Download A Vision for Philippine Agriculture

PHILIPPI NE
INSTITUTE FOR
DEVELOPMENT
STUDIES
Surian sa mga Pag-aaral Pangkaunlaran ng Pilipinas
Vol. XXVII No.6
DEVELOPMENT
RESEARCH NEWS
November - December 2009
ISSN 0115-9097
Editor's Notes
Agriculture remains a primary source of income for our ruralfolks. Farming remains to
be a major means of livelihood. However, most
of our farmers from the countryside still live in
poverty and there has been much concern
about threats to food security. This is the reason development of the agriculture sector has
always been a priority of local and national
plans and programs.
A vision for
Philippine agriculture
Photo by Valerie Frances L. Belizario
In this issue of the DRN, Philippine Institute
for Development Studies senior research fellow Dr. Roehlano M. Briones explains the reason for pushing for productivity growth in agriculture. Using a supply-demand model for the
Philippine agricultural sector, Dr. Briones presents a ten-year projection based on patterns
and trends rather than on numbers.
Results of Dr. Briones' projection emphasize
that input subsidy is not essential; in fact, it is
an expensive instrument for promoting agricultural growth. He thus recommends going
back to basics: developing and disseminating new technologies, varieties, and planting
materials; promoting research and development in agriculture; expanding education and
extension programs; among others. He points
to the "slow magic" of productivity growth that
has helped farmers in developing economies
which can also help enrich our own farmers
and emancipate them from poverty. D R N
What's Inside
6
Rising above the turning point
9
Improving policies on international
labor migration in ASEAN
11
Integrating the impaired: PIDS
conducts survey of PWDs
“Magtanim ay di biro, maghapong nakayuko. Di naman makatayo, di naman
makaupo…”
T
his has long been the song of the farmers since the days of our
grandfathers. It still is. Much have remained the same in terms of the
methods and the picture of the actors in the planting song. Many of
the farmers also remain to be among the poorest in Philippine society and
depend solely on farming as their only source of income.
Given this picture, there really is a need to improve the country’s agriculture
sector to be able to uplift the lives of the millions of farmers whose livelihood
and survival are attached to it.
Improving the agricultural sector means increasing its production. How
does one do it? One way is to expand the farm area. The Philippines, however,
is already approaching its agricultural land limits and thus, area expansion
may be out of the question.
Another way to increase production is through intensification wherein
resource input per unit of land is increased. But given the country’s limited
resources, this manner would not guarantee additional profit because an
increase in production will likewise require an increase in cost.
So how would the agricultural sector be improved?
In a Pulong Saliksikan (research seminar) recently held at the Romulo Hall
of the NEDA sa Makati Building, Philippine Institute for Development
Studies (PIDS) Senior Research Fellow Dr. Roehlano Briones looked at the
various scenarios that could bring about the much-needed improvement in
the Philippine agricultural sector.
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
2
November - December 2009
linkages between extension systems under
local government units (LGUs), on the one
hand, and farmers, fisherfolks, and the
private sector, on the other.
Focus on productivity growth calls for a
change in mindset and in the traditional
thinking of aiming for food (rice) selfsufficiency and protecting the major importcompeting sectors such as rice, corn, sugar,
and meat. It instead calls for putting in place
policies and institutions that will trigger and
boost productivity rate, and sustain growth
in agriculture.
Photo:
www.agriculture-ph.com
Productivity growth calls for increased funding of the research and development sector.
Using the Agricultural Multi-Market Model
for Policy Evaluation (AMPLE) 1 in the
analysis of the future of Philippine
agriculture under current and alternative
strategies for agricultural growth, Briones’
conclusion found the scenario which
accelerates productivity growth as the most
ideal to bring about the increased
production and improvement of the
country’s agricultural sector.
World Bank studies show that in many Asian
countries, the productivity growth rate has
been 1–2 percent per year since the 1960s.
These countries have invested in science,
roads, human capital, and adoption of better
policies, making agricultural development
possible. As a result of productivity growth,
their agricultural growth domestic product
(GDP) grew faster than the global population
from 1980 to 2004.
While the Philippines includes productivity
growth in its development strategy, this is not
being prioritized in budgeting and market
policies. Most of its rice policies aim for selfsufficiency by 2013, when the country’s rice
production would meet the citizen’s rice
demands.
But what is productivity growth and
what does it entail?
