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

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

Mitogen-inducible gene 6 is an endogenous inhibitor of HGF/Met-induced cell migration and neurite growth

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/Met signaling controls cell migration, growth and differentiation in several embryonic organs and is implicated in human cancer. The physiologic mechanisms that attenuate Met signaling are not well understood. Here we report a mechanism by which mitogen-inducible gene 6 (Mig6; also called Gene 33 and receptor-associated late transducer) negatively regulates HGF/Met-induced cell migration. The effect is observed by Mig6 overexpression and is reversed by Mig6 small interfering RNA knock-down experiments; this indicates that endogenous Mig6 is part of a mechanism that inhibits Met signaling. Mig6 functions in cells of hepatic origin and in neurons, which suggests a role for Mig6 in different cell lineages. Mechanistically, Mig6 requires an intact Cdc42/Rac interactive binding site to exert its inhibitory action, which suggests that Mig6 acts, at least in part, distally from Met, possibly by inhibiting Rho-like GTPases. Because Mig6 also is induced by HGF stimulation, our results suggest that Mig6 is part of a negative feedback loop that attenuates Met functions in different contexts and cell types

3D 360° surface morphometric analysis of pounding stone tools used by Hadza foragers of Tanzania: A new methodological approach for studying percussive stone artefacts

Surface morphometry comprises a relevant set of techniques that provide objective tools to identify, map, and understand use wear patterns in stone tools. Thus far, these techniques have been applied mainly to 2D or 2.5D data, but their application to 3D 360° data is promising and still underdeveloped. Here, we apply new 3D techniques to calculate morphometric variables and to analyse surficial features and changes in pounding stone tools used for baobab processing among Hadza foragers of Tanzania. Baobab pounding stones were collected after use by Hadza foragers for processing the plant food and then 3D point clouds were acquired from laser scanners and SfM photogrammetry. Morphometry was conducted directly on 3D point clouds to avoid time-consuming and surface modifications related to more complex 3D data, such as meshing. Several morphometric variables were computed for the complete pieces (360° sphere) providing fast and accurate data to identify the detailed morphometric features of the artefacts. Additionally, stone surface changes due to baobab processing were measured by comparing the stone surface before and after use, thus enabling calculation of spatial abrasion patterns. Data were interpreted using multivariate exploratory statistical analysis. Differences in the effect of processing on surface morphology are likely explained by variations in raw source material and use. Results suggest that the traces produced by baobab processing on stone tools should be detectable in the archaeological record

Fuzzy species limits in Mediterranean gorgonians (Cnidaria, Octocorallia): inferences on speciation processes

The study of the interplay between speciation and hybridization is of primary importance in evolutionary biology. Octocorals are ecologically important species whose shallow phylogenetic relationships often remain to be studied. In the Mediterranean Sea, three congeneric octocorals can be observed in sympatry: Eunicella verrucosa, Eunicella cavolini and Eunicella singularis. They display morphological differences and E.singularis hosts photosynthetic Symbiodinium, contrary to the two other species. Two nuclear sequence markers were used to study speciation and gene flow between these species, through network analysis and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC). Shared sequences indicated the possibility of hybridization or incomplete lineage sorting. According to ABC, a scenario of gene flow through secondary contact was the best model to explain these results. At the intraspecific level, neither geographical nor ecological isolation corresponded to distinct genetic lineages in E.cavolini. These results are discussed in the light of the potential role of ecology and genetic incompatibilities in the persistence of species limits.French National Research Agency (ANR) program Adacni (ANR) [ANR-12-ADAP-0016]CNRSHubert Curien 'Tassili' program [12MDU853]CCMAR Strategic Plan from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia-FCT [PEst-C/MAR/LA0015/2011,FEDERinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Large mammal diets and paleoecology across the Oldowan–Acheulean transition at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania from stable isotope and tooth wear analyses

