Philippine Government Research Articles

Women in Philippine Government Financial Institutions: A Network Analysis of Interlocking Governing Boards

Interlocking directorship is often described as the practice of members of a corporate board of directors serving on the boards of multiple corporations simultaneously. In the Philippines, previous studies have shown that of all the directors that served on the top 100 corporations, only 15 percent are women. On average, women comprise only 13 percent of the board of directors of individual companies. Hence, this study examines board interlocks within Philippine Government Financial Institutions (GFIs) and their gender aspect. By analyzing ten GFIs through network analysis over the period 2017-2019, this study finds two important points: (i) women’s representation in the board has been significantly low and (ii) board interlocking is highly connected and highly concentrated on a few directors holding multiple seats. Although they are still connected with the rest of the network members, women must go through farther and lengthier paths to reach other members than their male counterparts. This diminishes the opportunities to be an influential and significant network member. Thus, this paper recommends bringing the issue into national policy debates and creating better employment opportunities for women.

Philippines

Abstract Marine litter has been a persistent problem in the Philippines despite comprehensive legislation on solid waste management in place for more than twenty years in the form of Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. Until 2021, the Philippines did not have a national policy and legislation that directly addressed marine litter issues in the country. In 2021, the Philippine government launched the National Plan of Action for the Prevention, Reduction, and Management of Marine Litter (npoa-ml) and in 2022, Congress passed Republic Act No. 11898 or the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022.

An Analysis of the Economic Growth Indicators of the Philippines: 1990-2020

Considering that GDP is one of the main indicators that influence the economic growth of a country, there are certain factors that affect its increase or decrease. This study was conducted to understand the relationship between the Philippines’ economic growth (Gross Domestic Product) and its economic factors namely: Trade Openness, Inflation rate, Foreign Direct Investment, and Labor Force. The researchers used a quantitative-correlational approach to determine the strength of the relationships between the variables. Moreover, the researchers concluded that the variables of Foreign Direct Investment, Trade Openness, Labor Force were significant determinants to explain economic growth, while Inflation Rate was insignificant. The Philippine government may utilize the paper to emphasize the relationship of the variables towards economic growth, specifically, the Trade openness variable, which showed a significant relationship towards economic growth yet had unsatisfactory results as an indicator for economic growth.

The Relationship between Philippine Population, Remittances, Foreign Direct Investment, and Trade Openness on its Gross Domestic Product

Considering that GDP is one of the main indicators that influence the economic growth of a country, there are certain factors that affect its increase or decrease. This study was conducted to understand the relationship between the Philippines’ economic growth (Gross Domestic Product) and its economic factors namely: Trade Openness, Inflation rate, Foreign Direct Investment, and Labor Force. The researchers used a quantitative-correlational approach to determine the strength of the relationships between the variables. Moreover, the researchers concluded that the variables of Foreign Direct Investment, Trade Openness, Labor Force were significant determinants to explain economic growth, while Inflation Rate was insignificant. The Philippine government may utilize the paper to emphasize the relationship of the variables towards economic growth, specifically, the Trade openness variable, which showed a significant relationship towards economic growth yet had unsatisfactory results as an indicator for economic growth.

Government Social Workers Fight Virus and Public Criticism: The Implementation of Social Amelioration Program During Covid-19 Pandemic in the Philippines

This paper talks about the issues surrounding the implementation of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) by the Philippine government and how the social workers are caught between looking after themselves in this pandemic, being vigilant against criticisms, and making credible decisions on the eligibility of people who are going to avail SAP. In critically analyzing the issues and power relations, the paper presents two ideas: (a) analyzing the perspectives of the government and citizens on deciding who are eligible beneficiaries of the program using the deservingness theory which best describes the perspectives in play in the decision making and how these perspectives create tension in the implementation of the program; and (b) analyzing the power perspectives of the social worker, using Michel Foucault’s ideas of power, which help social worker maintain professionalism, remain optimistic about their profession, make sound judgments amidst all the noises of the bureaucracy, public doubts, criticism and possibly burn out.

