archipelagic

Post-trip thoughts

2010-03-08T07:26:00.001-08:00

Matt, Serena and I (Aileen) are sitting at our friend's apartment in Manila having a few last San Miguels and some vodka and mango juice.

Earlier this evening, we saw my friends reading our blog; it was a strange experience peering at them peering into how we were peering into their lives. Does that make sense?? If not, blame it on the San Miguels.

Check out today's headline on the Inquirer. Joey Salceda was cited as GMA's top adviser proclaiming to the country that while GDP had grown, the rich-poor income gap has widened. Didn't we have a discussion just like that only a few days ago?

A screenshot of the article is posted here.

Back home

2010-03-08T02:39:00.001-08:00

IEDP 2010 has returned to the U.S.! Before we launch into a couple of post-game blogs, let us thank you again for your interest and support.

Now, then, here are a few photos from last week that didn't make it up in real time:

Monday morning: Eric Isham and Laura Rosen confer before a talk at the Asia Foundation:

Thursday morning: Legaspi goes to work

Friday afternoon: Donsol scenes

Saturday morning: Mount Mayon as seen from Legaspi Airport

Saturday afternoon: Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

Interviews complete!

2010-03-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

Our whirlwind tour of Manila is done, and the students are now enjoying some well-deserved rest after four days of intense work. I was impressed with how diligently everyone had prepared for their interviews. Every policy team knew its stuff, and each one had great questions.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't express gratitude to everyone here in the Philippines who set aside their valuable time to meet with us. We met with so many people who have major responsibilities, and they welcomed us into their offices and took our questions seriously.

I'll write another longer, blog entry later with some more details and observatons about our meetings, but I'll sign off this one by posting a photo from last Sunday that I've been meaning to put up:

That's Alan Deardorff, our favorite trade economist in the world and one of the two faculty members on the trip.

Out of Manila.

2010-03-04T00:05:00.000-08:00

After four days of being based in Manila, we're off to explore another part of the country. We left for Albay, a province south of Manila, in the Bicol Region early this morning by plane. This entry is coming to you live from Sorsogon City, where we're looking into a project on remittances run by Dean Yang, a Ford School professor. It is absolutely gorgeous here. Expect pictures of the majestic Mayong volcano soon.

Tomorrow: swimming with sharks. Literally.

DAY 3: GOVERNOR SALCEDA. Watch out, California

2010-03-03T05:28:00.000-08:00

Day 2: An Urban Policy Perspective

2010-03-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

Today, several of us (namely the Urban Policy Team, Cree, Kasia, and Tony) got to visit Baseco, which is the largest squatter settlement area of Manila in the Tondo area. We were guided by the local government district (also known as barangays) police members to visit the slum communities. We split into 2 groups and were able to interview residents with the help of Cree and Marco's excellent Tagalog skills.

This was by far the most special moment of the week for me personally because it reminded me of why I wanted to join IEDP and work in the field of development in the first place: to address poverty ramifications in real lives. Visiting Baseco was an integral part of the Urban Policy Team's research and understanding of slums, housing inequality, and the informal sector because we finally got to hear what the community members' experiences are and what areas they seek improvement in.

After Baseco, we visited Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga, an NGO dedicated to improving the lives of the poorest of the poor. After Tony, we met with the National Housing Authority (NHA), which administers the Community Mortgage Program (CMP), which is our government program of interest for our policy paper.

Meeting the slum community members, an NGO leader, and the government agency workers was truly a comprehensive and enlightening experience. The different aspects, concerns, and attempts in addressing the issue of poverty and housing inequality were highlighted. Rather than seek a single policy or program to rely on as the "cure-all" to this issue, the team was reminded of the complexities of this field, and how different pieces and sectors must work to make the most of limited resources.

Unfortunately I do not have the means nor time to post photos... but they will be posted soon!

IEDP Interviews: Day One

2010-03-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

One of the joys of IEDP is engaging with a variety of policy leaders and officials to gain further perspective on our research. Given that my understanding of the Philippine election process is pretty limited, I sometimes lose sight of how important some of these leaders are!

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to meet with the Honorable Rene V. Sarmiento, one of the Commissioners of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC); he provided some updates on the all-electronic voting process the country will undertake in the June elections.

After our meeting, I asked my colleague Tim, a former Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, to offer up a comparison of an official in the United States that would have the same level of influence as Mr. Sarmiento. His response? "We basically just met someone who's essentially a Supreme Court judge when it comes to defining the election outcome."

Wow.

So, as you can imagine, our knowledge of this country grows by the moment -- but we're not stopping now. Off to another day of interviews!

Tagaytay and Mount Taal

2010-02-28T06:21:00.000-08:00

All of us are safely here now!

Before we plunge into our interviews with policy-makers this week, we took a little time today to recover from the flight (nearly 20 hours in the air) and take in some fresh air and sunshine in Tagaytay.

Manila!

2010-02-27T09:44:00.000-08:00

Most of us have landed on Manila tonight!
(Some missed the flight and will be joining us in 3hrs.)
We didn't have time to go around the town today.
But tomorrow is Sunday, and we will visit Tagaytay to see volcanoes.

A Note Before We Depart to PH

2010-02-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

Dear friends and faithful readers,

Tomorrow morning, we finally depart for our trip to the Philippines. !!! After weeks of researching, presenting, and sharing; months of planning and contacting stakeholders; and 10 years of IEDPs before us, we embark on the penultimate stage of our program (our ultimate stage will be presenting our findings to the university community).

We are truly grateful to our many supporters. Financially, we raised enough funds to fully support our program from generous donors by the end of last week. Academically, numerous professors and experts have spoken to us. The likes of Sharon Maccini, Dean Yang, Linda Lim, and Mrs. Weller have enlightened us with their research and knowledge. Our faculty adviser, Tony Chen, has extensively researched various theories and issues of development, encouraging us to examine the broader picture amidst policy team presentations that focused on a specific policy area.

While by no means we consider ourselves to be experts on development in the Philippines, this semester has taught us about the complexities of development, the specificities particular to the Philippines, and the varieties of approaches in policy-making in the areas of economics (FDI, Migration & Remittances), health, human rights, governance, and urban policy.

There is still much more to learn, and what better way than to meet with actual policymakers and stakeholders in the Philippines? As we hear from a wide array of perspectives, including those from the government, civil society, and the private sector, we will continue to blog so that we can share our learnings and experiences there.

Some examples of the stakeholders we will be meeting with include the National Housing Authority (NHA), the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the US Embassy, Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), and many more.

We hope you continue to support us through reading this blog. Your support has been invaluable, and we want to share our experiences in the Philippines with you!

Sincerely,

Kristine Chong

IEDP Chair

Businesses Are More Confident in Q1 2010

2010-02-25T12:29:00.000-08:00

Today, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas announced an uptick in business confidence. According to the business confidence index, business sentiment became more optimistic in the first quarter of 2010, “rising sharply to 39.1 percent” (1). Second quarter 2010 business confidence index stands even higher, at 52.6 percent. (“The confidence index is computed as the percentage of firms that answered in the affirmative less the percentage of firms that answered in the negative with respect to their views on a given indicator” (1).)

Another Sensational Campaign Ad: Lito Lapid for Senator (!)

2010-02-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

(posted on behalf of Aileen):

As an addendum to all the sensational campaign ads we saw on Tuesday, here’s probably the most sensational yet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29SNQCvixig

1887 - 2010

2010-02-24T15:03:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we learned that a University of Michigan professor was responsible for the US's colonization of the Philippines. He wanted to learn more about the flora and fauna in Palawan and other rural so he lobbied to keep the Philippines under American rule. And for that, our independence!

The first U of M students to visit the Philippines in 1887. A hundred twenty three years later, we'll be sporting visors and sun-block instead of rifles.

(Posted on behalf of Aileen Payumo)

FSPP and PH's Historical Relationship

2010-02-23T15:48:00.000-08:00

The IEDP is not the first connection between the Ford School of Public Policy and the Philippines. Besides a rich history of over 100 years between the University of Michigan and the Philippines, the Institute of Public Administration (the Ford School's former name), helped create an Institute of Public Administration at the University of the Philippines in 1952. See more fascinating details here.

Thank you for your support!

2010-02-21T16:26:00.000-08:00

We got some great news this past week -- due to the generous support of our donors, including the Ford School of Public Policy, our entire 27-student-and-faculty team will be traveling to the Philippines with minimal expense.

Thank you all for your consideration and supportive giving -- and for continuing IEDP's long-standing tradition of providing an exceptional learning opportunity for its participants without incurring any financial hardship. It is our hope we make the most of this learning experience, and we greatly appreciate your help in doing so!

PH Election Campaign Kicks-Off

2010-02-19T09:46:00.000-08:00

Along the lines of the prior post, here's an intriguing blog article the 2010 elections campaign kick-off, titled "Philippine Election Campaign Starts; Entertainment Industry Threatened."

Great article on the intersection of politics, media, and celebrities.

Philippine Elections Featured in The Economist

2010-02-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

One of our very favorite trade economists in the whole world, Alan Deardorff, passes along this article from The Economist with a title that almost says it all about what the magazine thinks of the upcoming election: "Uncrowning Gloria."

And the article comes just in time for the governance team's presentation next week. It's a great read, it's really short, and it comes highly recommended.

Thanks for the heads-up, Alan!

