Health Policy Research and Development in the Philippines

In the hope to contribute to the exchange of ideas and experience regarding health research, this paper provides an overview of Philippine health policy research and development with a focus in its role to developing countries. Analysis indicates the need to set research priorities and to address research not only in terms of management and coordination but dissemination and utilization as well.health sector, research and development sector, research

Health Policy Research and Development in the Philippines

In the hope to contribute to the exchange of ideas and experience regarding health research, this paper provides an overview of Philippine health policy research and development with a focus in its role to developing countries. Analysis indicates the need to set research priorities and to address research not only in terms of management and coordination but dissemination and utilization as well.health sector, research and development sector, research

The Philippine Industrial Sector: Policies, Programs and Performance

Shortly after the assumption of President Aquino to the office, the government has instituted a wide-ranging set of sociopolitical and economic reforms. This paper evaluates the ongoing program of industrial restructuring and development in the Philippines. Preliminary to its purpose, it reviews the major developments during the 1970s and 1980s. The discussion of the performance of the industry as well as changes in the industrial structure serves as the point of departure for the subsequent assessment of trade and industrial policy reforms and programs.industry sector, industrial policies, industrial growth, industrial waste

Japan’s Aid to ASEAN: Present Realities and Future Challenges

In recent years, Japan has been experiencing unprecedented current account surpluses, a trend that is being predicted as likely to continue in the next few years. Japan’s response is three-pronged: expansion of domestic demand, improvement of access to their market and recycling external surpluses to the developing countries through various means such as the accelerated disbursement of official development assistance targets. This study is concerned with the last response, with an emphasis on Japan’s aid to the ASEAN. It also looks into the major challenges which Japan’s ODA must face at present and in the future.ASEAN, official development assistance

The Philippine industrial sector : policies, programs and performance

Unable to adjust adequately to external shocks, the Philippines experienced the most Severe economic and financial crisis in its postwar history in 1983. The country's economy was particularly vulnerable because the pattern of development which had -been pursued in the past was characterized by a distorted incentive structure, inefficient investments and heavy dependence on foreign borrowings. After managing to grow by I.i percent in 1983, the economy contracted by 7.0 percent in 1984 and by 4.1 percent in 1985. Industrial and manufacturing growth rates collapsed during the period. Domestic investments were the hardest hit, their growth plummetting by as much as 43.1 percent in 1984 and 21.7 percent in 1985. Open unemployment swelled to 25.0 percent in Metro Manila and 12.5 percent nationwide. The inflation rate accelerated to an average of 50.3 percent in 1984 before it somewhat cooled down to 23.1 percent in 1985, Shortly after the new government under President Corazon C. Aquino took over in 1986, it instituted a wide-ranging set of socio-economic and political reforms. The economic reforms were primarily aimed at increasing efficiency in the economy through the elimination of distortions in the incentive structure, the revitalization of private sector initiative and greater reliance on market forces. The ma3or policy reforms in the area of trade and industry which have been instituted by the Aquino. government include: (i) trade policy reform, which continued a_d expanded the import liberalization progra_ started in the early 1980s; and (2) investment incentives reform, which involved changes in the country's investment laws as well as the streamlining of the process of investment incentives availment. Other measures such as privatization, tax reform and financial sector reform are expected to have a significant impact on the development of the Philippine industrial sector. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the ongoing program of industrial restructuring and development in the Philippines. The main developments in the economy in the 1970s and 1980s will be briefly reviewed to locate the place of industry in the overall economy. The performance of industry as well as changes in industrial structure will also be discussed to serve as the point of departure for the subsequent assessment of trade and industrial policy reforms and programs. Within the _ndustrial sector, the main focus will be on the manufacturing sector. The paper is structured as follows: Section II provides an overview of the main developments in the economy in the 1970s and the 19_0s, and reviews the performance of the manufacturing sector duringthe period. Section III assesses the government's progress in the implementation of major policies and programs of industrial restructuring and development, with emphasis on the period after 1985. The policies and programs to be covered are the following: macroeconomic policies; trade reform; export promotion program; program for the regional dispersal of industries; program for technology upgrading and development; privatization; and financial sector reform

Philippine trade policy options

This paper explores trade options for the Philippines in the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations. We do not purport to be exhaustive in identifying a wide range of alternatives nor do we claim to have the best ideas about the stance the country should take in the Negotiations. The specific objectives of this paper are: (a) to review the trade experience of the Philippines; (b) to indicate some policy options in the context of the Uruguay Round; (c) to describe the products or markets which have apparent i m p o r t a n c e t o the Philippines in the present Round/ the priorities the country can take, and the new issues that will be covered in the Round; and (d) to suggest some strategies which can be pursued by the Philippines in the Round. In order to provide the perspective within which the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the Uruguay Round must be viewed, the next sector briefly reviews the trade experience of the Philippines, focusing mainly on the evolution of the trade structure and trade performance over time. Section 3 subsequently discusses GATT and the Philippine's role in it, particularly in the last round of multilateral negotiations. Section 4 zeroes in on the Uruguay Round, why it is important for the Philippines, what the Philippines' priorities in the Round should be, what political coalitions the Philippines is participating in and what new issues are included in the Round and how Philippine interests are affected by these. The following section outlines an agenda for the negotiations under the Uruguay Round, highlighting options and strategies. Section 6 concludes the paper