Self-Paced Learning in Exploring Noli Me Tangere During the Covid-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine government made sure that learning was still in force in the country’s basic education system by utilizing a modular approach in delivering its programs. All lessons were to be completed without a teacher on-hand, where students will simply rely on their self-paced learning style in understanding and answering the written activities given in the modules. This study describes the self-paced learning process and experiences of students in the exploration of Jose Rizal’s literary masterpiece, Noli Me Tangere. A phenomenological approach was adopted for this study, focusing on the lived experiences of the research participants during this period of learning under a protracted lockdown. Axial Coding was utilized to construct linkages among data to reveal codes, and emerging themes were analyzed. It is found that students were able to practice self-paced learning despite some negative feedback, while the stakeholders’ support for students during the pandemic is individualized and vital to the student’s learning experience.

Mamdani Fuzzy-Based Assessment of Telework Capability of Philippine Government Employees

Due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine government encouraged enterprises and businesses to utilize flexible work arrangements such as work-from-home (WFH) or telecommuting setup. Nowadays, the key components necessary for a telecommuting include a WiFi-enabled IT equipment, secured work environment, and reliable internet connection, while research shows that type of work and computer literacy are also key factors for telework implementation. Multiple studies in relation to telework have already been conducted but some studies were deemed inconclusive and need further analysis. Therefore, in this study, a Mamdani fuzzy-based model was developed for telework capability assessment for Philippine government employees based on four significant factors namely: internet speed, IT equipment availability, computer literacy, and type of work, which are expressed in linguistic representations. The proposed fuzzy system can provide a feedback telework capability score based on the four input parameters which may also be characterized with the potential telecommuting cost requirement.

Review: Diasporic Cold Warriors: Nationalist China, Anticommunism, and the Philippine Chinese, 1930s–1970s, by Chien-Wen Kung

In this well-written monograph based on extensive archival research and fieldwork, Chien-Wen Kung explores how the Philippine Chinese became the “world’s most exemplary Cold Warriors” (p. 1). Borrowing from Stephen Krasner’s concept of “shared sovereignty” (p. 9), Kung convincingly argues that the Kuomintang, often with the cooperation of the Philippine government, instigated a “re-organization” of institutions and networks such that “threads of anti-communism [were] woven into the fabric of Philippine Chinese society” (p. 122). Along the way, Kung shows how the Communist left became increasingly marginalized as Philippine Chinese in different social classes “practice[ed] anti-Communism” for both “ideological and self-interested ends” (p. 78).The first two chapters trace the prewar history of the KMT, Chinese society and Chinese Communism, as well as the subsequent triumph of KMT vis-à-vis Chinese Communist influence in the Philippines. The remaining five core chapters examine select individuals, organizations, and activities.Kung’s analyses underscore two main points. The first focuses on the KMT’s dominant influence in Philippine Chinese society, with the tacit acceptance of the Philippine state, which in turn allowed the Republic of China (ROC) to assert non-territorial sovereignty over the Chinese. The clearest example lies in Kung’s examination of the Quintin and Rizal Yuyingtung case. As publisher and editor of Chinese Commercial News, they deviated from the dominant anticommunist discourse and were arrested for publishing pro-Communist material and deported to the ROC to be tried as ROC nationals.The second centers on the Philippine Chinese’s adaptation to the anticommunist climate by practicing anticommunism in myriad ways and for a variety of reasons. Kung examines individuals and groups to try and assess their motivations. Alfonso Sycip, a wealthy businessman with no hardline ideological leanings, likely assumed leadership of the Philippine-Chinese United Organization in Support of Anti-Communist Movement in 1951 to establish his “credentials” in the new geopolitical climate. Shih-I-Sheng, who did not come from an elite background, opportunistically positioned himself as a “go-to expert” on Chinese communism even though the information he provided was questionable (p. 92). Among those Philippine Chinese who participated in tours to Taiwan arranged by the ROC/KMT were those who viewed their trip in “sentimental and ideological terms” (p. 167) and others who viewed it in practical terms associated with professional development (p. 174). Taken together, the individual cases exemplify the ways in which Philippine Chinese negotiated their own paths in the anticommunist climate of the Cold War.Kung’s monograph makes important contributions to the scholarship of the Cold War in Asia. By delving into Philippine Chinese society and culture, the study provides us with a nuanced view of how the Cold War was experienced by individuals on the ground. In analyzing the influence of the KMT and the ROC in shaping the seemingly uniform anticommunist orientation of Philippine Chinese in collaboration with successive Philippine governments, Kung also shows how the influence of the KMT/ROC in the Philippines was exceptional when compared to its neighbors such as Malaya and Indonesia. More importantly, Kung’s work rightly focuses our attention on intra-Asian connections that are often overlooked in studies that center on the role of the United States in the Cold War.