December Remittance Data Released

2010-02-18T14:54:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas announced December 2009 remittance data, calling cumulative remittances from overseas Filipinos “stronger-than-expected in 2009, growing year-on-year by 5.6 percent to US$17.3 billion”(1). According to the bank, December remittances grew by 11.4 percent and amounted to US$1.6 billion. This brings the total for the year to 10.8 percent of GNP.

Thank you to our supporters

2010-02-16T22:40:00.000-08:00

Thank you very much to everyone who has supported our trip financially through this blog!

So far, we have received $665 from 11 donors.

We appreciate everything that everyone has done to support us -- not just our generous donors, but also the guest lecturers who have come to tell us about their research, all of the people who have come to our FUNdraisers, and certainly all of the visitors to the blog!

Buhay Ng Gangsta

2010-02-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

Is it a romantic conceit of the chattering classes to believe that rap is a transnational language of political and social resistance for young men living in the world's toughest and most impoverished neighborhoods? Or is it true?

Whatever you might believe, it's hard to deny that rap is big in the Tondo district, a poor area of northwest Manila. Yesterday, we talked about life in the Baseco Compound, one of several neighborhoods in Tondo. This story, filed by a correspondent for AlJazeera English, gives us a brief glimpse at a community of gangsters-turned-rappers based in Tondo.

According to this article in the New York Times, the gangs of Tondo are the subject of Tribu, a prize-winning movie that is continuing to garner widespread acclaim and attention. Written and directed by Jim Libiran, a television journalist who himself grew up in Tondo, Tribu won the best picture award at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival in 2007. The film tells the story of a 10-year-told boy living in a neighborhood caught up in the deadly cross-fire of a gang war.

TRIBU the Filipino Gang movie

MS 13 LA Mara Salvatrucha X3 PHILIPPINES | MySpace Video

This article from Philstar.com reveals that some of the film's stars have gone on to record and produce their own rap songs. OG Sacred, who plays a gang leader in Tribu, is the main force behind up-and-coming rap group Sigaw ng Tundo, whose tuneful and catchy track "Buhay ng Gangsta" is a smash hit on YouTube.

The group has their own web site here.

Smokey Mountain—the singing group

2010-02-16T20:44:00.000-08:00

The Urban Policy Team and Professor Tony reminded me of a singing group I adored when I was a kid called Smokey Mountain named after the mountain of trash you saw in pictures this evening. Many of their songs talk about salient Filipino experiences, some of which we talked about in class. Beware of the extreme sappiness of the music, but then again, that too is vital part of the Philippine experience.

Smokey Mountain Roster of Songs:
Mama (About a girl missing her mom who’s working as an OFW abroad): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vc2ndP1JCY

Paraiso (Literally translated Paradise, it’s about what it’s like to live in Smokey Mountain): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCC2GNtBwzE&feature=related

Da Coconut Nut (There’ll be lots of these in the motherland. Be careful you don’t get hit in the head with one of them or you might sound as silly as they do in this song!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x9VdGiQYzM

A Better World (Perhaps the sappiest of all the songs, but isn’t this why we’re taking a class such as this, to help make a better world? Special treat: This version is of a reunion the group did many years later.):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiRZbfSpiLs&feature=related

(posted on behalf of Aileen Payumo)

Is ICT the future of high growth FDI?

2010-02-15T15:12:00.000-08:00

Class discussion more than once has converged around the topic of tech-sector growth, since it is both lightweight on the investment side, and an area that the Philippines might have a comparative advantage (//via education + English). Attempting to investigate the possibility for continued FDI growth in the ICT (information and communication technology) sector, I discovered that EIU keeps track of some interesting and relevant indicators. I pulled all the available data for the Philippines, formatting the green (% growth pa) series on the right Y axis. Though prima facie it seems that the mind-boggling growth has already come and gone in the 1990s, it is worth noting that (1) an upward-leaning trend seems to begin at the 2005 trough & (2) 6-7% pa business growth is actually remarkable!

Lastly, I located an interesting report (FDI people READ THIS!) from the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), which in 2007 set the "aspirational" goal of 10% ICT market share stake by 2010. Well, its 2010, and I can't find ICT market share data. I'll continue to look. If you keep it under your pillow, please fax it over.

KRISTINE CHONG (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Urban policy – slum development and land reform

Yr/Program: 2^nd year MPP

Area of focus/concentration: human rights, international development

Home State/Country: little hills (Cerritos), CA

Interests: cafes, communities, ideas, stories, typography, theology

What excites me most about PH: reuniting with PH friends; exploring with UM friends; learning more about the complexities and possibilities of development in PH

Will you try balut in PH? once was enough… but this time around, I will if the vegetarians do.

Shout-out: currently lobbying for Team IEDP shirts… suggestions/design submissions welcome. =)

Journalists Killed in 2009

2010-02-13T23:40:00.000-08:00

According to CPJ, 71 journalists were killed in 2009, and 33 were dead in the Philippines. This number is unusually high because of the Maguindanao massacre in November. (Even without counting the Maguindanao massacre, more than 100 journalists were killed from 1986 to 2009 in the Philippines.) During the President's election, violent incidents were common in this country. But the gun ban and other security measures should prevent further crime related to the coming election.

Salmat Opens New Office in McKinley Hill Cyberpark

2010-02-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

According to a report in the Manila Bulletin, Salmat, a publicly owned Australian business services firm, has opened a new facility in which to base its business process outsourcing (BPO) operations.

The new facility is located in a high-tech business district called McKinley Hill Cyberpark. Other firms with operations there include Hewlett-Packard, Accenture, Safeway, and Western Union. Recently, McKinley Hill Cyberpark was officially proclaimed an Information Technology (IT) Park by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

In 2007, McKinley Hill Cyberpark was certified an ecozone by the Philippines Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). Companies locating there may enjoy a bevy of economic benefits, including "income tax holidays of up to eight years (and thereafter, payment of 5% tax on gross income in lieu of all national and local taxes and licenses), exemption from duties and taxes on capital equipment, permanent residence status for foreign investors, employment of foreign nationals, and the remittance of earnings from investments – the last of which applies to majority or wholly foreign-owned BPO firms – among others."

The cyberpark is part of McKinley Hill, a mixed-use township developed by the Megaworld Corporation, a publicly listed, Philippines-based company. Megaworld is a pioneer of the "live-work-play" model of development that has proven immensely appealing to the growing Filipino middle class. Megaworld is controlled by "taipan" Andrew Tan, who was ranked by Forbes Asia in 2008 as the fourth-richest man in the country. Tan's holding company, Alliance Global Group, owns a controlling stake of Megaworld.

McKinley Hill is located just south of Bonifacio Global City in the southeastern area of metro Manila.

Developments of this sort may help contribute to economic growth, but can they also help to reduce poverty?

AILEEN PAYUMO (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Governance

Yr/Program: MBA 2010

Area of focus/concentration: marketing, the intersection of business and social change, Philippine economic development

Home State/Country: The Philippines, baby

Interests: Beaches, island living, volunteer tourism, all types of food (though I am taking a hiatus from lots of it due to allergies, OUCH)

What excites me most about PH: Family, friends, my people, introducing newbies to the Philippines, whale sharks (!), Pinoy food: Pancit, kare kare, daing na bangus, lechon, the best mangoes you'll ever try, lanzones, chicos...

Will you try balut in PH? If you mean retry it for the nth time, yes. Though I have to admit, after living in the US for 10 years, my palate has become tame, and I am now a little squeamish about it. I no longer eat the (crispy and feathered) whole chick. The yolk and the broth, however, are to die for. Sipping the broth directly from the egg is literally sipping the nectar of life.

Shout-out: Welcome home!!!

MARK O'CONNOR (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-12T12:14:00.001-08:00

IEDP Policy Team: Health

Yr/ Program: 3rd Year; MHSA/MPP

Area of Focus/Concentration: International Health Management

Home State/Country: Yellow Brick Road, USA

Interests: traveling, cooking, guitar, playing football, and reading anything Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote

What Excites Me Most about PH: The sites, sounds, and debauchery that will surely accompany a group of 24 graduate students half-way around the world!

Will You Try Balut in PH: Hell Yeah - and I'll wash it down with some San Miguel

EU supporting anti-extrajudicial killing initiative.

2010-02-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

Extrajudicial killings - that is, executions performed by the police or military without the benefit of a trial - are a huge problem in the Philippines. The issue garnered a lot of attention last November when 52 people were killed in a single massacre. 32 of the victims were journalists. The rest were members of a politically important family; the perpetrators were apparently members of a rival family, and it has been alleged that the weapons were provided by the military.

Now, in an effort to promote real justice and free speech, the European Union is contributing €3.9 million to combat extrajudicial killings.

Read the whole article.

PAUL HELLER (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Urban Policy

Yr/Program: 2nd Year Master of Urban Planning

Area of focus/concentration: Planning in Developing Countries, Housing, South Asia

Home State/Country: Illinois, US of A

Interests: Playing the guitar, watching the Blackhawks beat up on the Wings, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and speaking Hindi poorly.

What excites me most about PH: Eatin' Balut

Will you try balut in PH? See previous response.

YANN TOULLEC (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-11T20:26:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Economic 1 - FDI

Yr/Program: 1^st year MPP

Area of focus/concentration: International Finance / International Development

Home State/Country: Paris, France

Interests: Coffee, finance, theater, politics and punk rock. More generally, finding evidence that American clichés are true (deep-fried mac’n cheeseburger pizzas exist).

