Decentralization and housing delivery : lessons from the case of San Fernando, La Union, Philippines

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2000.Includes bibliographical references (p. 140-147).In this thesis, we argue that national policies (of housing and decentralization) when applied indiscriminately, without regard to the political, institutional, and capacity constraints of local governments, can have negative consequences, and sometimes end up being a regressive. This is particularly true when policies, designed in response to problems of large metropolitan areas, are applied randomly across entire nations. Our study analyzes the housing sector of the city of San Fernando, in the La Union Province of the Philippines, to draw lessons about the constraints that decentralized local government units face in practice. Our findings support the arguments for the differential treatment of local governments, in the implementation decentralization and housing policies. The Philippines decentralized its governance structure in 1991, with the passage of the Local Government Code. With this law, the responsibility of implementing housing projects was devolved to the local government level. Soon thereafter, in 1992, the Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA) was adopted with the intent of transforming the role of government in the housing sector from that of a "provider" to one of an "enabler." These reforms have been hailed as successful and revolutionary by many. Our findings challenge the alleged success of efforts to decentralize the housing sector of the Philippines. We found a conflict between some of the policies set forth in the Local Government Code and the UDHA. This conflict, combined with the limited technical and administrative capacity of local government units, such as that of San Fernando, are resulting in the implementation of housing projects reminiscent of the failed public housing schemes of the 1950s and 1960s. Through our analysis of the case, we identify the various political, social, administrative, and institutional limitations that constrain the local government of San Fernando in its approach to the housing sector. Our study suggests ways to deal with these constraints, and highlights the need for the differential treatment of local governments, in order to successfully implement decentralization, and other policy reforms in the developing world.by Ashna S. Mathema and Nayana N. Mawilmada.M.C.P

Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 37: an important cog in the oncogenic machinery of cancerous cells.

Protein ubiquitination is one of the most crucial posttranslational modifications responsible for regulating the stability and activity of proteins involved in homeostatic cellular function. Inconsistencies in the ubiquitination process may lead to tumorigenesis. Ubiquitin-specific peptidases are attractive therapeutic targets in different cancers and are being evaluated for clinical development. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 37 (USP37) is one of the least studied members of the USP family. USP37 controls numerous aspects of oncogenesis, including stabilizing many different oncoproteins. Recent work highlights the role of USP37 in stimulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis in lung and breast cancer by stabilizing SNAI1 and stimulating the sonic hedgehog pathway, respectively. Several aspects of USP37 biology in cancer cells are yet unclear and are an active area of research. This review emphasizes the importance of USP37 in cancer and how identifying its molecular targets and signalling networks in various cancer types can help advance cancer therapeutics.This study was supported by AIIMS Intramural grant (Grant number: A514) and AIIMS IITD Grant (AI-34) from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi, Delhi India to Mayank singh. Sidra Medicine Precision Program provides research funding to Mohammad Haris (5081012002). Muzafar A. Macha is supported by Ramalingaswami Fellowship (Grant number: D.O. NO.BT/HRD/35/02/2006) from the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, New Delhi

Manusmriti, the Indian Courts, and Their Women

Despite considerable scholarly and other writing on the Manusmriti terming it regressive, especially in its denial of rights to women, the presence of Manu still looms large in our courts. This article focuses on how even benign and seemingly harmless invocations of Manu by the judiciary to grant rights to women are equally problematic. Taking a gender perspective strengthens the case for doing away with the continuing presence of the Manusmriti from our texts, courts and society at large

‘Dr BR Ambedkar: Now & Then’ Uses Bahujan Lens to Highlight Stories of Resistance

This is a review of Jyoti Nisha\u27s film, ‘Dr BR Ambedkar: Now & Then’. It argues that the documentary reverses the Brahminical gaze at multiple levels by standing firmly rooted in a Dalit-Bahujan standpoint, neatly portraying Ambedkar as a civilising force in a deeply casteist society

Self-Defence under International Law: Lessons from the Israel-Gaza Conflict

The authors reflect on their experiences of teaching international law and human rights law in light of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. Prompted by their students\u27 scepticism about the relevance of international law, the piece argues that the enforcement of international law is not a precondition for the existence of international norms . The authors go on to examine Israel\u27s claims to the right to self-defence and the response of the international community at large

Problems and development issues of SMEs in Fiji

The small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in Fiji is still at a developing stage. This sector has the potential for growth through use of extensive marketing strategies. There are some success stories but in general this sector still faces some problems and challenges. SMEs in Fiji have been recognised as an essential tool in the development of a sustainable economy. Therefore, this research studies the factors affecting their development in Fiji. Performance of a small firm is influenced by many factors and one of them is its ability to respond to competition by way of adopting appropriate strategies to combat the threats. This research has found that pricing of goods, fixed cost related to businesses and competition from bigger businesses are three major challenges for SMEs in Fiji

Innovation and entrepreneurial activities of SMEs in Fiji

Small businesses may benefit from innovations in terms of structure, supply or markets, as producers of complementary products or in serving specialist niches. In addition, small firms may enjoy comparative advantage in industries that serve smaller, fragmented markets, where consumers value variety and where manufacturing flexibility carries a premium. This research highlights the present status of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Fiji and attempts to identify the strategies that help enhancing their competitiveness through innovation. Results of this study reveal that there is positive relationship between customer orientation and entrepreneurial activity and the correlation results are significant in explaining the linear association. The interesting result of this research shows that entrepreneurial growth in Fiji is not dependent on technological innovation