Philippine Government Research Articles

Strategic Implementation of Integrated Water Resource Management in Selected Areas of Palawan: SWOT-AHP Method

In the recent past, Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) has emerged as the method of choice for resolving a wide range of water-related conflicts that arise between governments and stakeholders all over the globe. Despite a variety of regulations and initiatives being put into place, there is still skepticism over their actual execution. In 2006, the Philippine government began updating the water policy and regulatory framework to promote IWRM as a foundation for sustainable development. However, implementation of this national and subnational structure is still in process. This study intends to identify and rank the key elements likely to affect IWRM changes at the subnational level in Palawan Province. Specifically, this study aims to identify the elements that might improve the result of adopting IWRM, which is as important as designing policies, institutions, and instruments for putting the approach into action. This approach combined the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques, a hybrid multi-criteria decision procedure, SWOT-AHP. Expert group discussion revealed the essential elements impacting IWRM implementation in this research, and these elements were categorized into SWOT categories. The AHP approach was used to determine the relative relevance of each component identified in the SWOT analysis. The results show that the following ranking groups have a higher priority for Puerto Princesa: threats (group weight 48.8%), strengths (35.4%), weaknesses (10.7%), and opportunities (5.1%). The ranking group for Roxas is the following: opportunities (36.8%), strengths (27.4%), weaknesses (21.5%), and threats (14.3%). Taytay has the following ranking group: opportunities (27.9%), weaknesses (27.1%), threats (24.7%), and strengths (20.3%). While El Nido has the following ranking group: strengths (33.5%), weaknesses (24.3%), opportunities (24%), and threats (18.2%). This research identified and prioritized the key components essential to the effectiveness of the IWRM concept in the research sites. This study recommends evaluating IWRM implementation using the upgraded element framework, enhancing the strategic framework to assess state, federal, and local IWRM governance performance.

An Evaluation of Policies Promoting Physical Activity among Filipino Youth

Government is key to promoting physical activity at the population level through policy. The government was one of the physical activity indicators graded for the 2022 Philippine Physical Activity Report Card based on ten physical activity-related policies. This study aimed to evaluate the scope of the policies and to update these policies. Philippine government databases were searched for policies using physical activity-related key terms. Policies found were evaluated using the Wales Active Healthy Kids scoring rubric. The overall grade was converted to a letter grade based on the Global Matrix 4.0 grading system. The authors analyzed the policies' scope and implications to practice and policy. Seven additional policies were found. Considering all 17 policies, the government indicator grade is now A- from the preliminary grade of B. The scope covers promoting physical activity mainly through sports participation and active transport among students, student-athletes, persons with disabilities, and the general population in school and community settings. The gap between government and overall physical activity (F) scores suggests the need for a comprehensive physical activity plan promoting various forms of physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior among all Filipino youth and across various settings. Crucial to achieving change is a well-coordinated, whole-of-systems approach to promoting active healthy lifestyles.

Modern Islam in Southeast Asia : Mindanao

This research is entitled History of Modern Islam in Southeast Asia: Mindanao. The limitations of the discussion in this study are: 1) History of the Arrival of Islam in the Philippines, 2) Spanish Colonial Period, 3) United States Imperialism Period, 4) Transitional Period, 5) Post-Independence Period until now. It aims to find answers to the following questions: (1) What are the reasons behind their armed struggle and the search for secession? (2) What actions have been taken and are still being taken by the Philippine government to solve the problem of Muslim rebellion? This research was conducted using a literature study approach, with the aim of tracing the history of Islam in Mindanao. The results show that: The research shows that the causes of the Muslim problem are rooted in the Philippines' colonial past while the direct and current causes are traced to government neglect and abuse, corrupt local/traditional Muslim leaders, agrarian discontent and land disputes and, the rise of the Islamic religion in the whole world. The study revealed that the Philippine government was sincere in finding a solution to the problem as they hadstarted peace negotiations with the insurgents. Any peace negotiations or talks that the government participates in are always within the terms of the Tripoli Agreement and within the constitutional boundaries of the Philippines.