What excites me most about PH: Having a first field experience of development, understanding the challenges faced by policymakers and professionals working in development economics, trying balut.

Will you try balut in PH? I eat frogs, snails & goose livers à I’ll try balut.

SERENA VILLALBA (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-11T20:23:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Urban Policy

Yr/Program: 1st Year MPP

Area of focus/concentration: social welfare policy, urban issues, social justice

Home State/Country: California

Interests: Watching strange foreign films, dancing, playing sports, eating good food, reading, people watching, soaking up the sun anywhere I can

What excites me most about PH: The food... mmmmm, the warm weather, learning Filipino, visiting my grandfather's country, returning to one of the motherlands

Will you try balut in PH? Oh definitely.

DINA DE VEER (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Urban Policy

Yr/Program: 1st year MPP

Area of focus/concentration: International Development, Human Rights, Public Health, and Microfinance

Home State/Country: California

Interests: traveling, photography, languages, movies, playing and watching sports, and the outdoors (preferably when its above 50 degrees)

What excites me most about PH: Visiting Southeast Asia for the first time, and gaining an in depth understanding of some of the major issues related to economic development in the Philippines, particularly slums and squatter settlements in Manila.

Will you try balut in PH? Nope, I'm vegetarian.

EGAN REICH (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-11T15:38:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Human Rights

Yr/Program: 2nd Year MPP

Area of focus/concentration: Human rights, culture, international political decision-making

Home State/Country: Illinois

Interests: Theatre and film, mountains, reading about and visiting sites of urban planning, professional baseball and football, anything involving queso, margaritas.

What excites me most about PH: Face-to-face interaction with professionals who are at the forefront of development policy. The opportunity to conduct a meaningful human rights analysis.

Will you try balut in PH? Not a chance.

Philippines To Sell Samurai Bonds

2010-02-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

Bloomberg reports that the Philippines is planning to sell $1.1 billion in 10-year Samurai bonds (i.e., yen-denominated bonds issued by non-Japanese institutions).

The government may be able to pay a very good rate of 2.24 to 2.34 percent for the bonds. Last July, Indonesia paid 2.73 percent on a comparable issuance. The yield over Japanese government bonds has grown since last summer, and some observers believe that demand is rising for emerging market debt.

Also, a portion of the issuance is reportedly guaranteed by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

The sale will comprise a substantial portion of the $2.5 billion that the government hopes to raise overseas in order to to finance a budget deficit that is expected to come in around $6.3 billion. It raised $1.5 billion in 10- and 25-year, dollar-denominated notes last month.

KASIA MARIA LANGER (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Governance

Yr/Program: 2^nd Yr MPP / MA in Russian & East European Studies

Area of focus/concentration: I’ve recently come to the revelation that all of my main substantive interests are connected by the concept of human rights (political and civil as well as economic, social, and cultural rights). More specifically, the human rights issues that I focus on tend to be international development, education, and democratization. My thesis topic—Roma education in Eastern Europe—tries to pull a lot of these concepts together. Additionally, I have been trying to build upon my quantitative analysis skills while at the Ford School.

Home State/Country: California

Interests: traveling/exploring, finding out how amazing the world/people can be, volunteering, and leaving the world a little better than when I found it

What excites me most about PH: Even though I’ve had an international focus in my studies since my first year as an undergraduate at Berkeley, I’ve never really studied South-East Asia in any depth. It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to learn so much about the Philippines, add a new stamp to my passport, and—best of all—pick the brains of important local stakeholders. The sight-seeing doesn’t hurt, either. J

Will you try balut in PH? Nope—I’ve been a vegetarian for many years now, and while I’m technically a lacto-ovo vegetarian, balut seems to cross the line. Generally, I rarely eat eggs anyway, even when they aren’t fertilized. I’d love to try any other veggie-friendly, nut-free food while we’re in the Philippines, though my impression of the cuisine is that vegetarianism isn’t exactly widespread…

LAURA ROSEN (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-11T10:49:00.001-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Microeconomic Policy: Remittances & Migration

Yr/Program: 2^nd year MPP

Area of focus/concentration: Economic development & international development policy

Home State/Country: Texas

Interests: Traveling, yoga, cooking, hiking

What excites me most about PH: Studying remittances & migration + warm weather over Spring break!

Will you try balut in PH? No, I’m nearly a vegetarianJ

STEPHANIE PROCYK (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Human Rights

Yr/Program: 2^nd year, MPP

Area of focus/concentration: Urban policy, Poverty policy

Home State/Country: Illinois, USA

Interests: reading, collecting records, running, travelling, watching films, cooking

What excites me most about PH: the opportunity to learn from policymakers in the field, delicious food, warm weather, new landscapes

Will you try balut in PH? No way, no how.

CHARLOTTE MACK (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-11T07:33:00.001-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Economic Policy #2 - migration and remittances

Yr/Program: MPP/MS 2010

Area of focus/concentration: Climate Change Policy and International Development

Home State/Country: Rhode Island - AKA - Little Rhody or Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

Interests: nothing says it better than my FB profile "the mountains, traveling, being a dorky grad student, the fall, amigos near and far, darts, hiking, Planet Earth (the movies), local beer, snowboarding, laughing, RI beaches, snow shoeing, beautiful vistas, NYC and being goofy"

What excites me most about PH: Wow - pretty much everything....but in particular being able to witness the cultural contrasts between the urban and rural areas. Also, I can't wait to experience the natural environment of the Philippines, because of its location it is a biological "hot spot" , meaning it has some of the most diverse flora and fauna on the planet! Can you say....WHALE SHARKS!!!!

Will you try balut in PH? I almost threw up when I google searched it - Cree is my witness - so NO!

JESSICA LUPO (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-11T07:31:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Economic Policy: Remittances

Yr/Program: 2^nd Year/MPP

Area of focus/concentration: International Economic Development

Home State/Country: New Jersey/USA

Interests: Travel, travel and more travel, trying to get through all the unread books on my bookshelf, watching movies, listening to and playing music, languages.

What excites me most about PH: My studies have focused on Latin America and India, so I am really enjoying learning about the Philippines and its development. I am thrilled to be studying remittances and migration. It’s a fascinating topic! I’m also psyched to experience a new country and to overcome my fear of karaoke!! I’m practicing singing as we speak...Bon Jovi anyone?

Will you try balut in PH? Have I ever turned down food?

ASHISH GUPTA (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-11T07:24:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Health

Yr/Program: MBA 2010

Area of focus/concentration: Social entrepreneurship

Home State/Country: India/Illinois/Georgia/Australia/UAE/India – yah I don’t know

Interests: Travelling to new places, Anything outdoors/active, Service (Volunteering)

What excites me most about PH: Learning about maternal health, thinking of how the lessons here could apply to India

Will you try balut in PH? I’m up for trying anything once, but (un?)fortunately I’m vegetarian

An Honest Politician?

2010-02-09T23:32:00.000-08:00

Presidential nominee Senator Manuel "Manny" Villar said he could not promise to refrain from imposing new taxes once elected, according to ABS-CBN news.

"I cannot make a promise of no new taxes because the new administration will inherit an empty coffer," Manny told the Makati Business Club (MBC).

Instead, Manny vowed to raise government revenues and spend wisely, which he admitted would not be easy.

Manny's statements differ from his rival, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aqunio Jr. III, who is opposed to new or increasing taxes. Noynoy believes the government can boost its revenues through curbing and punishing tax evasion and smuggling.

JUSTIN MARSICO (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-09T23:26:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: ECONOMICS #1 !!! (Foreign Direct Investment)

Yr/Program: MPP 2010

Area of focus/concentration: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Home State/Country: MICHIGAN

Interests: laughing at lacan, endogenous growth models, cooking with fancy spices, chalkboard paint

What excites me most about PH: "MY WAY" in unison

Will you try balut in PH? TBD

SONI SHETH (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-09T23:14:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Health

Yr/Progam: MPH Candidate in 2011

Area of focus/concentration: Health Management and Policy, International Health, Science, Technology and Public Policy

Home State/Country: MI Interests: Photography, travelling, reading great books, teaching and learning all kinds of dance and sitting around a fireplace w/ family and friends

What excites me most about PH: The opportunity to learn about a culture and environment that reminds me a great deal of my own, Indian, and one that I’ve studied for a long time. And the opportunity to try Halo-halo!!

Will you try balut in PH? Not unless I become non-vegetarian before going ☺

Shout-out: Mabuhay!! (translation: Long Live!) A Tagalog saying often used to mean live well and be happy!

To Karaoke or Not To Karaoke?

2010-02-09T18:16:00.000-08:00

By now, you've probably heard that if you want to sing Frank Sinatra's "My Way" at a karaoke bar in the Philippines, you could be taking your life in your hands. This was the number one article on the New York Times website yesterday, and still ranked among the top 10 stories as of the time of this post.

So, as we prepare for our trip to the Philippines, it might be beneficial for us to consider a few other songs in case we find ourselves somehow in front of that terrifying microphone.

1. Christmas in Our Hearts. Okay, so it's sort of sappy, but Jose Mari Chan is the best-selling Filipino artist of all time and, although he's probably invoked in far more karaoke bars than Frank Sinatra, his songs appear to be safe.

