical assistance from the government and research institutions. Cooperation is also low between the establishments and academe. Firms tend to cooperate more with establishments within their enterprise, their customers and suppliers. The results point to the need to articulate the innovation strategy to firms, and to improve information dissemination on programs available to assist firms. Networking, linkages, and collaboration among the government, industry associations, and universities and research institutions must be also be further enhanced.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) recognize the need to understand the link between disability and poverty. In fact this has become one of the key issues in the subject of poverty reduction in Asia and the Pacific. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) noted that persons with disability (PWD) often belong to the poorest segments of the population. To better understand the economic condition of PWDs, it is crucial that information about their economic activities and daily life is obtained. This information can serve as basis for the formulation of policies and intervention strategies for the government, other stakeholders, and the international community. In 2008, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies collaborated with the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE) in Japan, a semigovernmental research institute working for international cooperation between developing countries and Japan, to undertake a survey on PWDs in Metro Manila. The survey covered four Metro Manila cities, namely: Makati, Pasay, Valenzuela, and Quezon City. It was conducted in partnership with the Social Welfare Office of each of the cities and various PWD organizations. This report presents the results of this survey.

In 2012, the government established a Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) scheme to reward performance, align individual personnel and team-level efforts with agency-wide targets, and improve public service delivery in the Executive Department. The Department of Budget and Management, together with other oversight agencies and the Development Academy of the Philippines, manage the implementation of the PBB using the framework of the Results-Based Performance Management System. They deem it critical to study the effect of the PBB on government efforts to boost productivity and push reforms, as well as government employees' individual and team-level motivations and productivity, especially given the budgetary implications of the incentive scheme. Prior to this study, a process evaluation of the PBB was conducted to clarify whether and to what extent the PBB worked as planned. This follow-up study examines the possible impact of the PBB by employing mixed methods research drawing on primary and secondary data, undertaking not only a perception-based survey on effects of the PBB on over 1,200 respondents, but also seven focus group discussions with PBB focal points and members of the performance management teams of selected agencies, as well as representatives of oversight agencies. The findings suggest while the PBB has had some design issues and implementation challenges (e.g. changes in eligibility requirements across the years, gaming and dysfunctional behavior), the PBB is generally welcomed across the bureaucracy. Further, there is evidence that the PBB has contributed to boosting individual, team-level and agency-wide improvements in motivation and productivity. Results of the study suggest that PBB could be further re-designed to sharpen its effects on public sector reform.

For many years, the Boracay island in the province of Aklan has been a favorite tourist destination in the country. The increasing influx of both international and local tourists, coupled with the improper management of wastes and poor implementation of environmental policies and guidelines, has aggravated the island's environmental condition and sustainability. This year, the government has decided to close down the island to address these critical concerns. This study looks into the potential economic effects of this recent directive, which is intended to last for six months from May to October 2018. Using secondary data, the study employs an Input-Output and computable general equilibrium (CGE) model analyses. Three scenarios, which are based on different percentage reductions in the Philippine tourism receipts, are examined to look at the projected losses in total output and compensation, as well as its effects on specific economic sectors. Results show that the aggregate economic loss in total output would range from PHP20.8 billion to PHP83.15 billion, while in terms of income, the loss in compensation would range from PHP 7 billion to PHP 27.9 billion. Tourism sectors would be most affected, as well as agriculture and services, albeit slightly. Overall, while the results may not be very significant at the national level, it will still have its direct and indirect effects to people living in the island and in the entire municipality of Malay. The study recommends the need to craft strategic and harmonized overall plan which lays out the various government efforts to safeguard the welfare of those who will be severely affected by the sudden closure of Boracay.