The Challenges Faced by Christian Missionaries and Maranao Muslims in Lanao del Sur, Marawi City: A Scientific Study

This paper utilized a content study to clarify the several challenges faced by Maranao Muslims in the Province of Lanao del Sur, Marawi city. The study focuses on the following activities conducted by Prelature Sisters in Marawi city, Parish in Balabagan, and in Malabang mentioning their challenges both Maranao Muslims and Christian missionaries. The tendency of giving priority of this study is to discuss the challenges faced by Christian Missionaries and Maranao Muslims in Lanao del Sur, Marawi city, to clarify the hidden reality of their challenges. To address this limitation, an analytical study is conceived to foreground the challenges of Christianization in the Province of Lanao del Sur.Descriptive Analysis used in this paper in order to describe the challenges faced by Christian Missionaries and Maranao Muslims, contextualizing and examining the factors that shaped challenges, synthesizing and understanding/confirming/clarifying the reality of challenges. One of the most important result of the study; the Filipino Muslims knew that the main purpose of existing of the Christian missionaries and Christian settlers in their areas through the Philippine Government is to Christianize them. The challenges faced by Maranao Muslims taught them to wake-up each other, and taught them to unite in order to stop the Christianization in the province of Lanao del Sur, and the Christianization program never success in Marawi City until now.

Foundational mathematics and reading skills of Filipino students over a generation

Children around the world largely rely on the formal education system to teach them foundational mathematics and reading skills. The inability of an education system to do so may indicate it has structural constraints. In this paper, we use three rounds of a nationally representative government-run household survey to examine trends in the mastery of foundational mathematics and reading skills among grades 4–10 students between 2003 and 2019 in the Philippines. We find that not all higher-grade students master the skills that are taught by grade 3. Comparing between cohorts, we find that foundational mathematics skills continued to decline between the 2003 and 2019 cohorts. Foundational reading skills, however, trended up among the early grades between 2013 and 2019 after stagnating between 2003 and 2013. The latter is suggestive evidence that major educational reforms implemented by the Philippine government since 2012 may have successfully improved reading skills but not mathematics skills. We also find that inequality in foundational skills by sex and wealth has decreased. Overall, the Philippine basic education system, building on its success in ensuring virtually all children attend elementary schools, still has ample room to ensure all students master foundational mathematics and reading skills.

Drivers, Roadblocks and Status Quo of Renewable Energy Transition in The Philippines: A Literature Review

One of the dire consequences of Philippine economic advancement is environmental deterioration due to unfavorable upshots brought by fossil fuels as the main drivers of its electricity generation. To thwart this impeding dilemma, the Philippines is currently decarbonizing its system and transitioning into a more sustainable renewable energy (RE) game plan conforming to United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. This review article discusses the Philippine government's enablers, challenges, and initiatives toward its goal of a 50% renewable energy power mix by 2040. It also delineated the impacts of significant government renewable energy laws and programs on the current setting. A semi-systematic review was conducted among the peer-reviewed research articles and substantial private and government assessment reports relative to renewable energy development in the Philippines, with the date of publishing from 2016 to the present. Results showed that significant roadblocks to renewable energy deployment are political impediments, government support for coal, policy implementation, permitting process, environmental setbacks, foreign ownership, grid connection challenges and misperceptions. On the contrary, major drivers are depreciating cost, intermittency and seasonality solutions, investment risks on fossil fuel technology, employment creation, streamlined regulatory processes, and absence of transportation cost, among others. Initiatives were taken to strengthen domestic and foreign partnerships to maximize subsidies, grants, donations and investments. Given the enabling factors and current government mechanisms, the country has great potential to attain its 35% renewable energy target by 2030 and 50% by 2040 through a coordinated national RE target.