2. Anak. Freddie Aguilar's 1978 debut recording is the most commercially successful Filipino recording to date, mixing folk with rock music and leading to the prominence of Filipino folk-rock as the protest music of the 1980s. If you're worried that you won't be able to sing it in Tagalog, don't worry; it has been translated in to over 100 other languages.

3. Anything by The Eraserheads. This 1990s pop-rock group is sometimes considered to be the top recording group in the Philippines, and led the way for hard rock, heavy metal, and alternative music to reach Filipino radio.

4. The Black-Eyed Peas or N.E.R.D. Chad Hugo and Apl.de.ap, respectively, are cited among the most successful Filipino-Americans in the music industry (and you've always secretly wanted an excuse to sing "Boom Boom Pow").

5. If We Ever Meet Again. Timabaland and Katy Perry are number one on the charts this week - assuming they stay that way for the next month, this should be a safe karaoke bet.

Good luck, stay safe, and happy singing!

MATT SCHAAR (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-08T19:56:00.000-08:00

Name: Matt Schaar

IEDP Policy team: Economic Policy – FDI and investment

Yr/Program: dual MBA/MPP, 3rd year

Area of focus/concentration: International Policy, Corporate Strategy

Home State/Country: South Dakota

Interests: Outdoorseyness, Wii, Coldstone Creamery, Airline upgrades, and attending class.

What excites me most about PH: I’ve never had the opportunity to immerse myself in a country with a structure such as this. I think I’m most excited about seeing the faces of my classmates as we interact with some of its most prominent policymakers and relish the opportunity we have. A close second is the opportunity to see Profs. Deardorff and Chen do a Karaoke duet of Summer Lovin’.

Will you try balut in PH? ...once I figure out what it is, absolutely!

Shout-out: I couldn’t pick a more dedicated and awesome group of people with whom I get to share this experience. The places we’ll go long after the Philippines is something that I look very much forward to!

(P.S. Matt is our Treasurer Board member extraordinaire... meaning he leads us in budgeting/fundraising/and other $$ related matters!)

ERIC ISHAM (IEDP PARTICIPANT PROFILE)

2010-02-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Name: Eric Isham

IEDP Policy team: Economic Policy - Remittances

Yr/Program: 2^nd year, Master of Public Policy

Area of focus/concentration: Education and Social Welfare Policy, Politics

Home State/Country: Michigan

Interests: Spending time with my wife and two children, volunteering at Little Rainbows Preschool, mentoring an Aspire Scholar, and serving on the Leslie Board of Education

What excites me most about PH: Two aspects of the trip to the Philippines really excite me. First, learning first-hand how remittances affect local economies and tie to economic development. Second, having the opportunity to experience a new country and culture.

Will you try balut in PH? Probably not

Nurses Assigned in Rural Areas (NARS) program

2010-02-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday, in class, we discussed about remittance and migration. Since I am in the health team, I am writing about migrant nurse. The Philippines is one of the major suppliers of nurses to the international market, thousands of nurses emigrating every year. Since nursing seems an easy ticket to higher wage overseas jobs, many go to nursing courses. Now, unemployment of newly graduated nurses is growing concern in the country. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer(by Jerome Aning, 02/15/2009), more than 100,000 licensed nurses are unemployed, and most of these nurses cannot go abroad because they lack the two-year experience required by foreign hospitals. To address this issue and improve the health of rural areas, the government created the Nurses Assigned in Rural Areas (NARS) program in 2009, which hire unemployed nurses to work for rural clinics. However, it is criticized because the primary health care will not be the skills foreign hospitals looking for.

Will the May Elections Lie to Us?

2010-02-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

Presidential, local and legislative elections are scheduled in the Philippines for Monday, May 10th, 2010. In what ways does this fact affect the broad range of development issues being studied by the IEDP team in February and March? Will the political objectives of local organizations or individuals obscure any aspect of the material or social realities of development that we hope to observe? How do the impacts of an impending election differ in a developing country like the Philippines than they do in a developed Western democracy like the United States? How can we achieve a clear, impartial, value-added perspective on the development picture in the Philippines so close to a major election? Are potential corrections in our research that account for the effects of the elections appropriate? What would those corrections look like?

A cursory survey of the daily news in the Philippines reveals the pervasiveness of electoral concerns throughout the spectrum of topics we've identified as crucial to a comprehensive sense of development trends -- from issues of governance and transparency, to human rights, ethics reform, judiciary reform, and fiscal decision-making.

For example, a proposed bill to introduce freedom of information measures will "go back to square one" after the House failed to ratify it during its last session before recessing for the upcoming election. Some have alleged that the failure to ratify the bill resulted from political calculations originating in the presidential palace, asserting that the the "administration may be 'allergic' to a bill that promotes transparency in the affairs of the state." Here's the story.

On a completely unrelated but not irrelevant note:

There is clearly a dark side to the widespread economic and cultural incentivization of labor migration in the Philippines, as those of us investigating human trafficking (both sex- and labor-trafficking) are beginning to discover. Last night, Professor Dean Yang and the second Economic Policy team presented a rich overview of the economic impacts of this migration on the country. Nested inside all of the comparative charts and causal inferences presented are the individual stories of the migrants themselves. I think all of us recognize that. However, I don't think any of us -- as we listened to last night's presentations -- were imagining a migrant experience quite This. Freaking. Crazy.

Imagine this. A man distantly related to you, who you've evidently never met (since you clearly don't recognize him), poses as a federal official to put you in handcuffs and take you to what sounds like the door of an airplane to get you out of the country. Please follow the link above to the Huffington Post and read the story.

What?

REBECCA TOWNSEND (IEDP Participant Profile)

2010-02-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Economic 1 Foreign Direct Investment

Year/Program: 2nd Year Southeast Asian Studies MA

Area of focus/concentration: Southeast Asia

Home State/Country: Arizona

Interests: Travel, history, language, music, hockey

What excites me most about PH: Trying lechon, attempting to bargain in Filipino

Will you try balut in PH? Of course! It's delicious!

CREE JONES (IEDP Participant Profile)

2010-02-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

IEDP Policy team: Governance

Year/Program: JD/MPP Candidate 2013

Area of focus/concentration: Quantitative Policy, Development Economics, Human Rights

Home State/Country: Idaho

Interests: Reading good books, watching good movies, photography, traveling, and spending time with my wife.

What excites me most about PH: I spent two years in the Philippines as a church service volunteer from 2001 to 2003. This will be my first trip back. As a member of IEDP I have been able to build a comprehensive overview of why the Philippines runs the way it does and why the economics of the country are the way they are. Questions that I have carried with me for the last nine years are being answered, and I know I will learn even more once we arrive in Manila.

Will you try balut in PH? Nope.

KYLA WALL-POLIN (IEDP Participant Profile)

2010-02-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Today marks the start of introducing our IEDP class members! Composed of 25 interesting individuals, we hope that these profiles give you a more personal connection to the IEDP Program.

Our 1st profile is on Kyla Wall-Polin:

IEDP Policy Team: Human Rights

Year/Program: 2nd year/MPP

Area of focus/concentration: International Development

Home State/Country: California & Illinois

Interests: sleeping, knitting, languages, traveling, natural history

What excites me most about PH: seeing someplace new, having the opportunity to learn about a country and its development concerns in depth.

Will you try balut in PH? No, I'm a vegetarian.

Fourth quarter growth beats expectations !!

2010-01-31T15:15:00.000-08:00

The Wall Street Journal reported last Friday that the economy grew faster than expected in the fourth quarter, helping to buoy the net yearly effect of a downward revision in third quarter growth. The National Statistical Coordination Board announced Thursday that the economy had grown 0.8% in the fourth quarter, growth that was previously projected to fall between 0.6% and 1.6%. Though avoiding recession in 2009, the country produced only 0.9% growth, the slowest performance since the Asian crisis in 1998.

Though evidence of a recovery is certainly afoot, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has decided to hold policy rates steady until performance gains display more obvious traction. The BSP estimates inflation will fall between 4.5% to 5.4%, which is happily within its yearly target forcast of 3.5% to 5.5%. After the announcement Thursday, Socioeconomic Planning Chief Augusto Santo told reporters that "This year is a welcome start for all of us: the global rebound is underway, our economy has proven itself resilient, and elections will bring fresh mandates and new energy to our society. We are thus optimistic." __ The following slide is small and thus loses the nuance of such slight changes in the economic atmosphere. I include it nonetheless to visualize WB projections of a robust return to growth for 2010, followed by a slight flattening, perhaps to adjust for the expectations of policy rate changes by the BSP.

Mango

2010-01-30T22:38:00.000-08:00

A 3.5 kg (7.7lbs) mango, harvested in the Philippines, was confirmed as the heaviest mango in the world by the Guiness World Records, the Philippine Star reported today. They can produce not only the largest but the most delicious mangos, too. According to the Wikitravel, there are green, ripe and dried mangoes in the Philippines, and they are "among the best in the world."
I became a fun of this fruit after trips to tropical countries. Feb. and March are a little early for the season, but we can always try dried ones.

China and Southeast Asia

2010-01-29T19:54:00.000-08:00

An article a few days ago in The Financial Times discusses the contradictory feelings that have accompanied China's economic ascendancy in southeast Asia. Many countries in the region are grateful to China for drawing the attention of investors from around the world, and China's willingness to overlook human rights violations is also welcome. But ASEAN countries are running ever larger trade deficits with China, and countries like the Philippines are fearful that local companies will be strangled by competition from the mainland.