Constraints to sustained adoption of organic farming and ramifications to community development in Occidental Mindoro, Philippines

This study looks into a recurring issue that adoption of organic farming is problematic despite the Philippine government’s big investment on its massive promotion and notwithstanding of the technology’s potential for delivering economic, environmental, and social benefits. The study involved two major players—a private enterprise and an organic farmers’ association in organic farming. It argued that a private enterprise perceived to be resource-rich is likely to sustain adoption of organic farming compared to farmers belonging to the people’s organization. Mixed method and participatory data gathering techniques were employed. Both groups practiced organic farming techniques endorsed by the Philippine National Standards on Organic Agriculture. The private enterprise is engaged in the production of forest trees, fruits, vegetables, spices, rice, swine, and cattle. The farmers’ association is producing high value crops such as rice, onion, watermelon, and garlic. However, both have experienced some constraints categorized as political and regulatory that may prevent them from sustaining organic farming in the future. These constraints may hamper their desire to contribute to improving people’s well-being while ensuring the integrity and protection of the environment.

Creating "boots on the ground": addressing the shortage of field epidemiologists in the Philippines through intermediate-level training programmes.

As of 2022, only 49 graduates of the Philippines' Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP) were employed by the Philippine Government, emphasizing the urgent need to increase the number of practicing field epidemiologists to better equip the country for public health emergencies. The FETP-Intermediate Course (IC) curriculum is based mainly on the module of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was incorporated into the Philippine context. It consists of five 1-2-week lecture series that provide participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to conduct job-relevant field projects. Individual projects are the centrepiece of the FETP-IC, requiring trainees to investigate outbreaks, design and develop protocols, conduct field data collection, manage data, analyse data, interpret data, write reports and deliver oral presentations. To address the shortage of practicing field epidemiologists in the Philippines, a subnational initiative in Northern Luzon was implemented. Within 3years, the two FETP-IC subnational training programmes have produced 42 applied epidemiologists who will strengthen epidemiology and surveillance in their respective localities. As of February 2023, 92 studies have been conducted, including 39 outbreak investigations, 37 data quality analysis/process improvement projects, 10 epidemiological studies and six surveillance evaluations. By training and deploying skilled epidemiologists to local health offices and hospitals, the programme is helping to improve the capacity of the health system to respond to public health threats and protect the health of the population. The programme's emphasis on practical training and real-world experience is an effective way to build a strong and sustainable epidemiological workforce.

Anthropology, Democracy, and Authoritarianism

This article examines the challenges that the right-wing populist governments in Brazil and the Philippines pose to anthropological practices as a way of discussing the responses and responsibilities of anthropologists vis-à-vis situations of growing authoritarianism across the globe. It explores the importance of public and political engagement for the national anthropologies that have developed in Brazil and the Philippines and stresses their complex relationship to recent dictatorial and democratic regimes. It discusses the threats that Jair Bolsonaro’s and Rodrigo Duterte’s governments have brought to the discipline and to the oppressed and marginalized subjects that anthropologists in those countries have typically studied and allied themselves with, as well as the reaction of anthropologists to such threats. Showing that the current Brazilian and Philippine governments combine economic and social neoliberalism with deeply illiberal political practices, the article proposes a fundamental distinction between liberal democracy and neoliberalism to argue that liberal democratic institutions and practices are fundamental conditions for the possibility of a politically engaged and publicly relevant anthropology.