COVID-19 community pantries as community health engagement: the case of Maginhawa community pantry in the Philippines

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated and surfaced long-standing inadequacies in the country’s health and social systems. In response to the Philippine government’s inefficient and ineffective COVID-19 response and their dismissal of the calls for accountability, Filipinos at the barangay level organized community pantries to respond to the needs of the community. Using WHO’s Framework for Community Health Engagement, this study positions community pantries as a unique health phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic within the Philippine context. This study explores the ways that the Maginhawa Community Pantry—the critical case study—addresses both emergent and pre-existing health needs among Filipinos during the COVID-19 pandemic. By examining community pantries from the perspective of the Maginhawa Community Pantry organizer, this paper elucidates how community pantries engage in diverse initiatives that: (1) mobilize the community for health, (2) improve access to healthcare, (3) ensure community collaboration and (4) call for collective action for systemic issues. The findings of this paper highlight the capacity and potential of community pantries as a health response beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and address gaps in the Philippine healthcare system.

Where is the Force?: Mismatches and Contradictions with Post-Disaster Recovery and Rehabilitation Task Forces

The Philippines frequently experiences natural disasters and occasionally man-made ones. As such, Republic Act No. 10121, also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, provides designated lead agencies to respond to different stages of disaster management. Despite this, the Philippine government has resorted to the creation of inter-agency task forces (IATFs) to deal with these disasters. These task forces were designed to expedite the implementation of rehabilitation programs and projects. However, in the cases of Task Force Yolanda and Task Force Bangon Marawi, the completion of such programs for typhoon Yolanda and Marawi siege affected areas has been delayed tremendously despite the presence of IATFs. Through an assessment on the effectiveness of the IATFs’ clusters using the multiple case study approach, this paper aims to determine whether or not IATFs were necessary for the recovery and rehabilitation phase of Typhoon Yolanda and the Marawi siege. Upon carrying out the assessment, the lack of timeliness and planning of rehabilitation programs, inconsistencies in the NEDA and OCD reports, insufficient community participation, and the mismatch of services and needs were observed. As such, this paper recommends the creation of criteria for the selection of task force leadership along with other measures that can increase the government’s transparency and accountability through periodical auditing and encourage community participation in rehabilitation initiatives.

A dichotomy of smokers in the Philippines following sin tax reform: Distinguishing potential quitters from those unlikely to quit.

The Philippine government significantly raised cigarette excise taxes in 2013, following passage of the landmark Sin Tax Reform Act of 2012. As a result, cigarette prices increased substantially. Given varying smokers’ responses to the price increase, we examined underlying typologies of Filipino smokers and assessed how these typologies determine smoking intensity. We used cross-sectional data from the 2015 wave of the Philippine Global Adult Tobacco Survey (N = 1,651). To uncover typologies, random effects latent class modelling was used on six individual smoker responses (attempting to stop, thinking about quitting, decreasing sticks smoked, switching to cheaper brands, buying in bulk, and asking from others). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed to uncover determinants of typologies and smoking intensity. We found two typologies based on smokers’ response. The first group, called “potential quitters” (62.62%), is composed of smokers who are more likely to consider quitting and decrease sticks smoked. The second group, called “unlikely to quit” (37.38%), have smokers who opt for price-minimization strategies like switching to cheaper brands, buying in bulk, or asking cigarettes from others. Potential quitters tend to be female, a student, and less nicotine dependent. They smoke up to three fewer sticks than those unlikely to quit, controlling for other factors. Nicotine dependence stood out as the most important predictor of being in the unlikely to quit group. The dominant role of nicotine dependence in determining a smoker’s typology points to the need for non-price based measures, such as those targeted towards highly-nicotine dependent smokers, to complement tax-induced price increases and comprehensively address the smoking problem.