Language.

2010-01-29T11:11:00.000-08:00

It's an exciting day for IEDP 2010 - we're going to have a Filipino language class today! I'm a bit of a language nerd, so I'm looking forward to it, at any rate.

Filipino, or Tagalog, is the one of the two official languages of the Philippines - the other being English - but there are twelve other indigenous languages with over a million speakers, and there are about 150 more languages spoken in the country. (Filipino languages are part of the Austronesian language family, which includes pretty much all of the languages of the Pacific Islands, including Hawaiian.)

And if that weren't enough, Tagalog itself has several regional variants.

On the bright side, Filipino is at least written in the Latin alphabet, so we don't need to learn how to read and write all over again.

If you want to wish us luck in our linguistic pursuits, feel free - it turns out that the traditional Filipino phrase for "good luck" is..."good luck"! That, at least, will be easy to remember.

El Nino and Drought

2010-01-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center reported last Thursday that strong El Nino conditions exist in the Pacific and that these conditions are expected to persist through at least early spring 2010.(1)

According to the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) at Columbia University, El Nino cycles are linked to drought in the Philippines: “Droughts are not generally associated with the Philippines… but during El Nino cycles, much of the country experiences moderate-to-severe dry periods that can last for a season or more. For areas already water strapped, such periods can spell disaster for hundreds of thousands of households as well as individuals whose livelihoods depend on regular precipitation."(2) During an El Nino year, IRI notes, “the water inflows into the Angat reservoir are often significantly decreased [see picture], placing substantial duress on the domestic water supply and irrigation needs of farmers"--leading to tensions between urban dwellers and those who work outside the city limits.(2)

The Angat Reservoir, 2004

Over the weekend, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that, “The water level at Angat Dam over a week ago was already at 201 meters, down from the normal level of 210 meters. When the level reaches 150-155 meters, hardly any water can be delivered by May. At the rate Metro Manila consumes water daily—4 million cubic meters—by April-May, it may have a huge water crisis.”(3) Reynaldo G. Geronimo, the reporter for the Inquirer, continues by questioning the government’s response to this pressing but reoccurring issue.(3)

IEDP THEME SONG!

2010-01-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

The IEDP Documentation Team, who administers this blog, has initiated a vote to determine a popular song that will serve as a rallying point for the IEDP class in its study of economic development in the Philippines. An anthem if you will.

The mechanism for determining this song is an internal online survey, which students may use to nominate a song for the course. However, this blog post is intended to encourage readers to submit their own nominations for a piece of music that will motivate and inspire the most profound and incisive analysis and advocacy by our cohort.

Please use the "Comments" section here to submit nominees.

My initial response (and my nomination in the survey) is a song called Filipino Box Spring Hog, from Tom Waits' evocative and deeply felt album "Mule Variations". The song is a desperate and lowdown paean to greasy food and stinky booze, and it has nothing to do whatsoever with the Philippines.

However, after more careful consideration, another song reveals itself to be the only rational choice. This choice is inspired by Thursday's (which it turns out is not actually the future) reported 6.1-magnitude earthquake 141 km east-southest of Pandan. (No damage has been reported, and no tsunami warnings have been issued.)

That song is - quite obviously - Ring of Fire, by Johnny Cash.

Borrowing rates to remain at 4%

2010-01-27T16:53:00.000-08:00

After two wonderful presentations on macroeconomic policy that were completely lost on me yesterday (by Professor Linda Lim of the U of M Ross School of Business and the first (of two) IEDP Economics Team), an enlightening article from Bloomberg on Bangko Sentral’s decision to keep interest rates at 4% as the country continues to benefit from stimulus measures to combat the global recession.

What the articles explains lucidly enough for me to understand is the importance of determining the appropriate time to raise borrowing costs in order to capture the intended stimulating benefits of the low rates without creating conditions that would “stir up inflation and create destabilizing asset bubbles.”

Whatever those are.

Farmers March In Remembrance of 1987 Massacre

2010-01-25T00:39:00.000-08:00

Farmers and left-wing activists - numbering thousands - burned an effigy of GMA (President Arroyo) and chanted for justice on Friday, 22 January 2010, according to the Washington Post. The march commemorated the 1987 Mendiola massacre, when soldiers gunned down 13 protestors demanding land reform. No on has been charged for the killings to date.

A year after the Mendiola massacre, late President Cory Aquino signed a law to redistribute land to tenant farmers, but the law contained a provision that exempted large landholdings. It is worth noting that a third of PH's 90 million people are poor, many of them landless farmers.

Demonstrators claimed that 560 farmers lives have been killed since GMA took office in 2001. Besides seeking justice for the deaths, activists also pressed for agrarian reform, including redistribution of land owned by wealthy and influential families. Bayan, a left-wing alliance, called for political candidates of the May 2010 elections to implement reform.

Rep. Liza Masa, who participated in the protest, said: "We cannot have social justice in our country as long as landlords still hold large tracts of land, and the farmers continue to be dispossessed of their land."

Full article.

Estrada Can Run for the Presidency

2010-01-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

The Philippines election commission permitted Estrada to run for the presidential campaign in May, the New York Times reported on Jan. 20. Estrada was elected as the 13th president in 1998 but could not complete his six-year term because of the corruption allegation. Although the Philippines constitution prohibits the President from reelection, he has been claiming that this does not apply to him.

In the first IEDP class meeting, we talked about if Estrada can run for the coming election and saw his campaign DVD. Regarding the second class meeting topic "Decentralization and Public Health in Philippines," during his presidency, Estrada implemented several new programs to make decentralization work in the health sector.

Large Year-on-Year Jump in Remittances

2010-01-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central bank of the Republic of the Philippines, announced last Friday that remittances from overseas Filipinos grew 11.3% in November, “posting the highest year-on-year expansion since October 2008.” (1) Although only including sums remitted through banks, families in the Philippines collectively received approximately $1.5 billion (USD) from abroad. This brings the total to $15.8 billion (USD) for the year, a 5.1 percent increase over the same period in 2008. Major sources of remittances included the U.S., Canada, Saudi Arabia, U.K., Japan, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Italy, and Germany.

Filipino Cuisine

2010-01-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Food may not be the first thing to pop up in one's mind when considering all things Filipino, but there are some gems and hidden surprises to uncover, as evidenced by Wikipedia's entry on 'Filipino cuisine'.

I'd like to take a moment to reflect on three Filipino traditions or dishes that particularly struck me during my summer in PH. The following helped make my summer memorable and more adventurous, in some cases:

1) MERIENDA is a light meal or afternoon snack (derived from Spanish) that seems to be adhered to religiously (at least in my office, it was). It is comparable to an afternoon tea, but can often be heavier than a light pastry. Traditional kape (coffee) accompanies foods like breads, pastries, and sticky rice cakes. Dishes often eaten during merienda include a variety of noodles, soups, and dumplings.

Meriendas are not just for food consumption - they are a time and place for social gathering and catching up with co-workers or family and friends. Meriendas can be an integral component of the social life in PH.

2) HALO-HALO is a cold dessert made of shaved ice, milk, sugar, and an assortment of additional ingredients - including coconut, halaya (mashed purple yam), caramel custard, plantains, jackfruit, red beans, tapioca - and just about anything else sweet and sugary that you can think of. The great thing about a halo-halo is that you can modify the contents as you wish and experiment creatively. And on a hot, humid, summer afternoon, nothing beats a halo-halo to refresh you (and also get a sugar high!).

3) BALUT is a fertilized duck or chicken egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. It is commonly sold as street food. The courageous can see photos here.

I had the privilege of trying balut during a merienda, and it was quite something. The best way I can describe it is that it tastes like a normal egg but intensified in flavor by 100x, and with some bones and feathers along the way. It is probably a good idea to have a balut-lover nearby when trying this delicacy - I was lucky to have a co-worker who taught me the best way to eat a balut, i.e. drink the juices first, add some salt on the embryo, and enjoy!

The list above is in no way a fair representation of Filipino cuisine, but I hope that it sparks interest in researching and trying some Filipino foods.

Short term marriage contracts sought, criticized

2010-01-17T12:58:00.002-08:00

The Philippine Star reports that the Commission on Elections has been asked by a party-list group to revoke the credentials of the political organization 1-ABAA, which seeks marriage reform. The group, which hopes to alter marriage contracts to automatically expire after ten years, claims that many women find it difficult to exit abusive marriages under current law. Margie Tajon, the group's president, told GMANews.TV that she sought to “save the incompatible couples the trouble of going through a tedious and expensive annulment process." However, Rep. Liza Maza argued that the statute would fare worse for battered women, explaining that “There is a cycle of violence that involves the honeymoon stage and the violent stage, and it is possible that the batterer will suddenly shift from violent stage to honeymoon stage when the 10-year expiration nears and the cycle of violence will just continue".

According to ABA chairman Rep. Leonardo Q. Montemayor, who has proposed the ban on Tajon's group, the Commission on elections must take note of the Constitution, noting that “Under Sec. 12, Article II and Sec. 1, Article XV of the Constitution, the State must recognize the sanctity of family life and ensure its protection, strengthening and total development as a basic autonomous social institution and foundation of the nation” If the Commission on Elections dissolves 1-ABAA, it will nullify both the group and any planned proposals.