Challenges and Strategies of Rural Electrification Program for Electric Cooperatives in Central Luzon, Philippines

The Philippine government strongly advocates the Rural Electrification Program for over 50 years, purposely to generate better opportunities that would propel socio-economic development. Various rural electrification initiatives were then established to attain universal electricity access but actual accomplishments continue to lag behind the targets. This study delved into the Rural Electrification Program of four (4) Electric Cooperatives in Central Luzon, Philippines, and assessed its impacts on poverty, health and well-being, quality of education, economic growth and development, industry and infrastructure, and climate change. A descriptive research design was applied and used qualitative and quantitative methods of research in collecting, investigating, and explaining the data. The quantitative method involving numerical data was gathered from the respondents through a survey questionnaire powered by Google forms while in the qualitative aspect, an interview with the respondents along with appropriate observation was conducted. Determination of different problems confronting the said program and the application of aggressive and more advanced strategies were conducted. Findings revealed that the biggest electrification challenge being experienced by Electric Cooperatives (ECs) was rural inaccessibility and remoteness of areas along with difficult or rugged terrain. Thus, the best-recommended solution for non-viable areas after trying all the possible options would be off-grid electrification. In conclusion, the implication of the findings of the study of Public Administration was deliberated to comprehensively assess the opportunities to attain an enhanced quality of life, better access to basic services in areas of health, education, and water as well as resilient infrastructure towards rural development, for the best interest of Filipino people. Keywords: Rural electrification program, Electric services, Universal electricity access, Central Luzon, Philippines

Resilience and Survival in the Twentieth Century of a Chinese School in Iligan City, Philippines

Abstract This study explores the causal elements of resiliency and continuity in a Chinese school located on the southern island of the Philippines, Mindanao. Established by the Huaren community in Iligan City in the 1930s, the changing political, economic, and socio-cultural landscape of the country over the years since 1948 has brought about challenges and changes to the school. The presence of an “alien” minority whose: (1) commercial endeavors were perceived to be gaining control of the country’s economy, (2) strong cultural ties from their country of origin creates a degree of social separateness from the native population, and (3) political loyalty was questioned (as exemplified during the “Red Scare” Syndrome) were among the concerns that coincided with the resurgence of Filipino nationalism, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s. The passage of “nationalization” laws placed restrictions and curtailments on foreign control in the country, and the Chinese school in Iligan was not exempted from the measures instituted by the Philippine government. But despite such measures, the school has continued to serve its purpose as an academic institution that not only educates young minds with basic educational training but also contributes to the preservation of the Chinese language and culture in the community. It remains and continues to serve the community as the only foreign-language school in the city.

Review of “Unfree: Migrant Domestic Work in Arab States”

Rhacel Salazar Parrenas has been working in the area of migrant domestic workers and is considered to be one of the leading scholars in the area. In this book, with reference to the Kafala system in the UAE, Parrenas asks an important question, “how domestic workers themselves see their relationship of inequality with employers?” (p.5) The question is directly relevant to migrant domestic workers working in other countries, though they may not face the same “strict” system. The study is based on in-depth interviews of eighty-five Filipina domestic workers and thirty-five employers under the Kafala system in the UAE. The author also draws from her participant observation of pre-departure orientation seminars for workers in the Philippines that are required by the Philippine government. According to Parrenas, the Kafala system “legally infantilizes domestic workers.” (p.45) As employers have legal responsibility for any misbehavior or misdeeds by their migrant domestic workers, this assigned responsibility encourages “the dehumanization of domestic workers.” (p.45)

Towards the Development of a Blockchain System for Philippine Government Processes for Enhanced Transparency and Verifiability

There are cases of corruption and fraud within the Philippine government that have gone under the radar, often due to a lack of transparency and verifiability. The objective of this study is to prototype a blockchain network that can run a government process as a decentralized application such that it can enhance transparency and verifiability in the public sector. This can be accomplished by identifying a government process that would be converted into a decentralized application. One of these processes would be converted into a decentralized application. Afterwards, a blockchain framework should be identified — one which can create a public permissioned blockchain network. This framework can be used to design and implement the prototype blockchain network which the decentralized application can run on. The final prototype constitutes of smart contracts deployed on an Ethereum test network with a web frontend to easily interact with it. Mechanisms of the application that are deemed necessary to transparency and verifiability of the system are also identified. Finally, the variable cost of the system and possible limitation is explored in the paper. In this regard, the prototype offers a foundation with which other decentralized applications can follow and build upon. This is to promote transparency and verifiability within and among government processes.