Productivity growth involves the
implementation of policy and governance
reforms that increase the responsiveness of
the domestic economy to market signals. In
turn, these reforms boost the rate of
productivity growth and include changes in
technology and infrastructure simultaneous
with the care of the country’s resource base,
the environment.
The country’s current rice policies are
biased toward input support and price
intervention. One of the reasons for this
insulation by the government of domestic
agriculture is the sheer unpredictability and
volatility of the world market. World markets
are perceived to be heavily distorted by
protectionist and subsidy-oriented OECD
countries. In trade agreements, the
liberalization of domestic markets may follow
as a given for foreign market access.
It calls for increased funding of the research
and development (R&D) sector and tighter
What has been the situation so far?
The Philippines follows a boom-bust, rising-
1
The AMPLE model analyzes possible pictures of the future of Philippine agriculture under current and alternative
strategies for agricultural growth. It is a multisector partial equilibrium model with 18 production sectors covering crops,
livestock, poultry, and aquatic products. It is capable of generating projections on output, area, consumption, imports,
exports, and prices. It is also suitable for understanding the evolution of underlying economic fundamentals rather than
actually predicting market movements. The model likewise adopts features from other multimarket models and is solved
with the Generalized Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS).
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
falling pattern. Agricultural growth during
the post-war years was respectable and
comparable with fast-developing Asian
countries. This growth, however, slowed
down in the 1980s, speeded up again in the
1990s, and then went even faster in the 2000s.
These trends parallel that of overall GDP
growth (Figure 1).
The Philippines’s agriculture products can
be classified into three broad categories:
crops, livestock and poultry, and fisheries.
The crops subsector can be further
subdivided into the major crops: rice (palay),
banana, coconut, corn, and sugarcane. Crops
and fisheries have followed the overall
trends of the agriculture sector, whereas
growth in the livestock and poultry sector
slowed down in the 1990s and has been
unable to recover since then.
The major crops also followed a similar
pattern, albeit in varying degrees. Palay was
affected by the 1980s meltdown although the
effects were not that drastic and have been
moderated. Growth, however, has yet to
exceed 5 percent. The 1980s meltdown had
a sharper effect on corn and coconut, whose
recovery has been very slow.
3
Likewise, sugarcane’s recovery has also been
slow. On the other hand, banana has
exhibited spectacular growth in the early
years, and its recovery from the 1980s slump
has been strong.
As mentioned before, the Philippines is
aiming for self-sufficiency by 2013. By then,
agricultural production must meet the
demand. The country is approaching selfsufficiency for products like pork, chicken,
and corn.
However, this is being derailed by policy
choices made by the government using the
recent food crisis. On a positive note,
agricultural productivity is increasing for
crops such as palay and corn. On the other
hand, coconut and sugarcane yield trends
have been erratic.
Aiming for sustained and increased
productivity growth
What is in store for Philippine agriculture
in the future? Under what conditions can it
achieve the much-needed improved and
sustained growth that will truly make the
country’s agriculture sector a haven for
Filipino farmers?
Figure 1: Average annual growth, in percent, of agricultural GDP (constant 1985 prices)
Source: Bureau of Agricultural Statistics
November - December 2009
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
4
As mentioned earlier, using the AMPLE
model, Briones provided an analysis and
picture of what to expect for the agriculture
sector given certain scenarios and
assumptions. The following projections are
preliminary and represent an initial
application of the AMPLE model to
Philippine agriculture.
Scenario 1, called “business as usual,” assumes
that current trends and policies shall
continue. Nor does multilateral trade
liberalization materialize from international
agreements. So what happens?
Growth in agricultural gross value is
projected to slow down. Growth will be led
by the crops subsector, followed by livestock
and poultry, with aquatic products lagging.
Vegetables and other crops are projected to
post strong export performances. For most
commodities, imports are predicted to
increase, with the possible exception of rice,
cassava, and sugar.
The trend of rising consumption of rice is
expected to halt and mildly reverse, as retail
prices increase. The same goes for most
other commodities. Agricultural growth is
headed for a slowdown. Demand growth
continues, but is met by higher domestic
production and imports.
Now, what happens if trade negotiations take
place and are successful? At the same time,
Photo:
www.pinoyherald.org
In the first scenario, the trend of rising consumption of rice is
expected to halt and mildly reverse, as retail prices increase.
November - December 2009
if the world market is opened up to the
Philippines?
