The impact of security on Philippine tourism : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University

This study investigates the nexus between security and tourism within the development context within political structures and institutions examining specifically the impacts of security issues on the tourism industry of the Philippines. The latest global security events and the country's volatile security situation caused by political instability issues, terrorism and incidence of crime have together posed serious threats to the government's efforts to promote the country as a premiere tourist destination While tourism may be perceived by many social science and development writers as just a western mechanism to propagate capitalism, it has, for most Third World countries like the Philippines, nevertheless contributed significantly to their economies in terms of foreign exchange earnings, taxes and jobs generated. In examining the impact of security events and issues on Philippine tourism, a quantitative analysis which compared arrivals before and after security events led to the finding that terrorism caused the biggest declines. The fieldwork results which were based on surveys of tourists (both foreign and domestic), hotel management staff, and officials from government and the industry itself also led to a similar proposition that terrorism has affected travel decisions more than political instability and crime. However, fieldwork also revealed that internal conflicts caused by clashes between the government and Muslim and communist rebels have influenced tourists' choice of tourist destinations both in the countries they travel to and among the destinations in the Philippines. While political instability and incidents of crime within the Philippines did not seriously concern tourists on the whole, problems of corruption and a perceived weak government system to solve local security incidents have surfaced indicating the need for strategies to address problems within political institutions and structures. There were also differences in perceptions of fear and security between foreign and domestic tourists, and also among foreign tourists of different nationalities. Considering these observed perception levels in promoting tourism to these different groups may be more effective in attracting tourists to the country. This study concludes that Philippine tourism can recover from the consequences of both global and local security events provided that the government imposes stricter and more effective security systems, engages in more effective promotional strategies which target particular nationalities, and continues to cooperate with its ASEAN neighbors and international organizations like the WTO and WTTC to resolve security issues at hand. Utilization of risk management plans and crisis management plans implemented by countries that were affected by security problems in the past should provide some valuable means to the Philippines, and any other country with security problems. Overall, a combination of factors such as the active involvement of the Philippines in regional activities, constant dialogues with rebel forces and other insurgent groups, prosecution of perpetuators of terrorist acts and crimes, and a government of good integrity will enable tourism to lead to development

South and South-East Asian coastal fisheries: their status and directions for improved management: conference synopsis and recommendations

As a step to address the problems of coastal fisheries in Asia, the WorldFish Center joined forces with fisheries agencies from eight developing Asian countries (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam) and the Asian Development Bank, to implement a project entitled “Sustainable Management of Coastal Fish Stocks in Asia” (also known as the “TrawlBase” project). The project was implemented between 1998 and 2001. The main achievements of this partnership were: (a) Development of a database called “Fisheries Resource Information System and Tools” (FiRST), which contains trawl research survey data and socioeconomic information for selected fisheries, and facilitates its analysis; (b) Evaluation of the extent of resource decline and over-fishing, both biological and economic, in the region; (c) Identification of the measures needed to manage coastal fisheries in the participating countries, resulting in draft strategies and action plans; and (d) Strengthening of national capacity in coastal fisheries assessment, planning and management

National Accounts in Philippine Economic History: A Preliminary Report on Data Gathering and Research Trends

This paper aims to lay down the foundation for a research project compiling the historical statistics of the Philippine economy, as part of the Research Unit for Statistical Analysis in Social Science (2003-2008), the Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo. First, I detail what we have accomplished in the gathering of historical data on the Philippines, mainly from US university libraries and archives. Second, I share what I worked on for part of the research on Philippine foreign trade. Third, a brief review is made of research studies on Philippine national income accounts in Philippine economic history. Fourth, I discuss, tentatively, some historical factors that need to be considered for an accurate estimate of Philippine national income accounts.

Gender Equality in the Labor Market in the Philippines

This report on gender equality in the labor market in the Philippines is drawn from studies by a team of international consultants selected by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a technical assistance project on promoting gender equality in Asian labor markets for inclusive growth, implemented in cooperation with the International Labour Office (ILO), Bangkok. This report comprises a gendered analysis of the Philippines’ labor market, policies, and legislation, and provides recommendations for policies and legislation that have the potential to expand or improve employment and work opportunities for women in specific sectors in the Philippines. The report provides a summary of findings and recommendations that are specifically relevant for the Philippines from an analysis of gender equality and the labor markets in Cambodia, Kazakhstan, and the Philippines, and two global good practice reviews: one on social and economic policy and the other on legislation (ADB 2013a; ADB and ILO 2013a; ADB and ILO 2013b)

Decentralization of Governance and Financing of Public Roads in the Philippines in the 1990s