Father of Philippine Plant Breeding

Dr. Dioscoro L. Umali was one of the first ten academicians of the National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines (NAST PHL) selected in 1978. In 1986, Academician DL Umali was conferred the Order of National Scientist, the highest award bestowed on a Filipino scientist by the Philippine government. National Scientist Umali is recognized for his scientific contributions to pioneering breeding researches on abaca, rice, hybrid corn, and the ornamental Mussaenda, his mentorship of many students who became scientists and research administrators, as an institution builder, and his inspiring leadership in trailblazing agriculture, agrarian reform, and rural development.

Smart Metro: Deep Learning Approaches to Forecasting the MRT Line 3 Ridership

Since its establishment in 1999, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) has served as a transportation option for numerous passengers in Metro Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government's transportation department records more than a thousand people using the MRT3 daily and forecasting the daily passenger count may be rather challenging. The MRT3's daily ridership fluctuates owing to variables such as holidays, working days, and other unexpected issues. Commuters do not know how many other commuters are on their route on a given day, which may hinder their ability to plan an efficient itinerary. Currently, the DOTr depends on spreadsheets containing historical data, which might be challenging to examine. This study presents a time series prediction of daily traffic to anticipate future attendance at a particular station on specific days.

Bisayan Dialect Short-time Fourier Transform Audio Recognition System using Convolutional and Recurrent Neural Network

Speech is a form of oral communication that reinforces thoughts and ideas that have general purpose and meaning. In the Philippines, Filipinos can speak at least three languages. English, Filipino, native language. The Philippine government says the Philippines has more than 150 regional native languages, one of which he says is Cebuano. This research aims to implement automatic speech recognition (ASR) specifically for the Bisayan dialect, and researchers use machine learning techniques to create and operate the system. ASR has served its purpose in recent years not only in the official language of the Philippines, but also in various foreign languages. The required datasets were collected throughout the study to train and build the models selected for the speech recognition engine. Audio files are recorded in waveform file format and contain Visayan phrases and sentences. Audio was captured through hours of recorded audio and process using Tensorflow short time Fourier transform (STFT) algorithm to ensure the accurate representation. In order to analyze the audio data, the recordings were specially converted to digital format, specifically .wav and making it sure all records are uncorrupted with only one channel, and finally have a sample rate of 22050kHz. A data mining process was carried out by integrating CNN layers, dense layers, and RNNs to predict the transcription of speech input using multiple layers that determine the output of the speech data. The researchers used the JiWER Python library, which was used in parallel when evaluating WER. This is because the trained scripted data set contains at least 500 time recordings totaling 61.78 minutes. Overall, the WER output is at best 99.53% and the percentage of records used is acceptable.

Exploring the Ripple: A Case Study on the Social Consequences of the War on Drugs for Affected Families

The war on drugs is an effort to of the Philippine government to combat illegal drug use by greatly increasing penalties, enforcement, and incarceration for drug offenders. But the impacts have led to consequences such as decreased household income, incidents of child labor, and children dropping out of school, thus demonstrating the war on drugs deteriorated the overall wellbeing of children living in poverty. This study explored the challenges encountered by the families affected in the war on drugs of the government. The study focused on a case study of the social consequences of the war on drugs for affected families. The case study research design was employed in these studies. It was participated by the chosen respondents of Barangay Gata Diot, Clarin, Misamis Occidental. Interview responses were analyzed using Yin’s 5-step data analysis approach. This study generated four (4) themes: (1) Emotional Distress (2) Family, Relatives and Peer Influence (3) Frustration (4) Sustainability of Livelihood. In this study the researcher analyzed the data using Yin’s 5-step data analysis approach. The second step involves the researcher breaking down the data to reduce and eliminate recurring themes of the phenomena. As a result, most of the participants have different responses on the social consequences of the on drugs in the affected families. These challenge gives a big impact to the affected families emotionally, mentally and financially. But despite of the challenge they were encountered, the participant was able to fine alternative solution to survive in that situation. Further, the affected families in war on drugs must be given a full support by our government, especially in strengthening community-based initiatives, encourage the development of community-based initiatives that promote awareness, education, and prevention of drug abuse. Such initiatives can include support groups, counselling services, and educational campaigns targeting families and individuals at risk. And develop comprehensive support programs just liked establish specialized support programs aimed at addressing the specific needs of families affected by the war on drugs. And lastly, these programs should provide emotional, psychological, and financial support to help families cope with the challenges they face.