Under this Scenario 2 or the market access
scenario, growth of the agricultural sector is
suppressed, particularly aquatic products,
although there is a slight acceleration in the
growth of crops and meat. For the crops,
market access would probably lead to a
decline in output. However, output
increases are projected for mango, banana,
and coconut, as major export crops benefit
from market access.
The effect of market access on noncrops will
hardly be felt and may even be negative.
Export growth under reform is not
necessarily faster than under market access.
Growth in imports under market access is
likewise stronger than in the first scenario.
Expanded market access is generally not
favorable to domestic producers, and only
mildly favorable to consumers.
Briones then presented a third scenario
where there are no trade agreements either
like in scenario 1. However, policy and
governance reforms are implemented, tariffs
are reduced to a uniform rate of 10 percent
in 10 years, and the expenditure program
accompanied by institutional reforms is
carried out to accelerate productivity growth.
How would Philippine agriculture
fare under these conditions?
Implementing the policy and governance
reforms will increase the responsiveness of
the domestic economy to market signals.
These reforms will also boost the
productivity rate, possibly doubling the rates
of these in the first scenario. Rapid
productivity growth under an aggressive
reform scenario, even when combined with
trade liberalization, is generally favorable for
farmers, based on improved outlook on
production, exports, and food consumption.
What do these imply in terms of the
country’s national development
strategy?
Renewing the country’s national
development focus on accelerating
agricultural growth is no doubt a step toward
the right direction as shown by the results of
the AMPLE model simulations.
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
5
November - December 2009
Productivity growth has been proven to prevent population collapse and assuage hunger. It has worked
to a great effect on developed countries. The "magic" of productivity growth has made farmers in these
countries independent, content, and free from poverty. Productivity growth can also do the same for
the Philippines.
And while the country’s national strategy has
delved on this in recent years, the full
realization of the potentials has been
weighed down by the traditional thinking
related to promoting food self-sufficiency
and protecting domestic markets.
to give farmers incentives for adopting
technological changes in agriculture.
Policymakers should recognize the huge
role informal rural organizations play in
developing Philippine agriculture.
Growth via improvements in agricultural
productivity should be the highest priority.
Productivity growth has contributed greatly
to the recovery of the agricultural sector in
recent years. It can do more for the country if
the needed reforms are in place for a faster
and more sustained growth of agriculture.
These reforms, as noted earlier, include
changes in technology and infrastructure
while at the same time, taking care of the
country’s resource base—the environment.
Also very important to agricultural
development is the improvement of
irrigation and road systems. Possible
investments in agricultural infrastructure
developments have been channeled to the
improvement of rice production. Thus,
LGUs lack funds to initiate irrigation
improvement projects. Studies show that
many irrigation projects are carried out by
private corporations and are therefore
limited only to private fields. Public
irrigation
projects
are
strongly
recommended.
Agricultural development in the country
rests mostly in the hands of R&D institutions,
which have remained underinvested.
However, increased funding is not the only
thing needed for the improvement of the
R&D sector. Reforms in R&D governance
and budget allotment are also called for. A
clear delineation of the roles of various R&D
institutions should also be made, as several
of their functions overlap and conflict with
each other.
All these changes, however, will not matter if
the environment, the resource base, cannot
be sustained. Intensifying and expanding
agriculture is eroding away the natural
resources. Climate change is making the
outlook for agricultural development even
bleaker. Therefore, investments aimed
toward preserving the country’s natural
resources should be made.
Linkages with farmers and fisherfolks, LGUs,
and the private sector must also be
strengthened. This should be combined with
a reorientation of the bureaucracy toward
client- and performance-based planning as
well as with a refocusing and reprioritization
of budget and expenditures. Technological
change must also be supported by a strong
product services system. Ground-level
services and extension must be supported
by the government, especially for small-time
farmers and fisherfolks. In order to be able
to reach out to these farmers and fisherfolks,
LGU involvement must be increased.
Briones likewise recommends the swift
implementation of the land reform program
If agricultural innovation can be called “slow
magic,” so can productivity growth be in
general. And while its effects are slow and
easily overlooked, a disadvantage since many
policymakers are looking for tangible results
and quick fixes, the potential of productivity
growth is great. It has been proven to prevent
population collapse and assuage hunger. It
has worked to a great effect on developed
countries. The “magic” of productivity
growth has made farmers in these
countries independent, content, and free
from poverty. Productivity growth can also
do the same for the Philippines. It can
make the country prosper once again. It
can work its magic as long as the right
policies and institutions are in place to
unleash it. NPI
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
6
November - December 2009
Rising above the turning point
I
n the same vein as Niccolo Machiavelli’s
“Never waste the opportunities offered
by a good crisis,” the 2008 global financial and economic crisis can be used as a
platform to address structural problems in
Philippine economy.