Narrative expansion and "terrorist" labeling: Discursive conflict escalation by state media

How does state rhetoric change as conflict intensifies against intrastate enemies? We forward the concept of narrative expansion and labeling, to analyze the escalatory transformation of conflict discourse by the Philippine state media. The data set includes 4,098 articles from the state’s official news agency, covering early attempts at reconciliation and the eventual failure of peace negotiations between the Philippine Government and the National Democratic Front (NDF). Analysis involves a mixed methods approach, combining computational network analytics of word networks with a qualitative interpretation of emergent themes. Results reveal a discursive shift emanating from the state’s mouthpiece, alongside the political deterioration of peace talks with the NDF. The state narrative initially expands to include not only conciliatory but also confrontational talk. Eventually combative talks dominate, including a shift in labeling the enemy as terrorist rather than rebel. Narrative expansion likewise refers to state news discursively increasing the number of social actors involved in the conflict as either enemy or ally. Our findings contribute to understanding how discursive shifts may move from conciliatory to hostile discourse in a protracted intrastate conflict.

Civil society and peace: The role of Muhammadiyah in GPH-MILF Conflict

In fact, civil society has a huge chance to have an impact on each of these goals as a conflict transformation agent. Including Muhammadiyah, a civil society organization that works to resolve the conflict between the Philippine government and the MILF by acting as a locomotive for peace This study seeks to provide light on Muhammadiyah's role in bringing about peace in Mindanao. utilizing qualitative techniques, including in-depth interviews, on-the-ground observations, and document tracing. This study aims to draw attention to the fact that civil society, like Muhammadiyah, has not always been able to play a significant role in promoting peace. As a moderate Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah's main office is still not fully capable of visibly converting itself when it becomes an agent of peace.

Productivity, Efficiency, and Convenience of Tourism Management Students in Online Education versus Traditional Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in the global education system, requiring all educational institutions to adapt online instruction in response to government regulations such as lockdowns, travel restrictions, and the ban of public meetings, among others. As the country recovers from the effects of this pandemic, the Philippine government has chosen to return educational institutions' activities to face-to-face mode. During the pandemic, several academics sought to learn about the influence of online education on students' academic achievement, students' attitudes about online learning, the impact on students' mental health, and parents' perceptions and experiences. However, despite the abundance of published material, there is a lack of studies on students' preference between online education and traditional education, notably among tourism management students in the Philippines, as well as studies that have determined the differences on students' choice in terms of the type of institution they are enrolled at, motivating the researchers to conduct this study. Using a descriptive research design taking on quantitative research approach, the researchers aimed to determine the experience of tourism management students in selected colleges and universities in Region IV-A, Philippines towards online and traditional education in terms of productivity, efficiency, and convenience. Findings of this study serve as guide for government agencies concerned with education and educational institutions to understand their stakeholder, allowing them to come up with more preferable policy decisions in the future.

OFW Reintegration Program Beneficiaries Towards Economic Sustainability

This research assessed the Philippine governments Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) reintegration program beneficiaries towards crafting an economic sustainability framework. It sought to profile the OFW reintegration program beneficiaries by age, sex, civil status, educational attainment, last job classification as an OFW, last country they worked in as an OFW, and the number of years spent as an OFW. Further, it pursued to determine to what extent OFWs economic sustainability in terms of financial capacity, economic sustainability, and social mobility were impacted and influenced by the level of availment of reintegration programs in terms of program relevance, availability and ease of access of the program, and personal intention of OFWs to improve their economic status. Lastly, it aimed to provide recommendations on how to strengthen reintegration programs and craft a reintegration program economic sustainability framework. The results of the study could serve as baseline information and guide for the government and policymakers in looking at how effective reintegration programs are in improving economic status and sustainability of OFWs, and developing further and improving policies, programs, and services that would help OFWs and their families. Additionally, it would also float existing issues and concerns on the current policies based on the experiences of OFWs that could be appropriately addressed by concerned government offices should they be made aware of the realities. The study covered OFWs in the National Capital Region who availed of reintegration programs. This study used quantitative research method to examine the reintegration program beneficiaries and the effect of such reintegration program in their economic sustainability. A survey was conducted on a sample of OFWs who availed of the programs to look into the effect of these reintegration programs to them, as well as their assessment, experiences, and recommendations for improvement of the program. A survey questionnaire was devised to gather the profile of the sample. Frequency and percentage distribution was used to see the demographic characteristics of the respondents. Multiple regression analysis was employed in determining whether economic sustainability in terms of financial capacity, economic capacity, and social mobility was affected by the level of availment of reintegration program of OFW beneficiaries.