Issues and Concerns of the Jail Officers in Dealing with Persons Deprived of Liberty: A Phenomenological Study

Correction, play a critical role in criminal justice system. Nevertheless, despite the existing laws that provide reformation and protects the rights of every Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL), jail officers are chronically understudied relative to their issues and concerns experiences in dealing with PDL. This study seeks to fill a gap in the literature related to jail studies by interviewing the City jail in Ozamiz in order to determine their issues and concerns towards the PDL. There are seven Jail Officers served as the participants of the study. Data obtained through interviews were analyzed through Houlton Thematic analysis it analyzed the qualitative data. The gathered data from the participants were analyzed and found four (4) themes which includes: (1) Struggles in eradicating contraband; (2) Difficulty in maintaining the security and other services due to lack of personnel; (3) Different personalities of the Persons Deprived of Liberty; (4) Lack of fund. We discuss the implications of these findings, includes in addressing the Philippine government to support the needs of National, Regional, and local jails especially in allocation of budget, providing additional enhancement programs for the personality development of PDL, and increased of jail personnel for effective performance of services.

THE UNDERLYING CONCERNS DEFYING ORGANIC FARMERS IN THE PHILIPPINES

The shifting trend in the consumption of health and environmentally-friendly products in the market prompted the government and selected farming entities to shift to organic agriculture from conventional farming methods. Hence, the Philippine government conducted programs motivating the local farmers to shift to organic farming, given its potential in the market. Moreover, this study explores the underlying challenges defying the farmers in adopting organic farming and the action taken to counter the issues. The investigation adopted the case study research design, using the validated researcher-made interview guide in data gathering. Using the purposive sampling technique, ten (10) farmers from the selected accredited organic farms in Bohol and Negros Occidental willingly and voluntarily participated in the one-one-interview with the researchers and field investigators. For data analysis, thematic analysis was used. The themes developed from the challenges experienced by the farmers in adopting organic farming in the aspect of production and marketing are Nature’s Devastating Effect to the Crops, Pests, and Insects: Farmers Worst Enemies, Competition in the Market Share of Organic Produce Versus the Non-Organic Products, Ensuring the Health of the Soil, Long Period of Working and Waiting, Cyclical Nature of Farming Challenges. So, to remedy these problems, they realized that Challenges in Organic Farming are Inevitable and needed to Widened their Learning Horizon Through Trainings and Seminars. Further, the challenges they experience in their quest of adopting organic farming in the provision of supporting infrastructure are: Absence of Supporting Infrastructure Needs Self Help, Selective Provision of Government Assistance, No Support Since Time Immemorial. To survive, the actions taken were: Farmers’ Self Reliance Leads to Survival and Financiers Provide Capital to the Farmers. The organic farmer in the Cebu and Negros Occidental, Philippines, has been confronted with various challenging situations that affected their sustainability amid competing with the producers of vegetables, fruits, and livestock using conventional farming methods. The most significant problem the organic farmers face is the reality of the Philippines’ vulnerability to strong typhoons and other calamities that would destroy the crops. Also, because organic farming does not apply commercial chemicals, there were instances that insects and pests would destroy their plants. Also, organic agriculture requires more time to restore the health of the soil that was destroyed after long years of applying harmful pesticides and fertilizers. Hence, the yield that would compensate the farmers’ efforts and capital outlay cannot be recovered immediately after each cropping season.