These and more were some of the points
raised during the national forum and dialogue on the “Impact of the Global Financial and Economic Crisis on the Philippines”
held on October 29, 2009 at the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center in
Makati City.
Philippine Institute for Development Studies President Dr. Josef T. Yap, in his macro
perspective presentation during the forum,
reported that the main outcome of the crisis
is that there has been an economic slowdown
after the 7.1 percent growth, which was the
highest in 31 years, in 2007. The growth
slowed down to 3.2 percent in 2008 and slid
in 2009. This slowdown after 2007, however,
is not largely due to the crisis. While the crisis had indeed contributed to this, the main
cause of the slowdown in 2008, though, was
the rise in average inflation.
But, at the same time, unemployment rate
has been fairly stable. Remittances in peso
terms have also actually been increasing.
Despite the initial worry of having negative
effects on unemployment as well as on remittances, the crisis had not seemed to have
had a major impact on these and the unemployment rate has remained relatively stable.
Another cause of the slowdown, according
to Dr. Yap, is the wearing off of the impact of
election spending and the public reconstruction program in 2007. Over the long term,
too, medium- to long-term structural factors,
structural problems of the Philippine
economy, low investments, poor infrastructure, and weak institutions impede the Philippines’ economic growth.
Photo by Maria Gizelle G. Manuel
"Crossroads to the development are often marked by turning points manifested through crisis. How a country handles its crisis will spell the difference
for its future. After all, during crisis often comes the best of minds and action.
Let us take on then this challenge for recovery and hopefully the Philippines
will overcome and rise above this turning point and eventually meet the MDGs
by 2015." ~Dr. Jacqueline Badcock, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative
Based on the above, Dr. Yap’s first main message for the forum is that the impact of the
global crisis on the Philippines was not as
adverse as compared with other East Asian
economies. And ironically, the structural
problems such as the dichotomy between
domestic manufacturing and exports (where
our exports have very little value-added and
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
7
November - December 2009
The 2008 crisis did not affect the poor that much, but there is still a need to implement programs in
order to uplift the poor’s situation and these are related to the MDGs.
so despite the 30 percent decline in nominal exports in dollar terms in the past three
quarters, the unemployment rate has not
really been affected) actually helped shield
the economy from the harsher effects of the
crisis. His analogy for this is that “if you don’t
fly high, you don’t land hard.”
Nonetheless, even as these structural
problems shielded the Philippine economy,
as reflected in the country’s dual economy,
and thereupon did not really impact the
Philippines at heart, Dr. Yap’s second
message noted that the government can still
use the crisis as the platform to address these
structural problems, in particular in terms
of coming up with social protection programs
and policies that will be able to integrate the
marginalized sector—the chronic poor who
remain poor despite any change or
movement of the economy—into the
mainstream economy.
On this note, Dr. Yap discussed the domestic
policy responses to the crisis, which in fact,
did not really address the structural
problems. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
loosened monetary policy following the
signal from other economies. Also, the
government announced a fiscal stimulus
package which included an increase in
budget allocation from 4.5 percent in 2007
to 5.7 percent in 2008 and 26.1 percent in
2009.
This provided the context for Dr. Yap’s third
message which focused on the fiscal problems
that emerged even after fiscal stimulus packages such as the Economic Resiliency Plan
(ERP) and the Comprehensive Livelihood
and Emergency Employment Program
(CLEEP)had achieved modest success.
Dr. Yap also emphasized concerns about the
country’s declining tax efforts because it
would affect the country’s chances of achieving the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs). As mentioned above, the 2008 crisis did not affect the poor that much, but
there is still a need to implement programs
in order to uplift the poor’s situation and
these are related to the MDGs.
Dr. Yap emphasized the importance of policy
measures in the form of fiscal reforms to
increase the Philippines’ chances of achieving the MDGs, as well as to address the infrastructure needs of the country. He also talked
about social protection where coverage,
funding and targeting of social protection
should be looked at with emphasis on social
inclusion. He further discussed regional and
local rebalancing which will pave the way for
increased investments and opportunities
from the region where Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) will be part of new production networks.