Antenatal Care Utilization of Mothers in Selected Cities in Bicol Region: A Quantitative Study

Background. Antenatal Care (ANC) is an essential mandatory preventive care service freely given to pregnant women by the Philippine government. Despite the available ANC services in the country, not all pregnant women still avail of the service.Objective. The study determined the socio-demographic profile of mothers, their ANC services utilization, and the different problems encountered during their antenatal care.Methods. A descriptive research design was used. Purposive sampling was employed to identify the population of the study: women of reproductive age, 18-45 years old, and who had a live birth for the last three years regardless of utilization, partial utilization, or non-utilization of ANC services. Mothers who were currently pregnant and had a history of abortion or stillbirth delivery were excluded from participation. Proportionate sampling was computed to get the sample size: 334 mothers from Iriga City and 392 from Tabaco City. The survey questionnaire was based on the ANC guidelines of the DOH. The statistical treatment used was frequency counting, percentage, and ranking in data analysis.Results. The mothers in Iriga City and Tabaco City were ages 23-27 years old who had 1-3 children, were single but living with partners, and in a nuclear type of family with 4-6 members, were unemployed/housewives, and belonged to a low-income family with >P7,890 family income. In Iriga City, the majority were high school graduates, while in Tabaco City, most were graduates of vocational courses; and elementary and high school undergraduates. There were excellent assessments for history-taking, physical examination, and care provisions in both cities, except for oral health care examination, tests for syphilis, stool examination, acetic acid wash, safe sex education, and oral health checkups and prophylaxis. The identified problems were financial constraints, lack of support system, busy taking care of the kids, sickness, forgetfulness, unwanted pregnancy, drunkard husband, difficult first trimester, bad attitude of midwives, nurses, doctors, and unequal treatment of poor patients.Conclusions. Mothers in both cities were young adults with a low education level who lived with their partners in a poor small nuclear family. Not all ANC services were excellently utilized. Among these were the poor utilization of the tests for syphilis, stool, acetic acid wash; oral health care examination; safe sex education; and oral health checkups and prophylaxis. There were various problems that mothers encountered when seeking ANC services, the most common of which were financial and personal issues.

Assessment of Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care Functionality of Rural Health Units in Luzon

Background. Establishing and integrating Basic Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (BEmONC)-capable facilities into the healthcare delivery system is one of the strategies employed by the Philippine government to address high maternal mortality.Objectives. This study aimed to determine the functionality of BEmONC-capable rural health units (RHUs) in Luzon, the largest island in the country.Methods. The study utilized a researcher-administered facility survey and facility observation using a checklist designed to measure BEmONC functionality. Facilities were selected through a two-stage sampling method. A BEmONC Score Card was used to determine the overall functionality of a facility based on three categories — institutional capacity, service capacity, and personnel capacity. The total scores from the three categories provided the overall functionality score.Results. Of the 245 BEmONC-provider RHUs included in the study, 85 (35%) were adequately functional. The mean functionality score for Luzon (60±25.27) corresponded to adequate functionality. The mean institutional and service capacities were consistently high across all regions on the island. Still, the personnel capacity did not reach the minimum average, pulling down the overall score and leading to low overall functionality.Conclusion. The BEmONC facilities continue to function despite being hampered by factors that can be easilyremedied. The provision of BEmONC services remains relevant across all regions in Luzon as they fill in the gaps and serve the needs of mothers and pregnant women. This study should be replicated in the Visayas and Mindanao to obtain a complete representation of the BEmONC program.