The well-dated Pleistocene sediments at Olduvai Gorge have yielded a rich record of hominin fossils, stone tools, and vertebrate faunal remains that, taken together, provide insight to hominin behavior and paleoecology. Since 2008, the Olduvai Geochronology and Archaeology Project (OGAP) has undertaken extensive excavations in Bed II that have yielded a large collection of early Pleistocene stone tools and fossils. The strata of Lower, Middle and Upper Bed II at Olduvai Gorge capture the critical transition from Oldowan to Acheulean technology and therefore provide an opportunity to explore the possible role of biotic and abiotic change during the transition. Here, we analyze newly discovered and existing fossil teeth from Bed II sites using stable isotope and tooth wear methods to investigate the diets of large mammals. We reconstruct the dietary ecology of Bed II mammals and evaluate whether vegetation or hydroclimate shifts are associated with the technological change. Combined isotope and tooth wear data suggest most mammals were C4 grazers or mixed feeders. Carbon isotope data from bulk enamel samples indicate that a large majority of Bed II large mammals analyzed had diets comprising mostly C4 vegetation (>75% of diet), whereas only a small number of individuals had either mixed C3–C4 or mostly C3 diets (<25% C4). Mesowear generally indicates an increase of the abrasiveness of the diet between intervals IIA and IIB (∼1.66 Ma), probably reflecting increased grazing. Microwear indicates more abrasive diets in interval IIA suggesting stronger seasonal differences at the time of death during this interval. This is also supported by the intratooth isotope profiles from Equus oldowayensis molars, which suggest a possible decrease in seasonality across the transition. Neither stable isotope nor tooth wear analyses indicate major vegetation or hydrological change across the Oldowan–Acheulean transition

Primnoidae (Cnidaria: Octocorallia) of the SW Indian Ocean: new species, genus revisions and systematics

The Indian Ocean is one of the least-studied areas of the world’s largest biome, the deep sea. On an expedition to five seamounts along the SW Indian Ocean Ridge in 2011, thousands of specimens from deep-sea habitats were procured. We propose five new species of Primnoidae, a predominantly deep-sea octocoral family. The new species include three from the genus Narella, and one new species each from Primnoa and Primnoeides; the latter genus is revised and we propose Digitogorgia as its junior synonym. We support the new species placement within Primnoidae through taxonomic descriptions and the most comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analysis of any deep-sea coral family (81 species across 29 genera). We also present a rare example of polar submergence (from the Antarctic shelf into deeper more Northern waters)

Pre-M Phase-promoting Factor Associates with Annulate Lamellae in Xenopus Oocytes and Egg Extracts

We have used complementary biochemical and in vivo approaches to study the compartmentalization of M phase-promoting factor (MPF) in prophase Xenopus eggs and oocytes. We first examined the distribution of MPF (Cdc2/CyclinB2) and membranous organelles in high-speed extracts of Xenopus eggs made during mitotic prophase. These extracts were found to lack mitochondria, Golgi membranes, and most endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but to contain the bulk of the pre-MPF pool. This pre-MPF could be pelleted by further centrifugation along with components necessary to activate it. On activation, Cdc2/CyclinB2 moved into the soluble fraction. Electron microscopy and Western blot analysis showed that the pre-MPF pellet contained a specific ER subdomain comprising "annulate lamellae" (AL): stacked ER membranes highly enriched in nuclear pores. Colocalization of pre-MPF with AL was demonstrated by anti-CyclinB2 immunofluorescence in prophase oocytes, in which AL are positioned close to the vegetal surface. Green fluorescent protein-CyclinB2 expressed in oocytes also localized at AL. These data suggest that inactive MPF associates with nuclear envelope components just before activation. This association may explain why nuclei and centrosomes stimulate MPF activation and provide a mechanism for targeting of MPF to some of its key substrates

Deep-Sea Origin and In-Situ Diversification of Chrysogorgiid Octocorals

The diversity, ubiquity and prevalence in deep waters of the octocoral family Chrysogorgiidae Verrill, 1883 make it noteworthy as a model system to study radiation and diversification in the deep sea. Here we provide the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the Chrysogorgiidae, and compare phylogeny and depth distribution. Phylogenetic relationships among 10 of 14 currently-described Chrysogorgiidae genera were inferred based on mitochondrial (mtMutS, cox1) and nuclear (18S) markers. Bathymetric distribution was estimated from multiple sources, including museum records, a literature review, and our own sampling records (985 stations, 2345 specimens). Genetic analyses suggest that the Chrysogorgiidae as currently described is a polyphyletic family. Shallow-water genera, and two of eight deep-water genera, appear more closely related to other octocoral families than to the remainder of the monophyletic, deep-water chrysogorgiid genera. Monophyletic chrysogorgiids are composed of strictly (Iridogorgia Verrill, 1883, Metallogorgia Versluys, 1902, Radicipes Stearns, 1883, Pseudochrysogorgia Pante & France, 2010) and predominantly (Chrysogorgia Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) deep-sea genera that diversified in situ. This group is sister to gold corals (Primnoidae Milne Edwards, 1857) and deep-sea bamboo corals (Keratoisidinae Gray, 1870), whose diversity also peaks in the deep sea. Nine species of Chrysogorgia that were described from depths shallower than 200 m, and mtMutS haplotypes sequenced from specimens sampled as shallow as 101 m, suggest a shallow-water emergence of some Chrysogorgia species