Meanwhile, looking at the impact on
households, PIDS Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Celia M. Reyes’ presentation focused on
overseas employment and remittances and
then on local employment. Using data
gathered through the Community-Based
Monitoring System, Dr. Reyes reported that
some Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)
were retrenched or suffered wage cuts in
affected countries. A large portion of the
retrenched workers used to work in Saudi
Arabia and most of them used to work as professionals (e.g., nurse, medical technician,
architect, computer programmer, and engineer). But total overseas employment and
remittances increased.
Locally, there was no widespread
unemployment but there were some sectors
that were affected, particularly the exportbased sectors. Most of the individuals who
lost jobs used to work as service workers and
shop/market sales workers. Those who lost
jobs reported that the major reason for the
job loss is that the firm where they used to
work was incurring losses. For some working
as plant and machine operators and assemblers, they were not retrenched but they were
affected through reduced wages, working
hours, and benefits.
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
8
November - December 2009
reflects resource constraints as well as institutional and logistical constraints.
Photo by Maria Gizelle G. Manuel
During the panel discussion, former Party Representative Etta Rosales
talked about an alterntive way of formulating an economic stimulus package while PIDS Senior Research Fellow Dr. Rosario G. Manasan pointed to
real concerns about the revenue-to-tax ratio.
Life, however, goes on for those affected; and
these households coped by seeking additional sources of income such as doing additional work or looking for work abroad. They
also tapped various fund sources such as
borrowing money, using up savings, and selling or pawning assets to smooth consumption. Another way was to shift children from
private to public school while for some, children were totally withdrawn from school.
During the panel discussion chaired by Professor Solita Monsod of the UP School of
Economics, one of the panelists, Prof. Gary
B. Olivar, also Presidential Economic
Spokesperson, suggested to have more
research about the rate elasticity of different
types of taxes (income, VAT) across different
taxpayer groups (corporate, individuals).
The classic tradeoff in terms of time
preference can be discerned in this area too:
lower marginal tax rates now that will lead to
higher total tax collections tomorrow as taxpayers prosper and the economy grows due
to low-tax environment.
Former Party Representative Etta Rosales, on
the other hand, commented that the ERP of
the government is a failure because it is
inadequate, debt-inducing and transient.
She noted that a big portion of the P330 billion package is not actually direct stimulus.
She then focused on an alternative way of
formulating an economic stimulus package
which would be based on a rechanelling of
debt service in a debt moratorium scenario
or at least via selective repudiation of illegitimate debts.
To mitigate the impacts of the crisis, various
government programs were initiated. These
are: CLEEP; Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program (4Ps); emergency loan for Social
Security System members; Pag-ibig special
short-term loan for displaced workers; 6month pay package for laid off electronic
workers; and National Food Authority (NFA)
rice access program.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rosario G. Manasan, PIDS
Senior Research Fellow, pointed to real concerns about the revenue-to-tax ratio that has
gone down. She said that however good the
GDP-to-debt ratio looks at present, it can
easily change depending on the deficit. The
deficit increase is essentially a good
indicator of the stimulus; however, it is not
because the deficit was incurred by an
increase in expenditures but because of a
decrease in revenues.
The coverage of the abovementioned programs, however, was limited and not all
households in the lowest income quintile
were able to access the programs. Moreover,
there were some rich households who benefitted from the programs. This brings to the
fore the issue of targeting when it comes to
implementing social protection programs of
the government. The lack of readiness to
quickly put in place mitigation programs also
Overall, the panelists agreed that the Philippines needs to improve on its national targeting system to avoid problems on mistargeting
and misrepresentation in reaching out to the
intended recipients of government programs.
It is important to offer the chronic poor efficient and quality programs that will help alleviate them from poverty rather than to create
programs that become hubs of redundancy
and inefficiency. MAG
9
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
November - December 2009
Improving policies on international
labor migration in ASEAN
I
nternational labor migration has been the
focus of many studies worldwide. In fact,
it is increasingly becoming an important
component of development. In the
Philippines, 10 percent of gross domestic
product is attributed to remittances from its
overseas workers.
There are, however, some problems relating
to international migration in the Asia Pacific
region, as cited by Dr. Aniceto Orbeta, senior
research fellow at the Philippine Institute
for Development Studies (PIDS) and
director of the Migration in ASEAN Project.