Challenges and Strategies of Implementing the Philippine Government Internship Program during Covid-19 Pandemic

Programs of the government like the government internship program (GIP) aim to attract the best human capital to become part of government service. However, the implementation of such program particularly in the hiring, monitoring & evaluation phases became challenging as consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, this paper focused on determining the challenges met and the strategies applied with regard to the implementation of the said government program across the identified phases. Using a case study design, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews with purposively selected participants. Through the thematic framework of Braun and Clarke, emerging themes were deduced from the transcripts of the interviews. Findings revealed that challenges encountered include processing, schedule, major turn out of applicants, withdrawal of beneficiaries, behavior and competency, which existed in both hiring and monitoring & evaluation phases. In addition, the strategies implemented include target setting, proposal preparation, implementation, making of accomplishment report, weekly submission and collection of report, and completion internship. The study concludes that the implementation of the Philippine Government Internship Program met various challenges as the landscape of society changed due to the presence of COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the carrying agency of the government internship program navigated its way to implement effectively despite the circumstances by applying several strategies like target setting, proposal preparation, implementation, accomplishment report making, submission and collection of report, and internship completion. Finally, the facts demonstrated that in the implementation of a program such as this, resiliency along with professionalism and commitment remained critical for its success despite the catastrophic calamities such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

TOWARD CRAFTING AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM (IP) FOR THE NEW NORMAL STAKEHOLDERS’ STANDARDS

The Philippine government ordered the cessation of classes to contain the circulation of coronavirus; therefore, people had to stay at home. Here, the researchers used quantitative data analysis (QDA) with a questionnaire as the main instrument for data gathering. Findings included: the practice teachers see the extent of their essential skills with media teaching platforms as Great Performance. Their adjustment is Fair Performance. The stakeholders perceived practice teachers with Fair Performance and Minimal Performance. There is a variance between practice teachers’ and stakeholders’ perceptions in all variables such as in media teaching-learning platforms and adjustment. Therefore, an Intervention Program (IP) was crafted to help practice teachers adapt to the stakeholders’ standards. The researchers concluded that 1) practice teachers’ essential skills in the media teaching platforms are great but fair in the adjustment; 2) stakeholders’ perception of the practice teachers’ essential skills is fair and fair or minimal performance in the adjustment; and 3) the researchers did not accept the null hypothesis because there is a variance between practice teachers’ and stakeholders’ perception in all variables. Hence, the researchers recommend that 1) training and seminars on media teaching platforms be intensified; 2) adjustment or transition into teaching be enhanced; (3) an IP be implemented and evaluated regularly; and 4) interested researchers may be encouraged to replicate the study by using other means to evaluate the practice teachers’ skills on the media teaching platforms. Keywords: Interventi

Role of the Government in the Economy: Challenges and Opportunities of the Philippine Government

Role of the Government in the Economy: Challenges and Opportunities of the Philippine Government

Digital Finance on Stability among Philippine Banks

To promote financial inclusivity while being responsive to technology demands, the Philippine government implemented a framework that requires banks to improve and innovate their payment systems. The introduction of the National Retail Payment System raises the question of whether the aim of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in advancing digital financial inclusion significantly impacts the financial stability of universal and commercial banks. This correlational study examines the impact of digital financial inclusion on bank stability utilizing principal component analysis and linear regression analysis from a dataset of 19 universal and commercial banks from 2017 to 2019. Findings showed that a higher level of digital financial inclusion is associated with higher banking stability for Philippine universal and commercial banks. While the results support the study hypothesis of a positive relationship between the two (2) variables, the statistical significance cannot be guaranteed at the outset of this analysis due to the limited number of years examined.