Trade Skirmish between the U.S. and the Philippines

2010-01-17T12:58:00.001-08:00

A hat tip to Alan Deardorff for informing us that the U.S. filed a WTO case against the Philippines last Thursday, as reported here in the WSJ. Excise taxes on distilled spirits imported into the Philippines vary by the ingredient that is fermented to produce alcohol, and the U.S. believes the taxes are set so as to discriminate against American-made spirits, which are usually made using different ingredients than the same spirits made in the Philippines.

2010-01-16T11:07:00.000-08:00

Tinikling is the national folk dance of the Philippines. I'll let Wikipedia explain it: "The tinikling is an indigenous dance from the Philippines involves two people beating, tapping, and sliding bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between the poles in a dance." Having a hard time picturing that? Check out these videos. This is extremely cool:

SUPPLEMENTARY READING LIST

2010-01-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

Abinales, P. Making Mindanao.

Asian Development Bank. (2008). Development of Poor Urban Communities.(1)

Asian Development Bank. (2007). Philippines: Critical Development Constraints.(2)

Bagayaua-Mendoza, G. (2008). Global Integrity Scorecard: Philippines.(3)

Bello, W. e. (2004). The Anti-Development State: The Political Economy of Permanent Crisis in the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines.

Corpuz, O. (1997). An Economic History of the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines.

Gamalinda, E. Empire of the Memory.

Hedman, E.-L., & Sidel, J. T. (2000). Philippine Politics and Society in the Twentieth Century. London: Routledge.

Iizuka, M., Botman, D., Ree, J. J., & Halikias, I. (2008). Selected Issues, Philippines.(4)

International Monetary Fund. (2008). Staff Report for the 2008 Article IV Consultation, Philippines.(5)

Karnow, S. In Our Image.

Koppel, B., & Kim, D. Y. (Eds.). (1994). Land Policy Problem in East Asia: Toward New Choices. Honolulu: East-West Center.

McCoy, A. (Ed.). An Anarchy of Families.

McCoy, A. Band of Brothers.

Medina, A. T. (1996). Asian Economic Tigers: A Philippine Comparison.

Ong, C. Banyaga.

Political & Economic Risk Consultancy LTD. (2009). Asian Intelligence.

Rizal, J. El Filibusterismo.

Rizal, J. Noli Mi Tangere.

Saulo-Adrano, L. (2009). A General Assessment of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Philippine Institute of Development Studies.(6)

Scott, W. H.

Sionil, F. Rosales Saga (books 5, 6 or 7).

Steinberg, D. The Philippines: A Singular and Plural Place.

Stephanson, N. Cryptonicrom.

The Lonely Planet Philippines.

Vos, R., & Yap, J. (1996). The Philippine Economy: East Asia’s Stray Cat? London: Institute of Social Studies.

Werve, J., & Integrity, G. (Eds.). (2008). The Corruption Notebooks.

Wignaraja, G. Foreign Direct Investment, Innovation, and Exports: Firm-Level Evidence from People’s Republic of China, Thailand, and Philippines. Asian Development Bank.(7)

World Bank. (2009). Philippines Quartely Economic Update.(8)

Yang, D., & Martinez, C. Remittances and Poverty in Migrants' Home Areas: Evidence from the Philippines. Working Papers, University of Michigan, Dept of Economics.(9)

The Philippines, Peacekeeping, and Port-au-Prince

2010-01-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

Three Filipino peacekeepers in Haiti are believed trapped following Tuesday’s earthquake, caught when the UN headquarters in Port-au-Prince collapsed. (1)

How many Filipino UN peacekeepers are there? (2)

Haiti: 172

Police: 15
Troops: 157

Worldwide: 1,062

Police: 405
Military Experts on Mission: 23
Troops: 634

Among countries contributing UN peacekeeping personnel, the Philippines ranks 24th. The United States ranks 72nd (contributing 75 peacekeepers), just ahead of Albania but behind Mali. (3)

Where are Filipino UN peacekeepers deployed? (4)

MINUSTAH

United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti

Police: 15; Troops: 157

UNAMID

African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur

Police: 169

UNDOF

United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (Israel-Syria)

Troops: 337

UNMIL

United Nations Mission in Liberia

Police: 26; Experts on Mission: 2; Troops: 137

UNMIS

United Nations Mission in the Sudan

Police: 42; Experts on Mission: 11

UNMIT

United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste

Police: 153; Experts on Mission: 3

UNMOGIP

United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan

Experts on Mission: 3

UNOCI

United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire

Experts on Mission: 4; Troops: 3

Turning Briefly from the Pacific

2010-01-14T07:47:00.000-08:00

Although this blog is dedicated to the study of economic development in the Philippines, Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti and the dramatic humanitarian challenge it caused is a reminder of the urgency and complexity of an effective international disaster relief system. Instead of recapitulating one of the New York Times articles on the right in blogg-ier form, let's take a moment to identify the critical needs of Haitians and the opportunities available to contribute to the relief effort:

Partners in Health, with its long and famous history of providing health services in Haiti, is now at the forefront of the logistical challenge of providing disaster services. Contributions to Partners in Health can made here.

Partners in Health is especially in need of doctors, nurses, and medical personnel. From their website:

"As patients flood to our sites from Port-au-Prince, we're finding ourselves in need of both medical personnel and supplies. In particular, we need surgeons (especially trauma/ orthopedic surgeons), ER doctors and nurses, and full surgical teams (including anesthesiologists, scrub and post-op nurses, and nurse anesthetists).

If you are a health professional interested in volunteering, please send an e-mail to volunteer@pih.org with information on your credentials, language capabilities (Haitian Creole or French desired), availability and contact information.

Doctors Without Borders is also in Port-au-Prince, struggling to treat hundreds of the injured. Donations can be made at their website.

Also, that "text 'HAITI' to 90999 to donate $10 American Red Cross relief for Haiti" message that you’ve been seeing everywhere for a full day is a savvy use of social networking technology and an innovation in philanthropy that's probably worth studying when the appropriate time comes.

The commentary to this post can serve as the IEDP team's repository of information on the relief effort. Please post any other information about organizations who are working in Port-au-Prince or other opportunities to help provide crucial services to the victims of this disaster.

Top Frontier Taking Over San Miguel

2010-01-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

Business Week via Bloomberg reports that the board of the San Miguel Corporation has agreed to a takeover by Top Frontier Holdings Incorporated. Top Frontier will offer 75 pesos per share, which puts San Miguel at a market value of 171.7 billion pesos, or $3.75 billion. San Miguel is the largest food and beverage company in the Philippines. It owns San Miguel Beer, which dominates the local market and which is apparently one of the largest beer brands in the world.

Top Frontier is controlled by several members of the San Miguel board of directors. It is owned by Roberto Ongpin, a former trade minister, and Inigo Zobel, a member of one of the wealthiest families in the Philippines.

Part the motivation for the takeover may be a desire to reduce government influence over the company. The government owns a disputed block of San Miguel stock. It was acquired under the Aquino government, who seized it from Eduardo Conjuangco, Jr. on the grounds that he acquired it with public funds. An anti-graft court has apparently ruled that the government does not have a legitimate claim to the stock, but the Supreme Court has yet to rule on the government's appeal. Conjuangco, chairman and CEO of the San Miguel board, has nevertheless been permitted to vote his former shares.

On January 6, San Miguel Corporation announced that it would acquire a 49% stake of Top Frontier. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, this significant minority stake was assumed in order to expand San Miguel's access to bank loans. Under the single borrower's limit (SBL) rule, banks in the Philippines are limited in the amount of lending they can make to a company or its subsidiaries. However, corporate affiliates are exempt from the SBL cap.

San Miguel began operations as a brewer in 1890, during the waning days of Spanish colonization.

Policymakers cope with soaring sugar prices

2010-01-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

The Dow Jones Wire Service reported earlier today that PH policy makers were convening to remove import duties on sugar, in order to tame soaring domestic prices. Apparently the result of rising global demand for cane and beet sugars, prices have been trending upwards. However, the recent volatility has been somewhat unusual.

Remarkably, the WHO publishes data on world sugar consumption by country. In 2005, PH consumed approximately 24 kg per capita. This is approximately equivalent to South Korea's consumption rate, 26 kg per capita, which is unusual given that ROK's per capita GDP is larger by a factor of 10.

Filipino Peacekeepers in Conflict Areas at All-Time High

2010-01-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

A record number of Filipino peacekeepers are currently depolyed in various conflict areas worldwide: a total of 1,056 military and police peacekeepers are serving in 9 UN peacekeeping missions, as reported by the Philippines Mission to the United Nations.

656 are from the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and 415 are officers from the Philippin National Police (PNP).

Majority of the AFP officers and personnel deployed are part of the peacekeeping infantry battalion in Golan Heights, humanitarian troop in Darfur, military observer group in Kashmir, and the stabilization mission in Haiti. The rest are serving as military observers, liaison officers and staff officers in Sudan, Cote d’Ivore, Kashmir and Timor Leste.

The PNP officers are similarly deployed in Darfur, Liberia, Sudan, Timor Leste and Haiti, with a lone officer assigned in Afghanistan.

The Philippines is now in the 23rd position in the list of top troop and police contributing countries, a 40% increase in troop deployments from 2008.

Full article here.