In his presentation during the meeting titled
Different streams, different needs and
impacts: managing international labor
migration in ASEAN, Dr. Orbeta shared that
at a personal level, exploitation and reports
of abuses diminish or offset the benefits of
labor export. At the aggregate level,
overdependence on international migration
and remittance flows may become a threat to
long-term development.
Dr. Orbeta emphasized that international
migration is no longer just a national or
bilateral issue as it has become both a
multilateral and a local issue. Countries in
the region are experiencing a wide range of
problems in managing labor migration flows.
These problems require different
management procedures as these would have
different impacts on households.
For instance, in Cambodia, Mr. Lun Pide of
the Cambodia Development Resource
Institute pointed to the huge inflow of
Cambodian irregular migrants to Thailand
Photo:
www.manila-photos.blogspot.com
International migration is no longer just a national or bilateral issue as
it has become both a multilateral and a local issue.
(90% in 2006) in particular. Citing
weaknesses in policy and regulations as well
as in enforcement, Mr. Pide reported that
this irregular migration results in
exploitation by employers, trafficking, and
organized crimes, among other problems.
Indonesia, on the other hand, is among the
fastest growing countries in terms of migrant
workers. Ms. Palmira Bachtiar, researcher at
the SMERU Research Institute, reported
that migrant workers’ major destinations are
Arab countries and Malaysia. The migrants
are mostly low-skilled workers and come from
the informal sectors. She pointed to the
relevance of decentralization in her country
as there is diversity of needs and cost of
delivering government services to its workers.
The other presenters of their respective
country cases were Dr. Vijayakumari
Kanapathy of Malaysia, an independent
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
10
November - December 2009
Country-specific issues focus on the need for an integrated approach and long-term development
planning on migrant labor (Malaysia); protecting international labor migrants (Philippines); managing
unskilled and semi-skilled worker inflows (Singapore); and regional cooperation initiatives and bilateral
agreements in managing international migration (Thailand).
consultant; Prof. Chia Siow Yue, Senior
Research Fellow at the Singapore Institute
of International Affairs; and Dr. Yongyuth
Calamwong, Research Director of the Labor
Development and Human Resources and
Social Development Program of the
Thailand Development Research Institute.
Country-specific issues focus on the need for
an integrated approach and long-term
development planning on migrant labor
(Malaysia); protecting international labor
migrants (Philippines); managing unskilled
and semi-skilled worker inflows
(Singapore); and regional cooperation
initiatives and bilateral agreements in
managing international migration
(Thailand).
Based on the above, the migration project
shall initiate a study that would improve
Photo by Maria Gizelle G. Manuel
Dr. Aniceto C. Orbeta, Senior Research Fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and director of
the Migration in ASEAN Project discusses the project overview
starting with the problems related to international labor migration in ASEAN. Dr. Orbeta likewise presented different migration flows and migration policies of sending and receiving
countries in Southeast Asia.
policy and institutional arrangements among
ASEAN member states. Its overall objective
is to build knowledge and understanding
on the policy and institutional arrangements
in managing international migration and
remittance flows in the ASEAN region as
well as on their development impacts in
order to inform public policy.
Specifically, the study aims to: a) analyze the
impact of policy and institutional
arrangements on migration and remittance
flows within ASEAN; b) assess measures
toward managing unskilled labor migration
and their protection; c) review cooperation
initiatives in the region in managing
migration flows; and d) engage
policymakers and other stakeholders in the
project and actively contribute to policy
debates and institutional reform for
improving the protection of migrant workers
in ASEAN.
The meeting was organized by the Philippine
Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) in
cooperation with the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC). It was
held at the Romulo Hall of the NEDA sa Makati
Building. Also in attendance were the
discussants consisting of Dr. Donald
Tambunan, Head of the Social Welfare,
Women, Labour and Migrant Workers Division
and ASEAN Secretariat; Dr. Guntur Sugiyarto,
Economist at the Asian Development Bank;
Dr. Michael Alba, a Visiting Research Fellow at
the Philippine Institute for Development
Studies; Ms. Aiko Kikkawa, Head of the Labor
Migration Unit of the International
Organization for Migration – Philippines; Dr.
Edita Tan, Professor Emeritus at the School of
Economics, University of the Philippines; Dr.
Fernando Aldaba, Associate Professor,
Economics Department at the Ateneo de
Manila University; and Mr. Mario C. Feranil,
OIC Vice President of the PIDS, who served as
moderator of the open forum. VFLB
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
11
November - December 2009
Integrating the impaired:
PIDS conducts survey of PWDs
A
s the deadline to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
looms, the need to understand the
link between disability and poverty grows.