A major theoretical as well as political approach to transport infrastructure investment and management is the idea that such services are public goods and should not be subject to private market considerations. However, from time to time, public provision seems to fail, which increases the importance of various forms of private sector participation. Assessing the impact of devolution on the country's road infrastructure, the author underscores the lack of coherence in the design and redistribution of resources and responsibilities, which resulted in a coordination gap between national government agencies and local government units. An important insight is that the private provision of a public good may be feasible, for as long as its consumer-beneficiaries can be made to pay a use price, such that the revenue stream to the private provider is greater than the cost of construction, administration, and upkeep of the public good.infrastructure, devolution, decentralization, private sector participation, local government code, road network, road infrastructure, decentralized governance

India's collaboration in science and technology with Southeast Asian countries

The collaboration in science and technology (S&T) is fast emerging in the scientific world. India recognized the importance of international scientific collaboration in S&T quite early and has signed a number of S&T agreements with South East Asian countries. In this paper, the collaboration is presented through the analysis of co-authored research papers published during the period 1996 to 2000 in the journals covered by the Science Citation Index. The study covers the nature and the areas of S&T collaborations, institutions involved, and the impact of these collaborations on their individual fields. It is revealed that a total of 329 co-authored papers were published during the period. Out of these, 214 were published through bilateral and 115 through multilateral efforts. The priority areas vary with the nature of collaboration as well as with the collaborating country. The institutions involved in these collaborations are also indicated. The research papers analyzed reflect the present status of India’s collaboration in S&T with the South East Asian countries. Such a study will help decision-makers to identify the potential S&T areas for future international cooperation

Who controls East Asian corporations ?

The authors identify the ultimate ownership structure for 2,980 corporations in nine East Asian countries. They find that: A) More than half of those firms are controlled be a single shareholder. B) Smaller firms and older firms are more likely to be family-controlled. C) Patterns of controlling ownership stakes differ across countries. The concentration of control generally diminishes with higher economic and institutional development. D) In many countries control is enhanced though pyramid structures and deviations from one-share-one-vote rules. As a result, voting rights exceed cash-flow rights. E) Management is rarely separated from ownership control, and management in two thirds of the firms that are not widely held is related to management of the controlling shareholder. F) In some countries, wealth is very concentrated and links between government andbusiness are extensive, so the legal system has probably been influenced by the prevailing ownership structure.Small and Medium Size Enterprises,Microfinance,Small Scale Enterprise,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Economic Theory&Research,Microfinance,Private Participation in Infrastructure,Small Scale Enterprise,Rural Land Policies for Poverty Reduction,Economic Theory&Research

Social and historical aspects of the assimilation of Christianity in Southeast Asia from 1500-1900 with reference to Thailand and the Philippines

Though many have attempted to address the complexities of the encounter between Christianity and non-western societies, the literature has not dealt much with Southeast Asia. This article attempts to help fill that gap by examining some of the factors affecting the assimilation of Christianity in Southeast Asia by looking at two countries in detail: Thailand and the Philippines. These two countries offer strikingly different assimilation results. Thailand was not colonized when Christianity was introduced while in the Philippines colonization and Christianity were intimately linked. As a result, both Thailand and the Philippines are a study in contrasts

Hazardousness of place : a new comparative approach to the Filipino past

© Ateneo de Manila University. The historiography of the Philippines has been largely bounded by the nation-state, which has defined how its past has been conceived and to whom its peoples are mainly compared. A more transnational environmental history, however, seeks to situate the archipelago within the context of the daily threats that its peoples have to face. This article focuses on the hazardous nature of living in the islands and explores the ways in which Filipinos have adapted to natural hazards as a frequent life experience over time

Gender Equality Results Case Study - Bangladesh: Second Urban Primary Health Care Project

Development Aims and Impacts. The Urban Primary Health Care Project strengthened and expanded primary health care infrastructure and services with a focus on the urban poor. The project provided preventative and curative services, including access to immunization, reproductive health services, limited curative care, nutrition-related services, community outreach on health issues, and assistance for women survivors of violence. In project areas, there were significant improvements in key indicators, including under-5 mortality, maternal mortality, total fertility, child malnutrition, and control of sexually transmitted infections. ADB Processes and Management Tools. During the project design phase, a gender action plan (GAP) was developed. This plan provided analytical background and set out a series of initiatives to strengthen attention toward gender equality issues and improve access of women and girls to health services. In addition to the GAP, other approaches that contributed to the project’s gender equality performance were pro-poor targeting particularly women and children, public–private partnership health service delivery model, and creation of awareness among adolescent boys and girls. Specific indicators to track progress were included. The project increased access to health services (health facilities were constructed close to poor communities, with a target of providing 30% of services to identified low-income families), increased women’s access to health services (70% of beneficiaries were females), and contributed to improvements in maternal mortality ratio