Ferry Tragedy: Up to 25 Possibly Dead

2009-12-28T14:16:00.000-08:00

A ferry sank in the waters south of Manila - near Batangas City - leaving at least 3 people dead and 22 missing.

The vessel was carrying 88 passengers and crew when it collided with a fishing boat. 60 people have been rescued.

Sea accidents are common in the archipelago of more than 7,100 islands. Full article here.

A musical interlude.

2009-12-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, it isn't a policy issue, but when you're learning about a country, it's always a good idea to know what people are talking about on the streets. And just like in the US, Filipinos love competition reality shows. The Philippines have had two different versions of US favorite American Idol - first, Philippines Idol, and then Pinoy Idol. (And it looks like a third version will be coming next year.)

Check it out.

Season 1 winner Mau Marcelo:

And Season 2 winner Gretchen Espina.

A brief note on correct usage

2009-12-09T17:26:00.001-08:00

This may be a naive post for those who - unlike myself - knew how to spell the Philippines before this project began (I thought there were two 'l's and one 'p', rather than the other way around). However, I for one have been unclear on the correct language to use when referring to the Philippines and its people and would like to provide a little clarification. It may seem picky and pedantic, but I always find it prudent to make these clarifications in advance of visiting and working in another land, especially where a colonial legacy exists that may have produced insensitive or derogatory terminology.

the Philippines: The original (if by "original" you mean, "first European") name of the Philippines was the Archipelago de San Lazaro, so named by Magellan in 1521. In 1543, the archipelago was renamed "Felipinas" by Capt. Ruy Lopez de Villalobos after the crown prince of Spain, who later became Phillip II. Because European colonialism is responsible for organizing the peoples of the archipelago under a single flag, there is no pre-existing indigenous name for the country. However, the revolutionary events of 1896 and 1897 produced two alternative names: The Tagalog Republic or the Republic of Biak-na-Bato.

"Ph" or "F"?: The disparity between use of "Ph" and "F" when referring to the country and its people is actually a disparity between English and Spanish. King Felipe II of Spain is King Phillip II in English (also, notice the number of 'l's). After the Treaty of Paris, when the United States bought the country, the name of the republic was anglicized, while the name of its people retained its original Spanish spelling.

Or is it "P"?: Another usage when referring to the people of the Philippines is "Pilipino". The origins of this usage lie in a contested attempt to institutionalize indigenous language, which privileged Tagalog over other native tongues and was rooted in ancient script called Baybayin. The term "Pilipino" is an attempt to appropriate the term "Philippines" into an alphabet that did not contain a letter for the sound of "F". However, a 1987 constitution restored the "F" to the word referring to both the native language and the people, designating a larger alphabet that includes foreign sounds.

Philippine: The term "philippine" is an adjective, and therefore should not be confused with "filipino" (or "filipina", retaining the the gender rules of old espanol). "Philippine" may be used to refer to a person, but only as a modifier of another personal identifier, such as "Philippine congresswoman" or "Philippine boxer". It is more commonly used to refer to objects or concepts, such as "Philippine culture" or "Philippine island".

Philippino: Just wrong.

So all of this is to say that the variant spellings and usages of Philippines, Filipino, Pilipino, et al are more or less safe to use since all usages that refer to the country necessarily invoke its colonial legacy for want of common indigenous terms.

With all that said, then... carry on.

Arroyo to Copenhagen

2009-12-06T15:16:00.000-08:00

Business World reports that President Arroyo is attending the first three days of the 15th Conference of Parties on climate change, beginning today in Copenhagen, Denmark. Environment Secretary Jose L. Atienza, Jr., told the newspaper that "We need to be coordinated [with the G-77 group of developing nations] or our lone voice will not be heard". The current Philippines delegation is calling for deep and early cuts for developed countries. According to its own estimates, the Philippines accounts for ~0.0035 global greenhouse gas emissions.

Big Day for Pacquiao

2009-12-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

It's been two big days for Manny Pacquiao, considered to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world (if not ever). A day after announcing his candidacy for the Presidency, it's been announced that he'll fight Floyd Mayweather, previously considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, on March 13. We won't be in the Philippines for the fight, but it'll be interesting to see how big his celebrity is while we're there -- and if it'll help his candidacy!

Journalism and Maguindanao

2009-12-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

To date, much of the international attention in the Maguindanao massacre has focused on the deaths of the Mangudadatu family, especially since Mr. Mangudadatu had sent his family on his behalf to file his candidacy. However, as more information has surfaced, the attention and focus has expanded. Recently, it was determined that a large portion of the troupe was composed of journalists and media members, of which 30 journalists and media members were killed (a much higher number than originally thought).

While these numbers are startling, what may be even more disconcerting is the pattern of violence and hostility towards journalists and media members within the Philippines in recent years. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) highlights this trend:

“Under the current government the Philippines has become the most dangerous place in the world for media workers. At least 74 journalists have been killed during its eight-year tenure, yet the Government has not acted to end the culture of impunity. At last count, only four convictions had been secured.”

President Arroyo spent the day at the funerals of many of these journalists, but it seems that the real test for this government is if it will heed the recent calls of UN officials for a full investigation that leads to prosecutions.

Further Developments from Maguindanao

2009-12-02T20:04:00.000-08:00

As the legal and political ramifications of last week's bloody election violence in the Maguindanao province begin to come to light, several new developments have been made by local officials and police. As noted in yesterday's post, the first charges have been brought against mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who is believed to have orchestrated the massacre. Today, Philippine police are reporting a forensic breakthrough in the case, linking shells found at the scene to the gun of one of the militia members controlled by Andal Ampatuan, Jr. Allegedly, 100 gunmen were involved in the killings, including militiamen and local police officers, several of whom are now in police custody.

Other details that have emerged in recent days highlight the grisly nature of the killings. The New York Times reports that "most or all" of the 22 female victims of the killings were sexually mutilated.

As officials continue to investigate the massacre, one interesting aspect of the case that's relevant to the IEDP Human Rights team is how successfully the Philippine government is able to frame the violence as originating from local criminal activity rather than a widespread human rights problem. President Arroyo's strong alliance with the Ampatuans in fending off Islamist and secessionist groups will complicate that effort, but the response of the international community may help determine the context in which the violence is perceived.

Arroyo planning to run for Congress

2009-12-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

The WSJ is reporting here that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is planning to run for a seat in Congress. There is talk that the move is a prelude to a campaign by her party (the Lakas Kampi CMD Party) to turn the presidential system of the Phillipine government into a parliamentary system.

In other Philippine-related news, Andal Ampatuan Jr., a local mayor, has been charged with multiple counts of murder in connection with the hilltop massacre of 57 people last week in Maguindanao. Ampatuan is the heir of a powerful family that has strong historical ties to President Arroyo. The Financial Times notes here that many of the victims were associates and relatives of the rival Mangudadatu family, which has also historically been strong allies of Arroyo. Ismael Mangudadatu was planning to challenge Andal Ampatuan in next year's election. Last week's surge of murderous violence might be construed as a clear signal that Arroyo is regarded as a lame duck. As noted in the FT:

"The Ampatuans and Mangudadatus are both political allies of President Arroyo, and the outbreak of violence means she is no longer able to mediate over the allocation of political posts," said Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms, an advocacy group.

President Arroyo is apparently facing growing criticism for her administration's policy of arming local potentates in an effort to supress Muslim insurgency. Last week's massacre, which occured in predominantly Christian areas of the island, will only heighten concerns about wisdom the policy.

1st ASEAN Human Rights Office in the Philippines?

2009-11-30T09:52:00.000-08:00

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) stated that President Arroyo reaffirmed the Philippines' standing offer to host the office of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) during the ASEAN summit in October.

Launched on October 24, AICHR is the first human rights body of ASEAN and is currently housed at ASEAN headquarters in Jakarta during its initial stage.

The Philippines is ranked Partly Free by Freedom House, which strongly condemned the recent killings in Maguindanao.

Full article.

YouTube clip of the launch of AICHR.

Price of Rice Rises

2009-11-30T09:13:00.000-08:00

The Financial Times reports a drastic spike in the price of rice, as demand for imports rise due to decimation of large parts of the domestic crop by storms. The Philippines import more rice annually than any other country, though they will compete with demand in India this year, which also suffered crop losses.

According to the International Rice Reseach Institute, rice consumption accounts for "41% of total caloric intake and 31% of total protein intake" for the country as a whole.

"State of Emergency" Declared

2009-11-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

The New York Times reports that a state of emergency has been declared in the provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kurat, as well as the city of Cotabo, following yesterday's massacre. 46 people have now been declared dead.

Under orders by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, two military battalions reached Mindanao yesterday and began setting up roadblocks and conducting searches. In addition to a prevention of future violence, the military is tasked with disarming individuals carrying unlicensed firearms - an issue which has been problematic to Mindanao in the past, but which had not been thrust into the spotlight until now. Additionally, the police have been granted "wider authority to arrest and detain" those suspected of being involved in yesterday's violence.

CNN Hero 2009

2009-11-23T21:20:00.000-08:00

One of the 10 CNN Hero of 2009 was from Phillipine. Efren Peñaflorida got the prize for establishing and leading Dynamic Teen Company. It was established, when he was a high school student, as a friendship club aiming to prevent other students from joining gangs. Now, Dynamic Teen Company growing big, and the teen volunteers teaches street children reading, writing and hyginic practice. Phillipine has high literacy rate and primary school enrollment (over 90%), but because of the poverty, some children still do not attend school at all and dropout rates are very high.
My entry was about education because before coming to ford school I worked in edcuation sector in Japan. Next week, I will write about relationship between Japan and Phillipine.