Disability and poverty are related, as growing evidence suggests.
These evidences were presented in May 2008
at the UN Convention on the Rights of
People with Disabilities where, among others, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) reported that persons with disabilities (PWDs) often belong to the poorest sectors of society. Studies conducted by the
World Bank also showed that roughly 20 percent of the world’s poorest people are disabled and are considered in their own communities as the most disadvantaged.
International organizations believe that
accurate surveys and comprehensive
disability-related information collection are
necessary for the formulation of laws and
programs aimed at improving the status of
PWDs. While the UN-ESCAP and World Bank
were trying to streamline PWD statistics in
developing countries, the Philippine
government conducted a survey on PWDs in
the country. The National Statistics Office
(NSO) conducted a survey on PWDs in 2000
as part of its Census of the Population and
Housing survey. However, the survey focused
on the incidence of disability in the country,
not on living standards of PWDs.
It was only in 2008 when, through the
collaboration between the Institute of
Developing Economies (IDE), a Japan-based
organization working for international cooperation with developing nations, and the
Philippine Institute for Developing Studies
(PIDS), a project was launched to survey the
living standards of PWDs. This study highlighted the livelihood of PWDs as well as the
various programs and policies aimed for
their betterment.
Four hundred three (403) PWDs from
Makati, Pasay, Valenzuela, and Quezon City
took part in the survey which was conducted
in partnership with each city’s Social Welfare Office and various PWD organizations.
The results of the survey showed poor educational attainments for PWDs. Only a quarter had college education. In fact, one-third
(129 out of 403) did not even reach high
school. Eight percent did not complete any
grade level. The survey also showed that
people with mobility impairment has the
highest average number of schooling years,
at 9.1 years, while those who are deaf have
the lowest (7.5). On the average, male PWDs
spend more schooling years than females. A
third of the respondents received special
education which comprises of three-fourths
of the deaf, a third of the blind, and only 1
percent of the mobility impaired.
About half of the PWDs have jobs. Employment rate was higher among the men (57%)
than women (40%). The blind have the highest employment rate at 72 percent, followed
by the mobility impaired at 44 percent, and
the deaf at 32 percent. The blind also earn
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DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
STAFF BOX
November - December 2009
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS is a bimonthly
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH NEWS
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Vol. XXVII No. 6
Editorial Board: Dr. Josef T. Yap,
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (PIDS). It highlights the findings
November - December 2009
President; Mr. Mario C. Feranil, OIC
and recommendations of PIDS research projects and important
ISSN 0115 - 9097
Vice-President and Director for Project
policy issues discussed during PIDS seminars. PIDS is a nonstock,
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the highest, at an average of P76,270 per year.
However, 69 percent of the mobility-impaired
PWDs earn more than the poverty threshold,
while only 65 percent and 44 percent of the
blind and deaf, respectively, earned the
same. This study likewise revealed that only
29 percent of the PWDs with jobs earned
equal to or more than the minimum wage.
The census survey conducted in 2000 already
has outdated information which just demonstrates how important it is for local government units (LGUs) to profile PWDs within
their jurisdiction. To make it easier for PWDs
to access discounts on services, the joint
study recommends that they should be given
special IDs. It also recommends that the city
social welfare office coordinate with village
health workers, who keep a more updated
list of PWDs in their areas. This would speed
up the identification and profiling of PWDs.
Since the situation of PWDs in relation to
poverty is beginning to be understood only
now, it is important that more information
about PWDs be disseminated not only to
them but also to the public in general. The
media has a big role to play in this, and so do
LGUs, who are the ones closer to PWDs.
LGUs can keep the PWDs and the organizations that support them informed about current policies and services.
The PIDS study stresses the need to enforce
anti-discriminatory and equal opportunity
laws for the PWD sector. This would enable
PWDs to lead more self-sufficient lives. PIDS
also recommends the promotion of a PWD
and non-PWD conducive environment
which entails the removal of certain barriers
or the addition of PWD-friendly facilities.
Placing entrance ramps along the front steps
to an office and adding elevators to a previously all-stairs building are examples of this.
This is necessary so that PWDs will be able to
participate with the rest in day-to-day activities and become integrated in the society. If
these necessary changes are not accepted and
put into place, then the PWDs will most likely
remain where they are now: in poverty. NPI