Political Violence in Mindanao Leaves 21 Dead

2009-11-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

BBC reports that 21 politicians and journalists, who were abducted in Mindanao while trying to file nomination papers for a candidate in local elections, have been found dead. More members of the group, originally numbering between 30-40 people, are missing and feared to be dead.

Local reports state that the group was abducted by armed men while on its way to an election office in Maguindanao province to file nomination papers for a local mayor, Ismael Mangudadatu, who was reportedly planning to challenge local clan leader Datu Andal Ampatuan for the governor's office in the mainly Muslim province.

The Philippines armed forces report that of the 21 recovered bodies, 13 were female and 8 were male. There were signs of mutilation, and unconfirmed reports of beheading.

This incident reveals the problem of mounting violence during elections, particularly in the south. Registration for local and national races began earlier this month, and the country is to hold nationwide elections in May 2010.

Obama Announces Nomination for New Ambassador to the Philippines

2009-11-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

On Nov. 19, President Obama announced his nomination of Harry K. Thomas, Jr. as Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines.

Bio:

Harry K. Thomas, Jr., Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines
Harry K. Thomas, Jr. is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and served most recently as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources. He previously served as a Special Assistant to the Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Department. Thomas, who joined the Foreign Service in 1984, served as U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh from 2003 to 2005. He also served in the White House as the Director for South Asia at the National Security Council from 2001 to 2002. His other postings include: New Delhi, India; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kaduna, Nigeria; and Lima, Peru. He has served as Senior Watch Officer, Deputy Director, and Director of the State Department Operations Center; Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs; and Staff Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for African Affairs. Thomas holds a bachelors degree from the College of the Holy Cross.

(posted on behalf of JM)

Current Events in Human Rights

2009-11-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

Two human rights-related issues are receiving special attention in the Philippines right now. The first is the passage of the Anti-Torture Act last week, which outlaws any form of torture or use of secret detention centers. The second story is the appointment of Norberto Gonzales as National Security Advisor.

Both of these are related to the on-going accusations of torture, extra-judicial killings, and harassment by military and police. The Anti-Torture Act will not only apply to future cases of torture, but it will also allow for the prosecution of past offenders, which is estimated to be around 1,000 cases. The appointment of Gonzales is controversial because of his previous role as head of the defense department, which is accused of being linked to human rights violations perpetrated by the military and police. He's also being questioned about how impartial he can be in the up-coming elections. Although he has stated that he'll ensure that elections will be run fairly, referring to Presidential candidate Teodoro as "our incoming president" doesn't inspire a lot of confidence...

The Meaning of Manny

2009-11-16T19:43:00.000-08:00

Very interesting article on Manny Pacquiao, the Philippines' prized boxer and the only septuple (SEVEN times!) world champion in history.

Manila threatened by climate change.

2009-11-12T11:42:00.001-08:00

Manila is among the major Asian cities most vulnerable to climate change, Reuter reports.

Full report available here.

HRW Urges Clinton to Press Arroyo on Killings

2009-11-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

Human Rights Watch released a statement urging US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to press President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to prosecute military members responsible for politically motivated killings, during Clinton's visit to Manila on November 12 and 13.

With Clinton expected to discuss disaster management related to the recent typhoons in the Philippines, HRW believes that Clinton's visit is an opportune time to exert pressure for the Philippines Government to improve its human rights record.

HRW wants Clinton to address key crucial human rights issues, including:

insufficient investigation and prosecution of numerous extrajudicial killings in which the military has been implicated
inadequate address of the "death squads" in Davao City
signing of the Anti-Torture Bill

Read full article here.

Paper Tiger?

2009-10-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

As reported here by the New York Times, ASEAN recently announced the establishment of the Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. Critics blasted the commission as a sham, pointing to the fact that it has no authority to wield sanctions of any kind or the power to investigate governments for alleged violations.

Another Typhoon Hits PH

2009-10-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

Typhoon Mirinae hit Quezon Province (northeast of Manila) around midnight Friday. At least 7 people were killed and several were missing. More info here.

Mindanao hit with earthquake

2009-10-30T07:00:00.001-07:00

Mindanao was hit with an earthquake of 4.7 magnitude on Thurs. Oct. 29.

Data here.

Tagalog Tip of the Week: Counting

2009-10-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

Counting to Ten:

1: isa

2: dalawa

3: tatlo

4: apat

5: lima

6: anim

7: pito

8: walo

9: shem

10: samput

Interesting number fact: In the Philippines both tagalog and spanish numbers are used. When telling time Filipinos will use spanish numbers. When counting money, either tagalog or spanish is used. Any other type of counting or number use general would employ the tagalog version. Enjoy.

Two-Punch Comeback for Erap?

2009-10-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

Not only is Joseph Estrada (former President ousted by the People Power 2 movement in 2001) planning a political comeback for the 2010 Presidential elections, but he is also making a cinematic comeback.

Estrada, known as Erap, is filming "One and Only Family," a comedy about a jeepney driver who gives his daughter's boyfriend a hard time.

In the political arena, Erap's announcement about his intention to run in 2010 has caused quite a stir, with opponents in current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's administration vowing to take the issue to the Supreme Court.

It will definitely be interesting and dramatic to see how Erap's comebacks play out!

NYT Article on Birth Control Bill

2009-10-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

The weekend edition of the New York Times featured an article on the Reproductive Health and Population Development Act, which would mandate free or near-free government provision of condoms, birth control pills, and other forms of birth control.

The main backer of the bill in the Philppine Congress, Edcel C. Lagman, is arguing that it is needed to curb the continuing growth of the Philippine population, which sits at around 100 million and is projected to grow at a 2 percent annual clip. Lagman is apparently concerned about the development implications of unchecked population growth.

The main opponent of the bill is reportedly the church and related organizations. The Rev. Melvin Castro of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life is quoted as arguing that the bill is unconstitutional. "The Constitution is very clear that the state should protect life from conception up to its natural end," he said.

It is likely that the bill will become a major issue in the election next May.

Hat tip to Professor Alan Deardorff for the article!

Tagalog Tip of the Week

2009-10-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

Common Greetings:

Magandang Umaga

Magandang Hapon

Magandang Gabi

Exact translation:

Beautiful morning.

Beautiful afternoon.

Beautiful evening.

Loose Translation

Good morning.

Good afternoon.

Good evening.

Pronunciation:

Tagalog is strictly phonetical, so letters are always pronounced the same. Consonants are pronounced essentially the same as they are in english. In the tagalog alphabet, "ng" is its own character and even it's own stand alone word. It's pronunciation is similar to the english pronunciation but the g is pronounced as a hard g in the back of your mouth like you would say rang, not swimming. Vowels are pronounced as follows:

a: as in mama

e: as in tray

i: as in tree

o: as in toe

u: as in boot

ay: as in try

Enjoy!

Estrada's Return

2009-10-22T08:17:00.001-07:00

Joseph Estrada, a formerly ousted President, announces his intention to run in the 2010 presidential election, which is bound to stir much controversy.

Congratulations

2009-10-21T07:36:00.001-07:00

The IEDP Class of 2010 has been selected. Cheers!

A New Stance on Global Investment from Beijing?

2009-10-20T05:20:00.000-07:00

According to this article in the Financial Times, there has been a growing call from China's think tanks to deploy some of China's $2.2 trillion in foreign exchange for purposes other than protection from the next currency or financial crisis. Xu Shanda, an economist who used to head up China's version of the IRS, proposed that some of the fund be diverted into loans for countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The point of the program would be to raise living standards and create new demand for Chinese products in a global economy where demand from Europe and the U.S. is leveling off. More specifically:

Justin Yifu Lin, the Chinese academic who is now the World Bank’s chief economist, said in an interview last week with Caijing magazine that Chinese companies should step up investment in Africa and south-east Asia, including outsourcing some low-end manufacturing, to boost consumer demand. “This is a source for future global economic growth and a source of demand,” he said.

Is there an opportunity here for the Philippines?

Whither the Philippines in the New Normal?

2009-10-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

PIMCO is one of the biggest and savviest bond fund companies in the world, and they're predicting that the global economy is entering a new phase, a "new normal" in their parlance. Finance and leverage were behind the frothy activity of the last few decades, and especially the last one. Many economies grew briskly, and much of global demand originated from the American consumers, who were finding money to pay for things by essentially borrowing from China and Japan.

The financial crisis that came to a head last year has changed everything, or so it is said. The process of deleveraging, which will take years, means that rich countries like the U.S., Japan, and the European Union won't be quite the massive sources of demand they once were, and poorer countries won't be able to follow the classic and well-trodden path of export-led development. As PIMCO's Curtis Mewbourne notes here, rapidly developing countries like Brazil, Russia, India, and China (the so-called BRIC countries) can no longer rely on overseas demand as an engine for growth. They have to stimulate domestic consumption, and that's what they're likely to attempt.

Assuming that the PIMCO read is correct, it's obvious what the important questions are for countries like the Philippines. How are they going to fit in a global economy increasingly driven by BRIC consumption (read: China), and what can they do to position themselves to succeed in the new normal?