RESEARCH PAPER SERIES

RPS 2021-06: Toward an Inclusive Social Insurance Coverage in the Philippines: Examining Gender Disparities
by Aubrey D. Tabuga and Carlos C. Cabaero

The Philippines, a country prone to natural calamities and vulnerable to economic fluctuations, has much to accomplish in improving workers’ access to social protection. A focus on women’s access to social protection programs is crucial because of their significantly lower labor force participation rate than men. Using survey-based data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, this paper looks into the coverage of major social protection programs in the Philippines and examines the circumstances of different types of workers. It identifies the locations of individuals who have no access to social protection programs and belong to the bottom 30 percent of households in the country, as they represent those most in need of government intervention. Furthermore, it examines the social insurance aspect of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program to gain insights into how the country can improve coverage of social protection programs. Click here to download the research paper.

DISCUSSION PAPER SERIES

DP 2021-18: Social Networks and Access and Utilization of Weather and Climate Information: The Case of Upland Farming Communities in the Philippines
by Aubrey D. Tabuga, Anna Jennifer L. Umlas, Katrina Mae C. Zuluaga, and Sonny N. Domingo

Social norms and structures are vital factors that shape people's behavior and attitudes. It is, therefore, useful to analyze such underlying forces in the creation of strategies that are meant to influence behavior and activities. Agricultural extension services such as information dissemination and farmers' training are some of the interventions that can benefit from such analyses especially within a context of limited human and financial resources. The idea is to use the lessons learned from the analysis of social networks and norms in identifying potential local knowledge and information disseminators, thereby aiding the extension services. It also helps in the formulation of more contextualized approaches for reaching the underserved and hard-to-reach areas. Applying this approach, this study used the case of a remote upland area in Atok, Benguet, a major vegetable producer. This study used social network analysis to develop insights for designing more effective extension strategies. The results show that interventions like information and education campaigns can be improved by acknowledging the nuances in social relation structures. Click here to download the discussion paper.

Retirement of PIDS President Celia M. Reyes

The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) announces the retirement of Dr. Celia M. Reyes from government service effective July 31, 2021. Dr. Reyes is the first female president of PIDS who served for two consecutive terms.

Under her leadership, PIDS navigated the challenges of the health risks and lockdowns brought by the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing remote data collection and flexible work arrangements and by maximizing the use of digital technologies. READ MORE

PH's EV industry has strong potential for growth--PIDS study

The country’s electric vehicle (EV) industry has a strong potential for growth, according to a study of state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

In a webinar recently organized by PIDS, Supervising Research Specialist Maureen Ane Rosellon revealed that the global outlook of the EV sector is “very optimistic” given the increasing trend that has been observed in the global fleet for any type of vehicle from 2010 to 2019.

For instance, the number of electric cars sold went up from 450,000 units in 2015 to 7.2 million in 2019 globally. READ MORE

Failure to implement sanitary landfills due to budgetary constraints--DENR official

The implementation of sanitary landfills in the country has not been successful due to limited funds, according to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Benny D. Antiporda during a webinar conducted by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

“It was because of budgetary constraints that sanitary landfills were never successful. In some places, it was successful, but in majority areas of the country ay talaga pong hindi man lang ito naumpisahan,” he admitted.

To help local government units (LGUs) with no waste disposal facilities, the DENR promotes the ‘clustered sanitary landfill operation system’ wherein adjacent LGUs share a single sanitary landfill. READ MORE

PBEd official highlights data sharing to address K to 12 challenges

Data sharing among stakeholders is crucial to understand the career and educational aspirations of K to 12 graduates and employers’ expectations of them.

This was according to Executive Director Lovelaine B. Basillote of the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) during a webinar recently organized by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies titled “Senior High School Graduates Prospects and Challenges in the Labor Market”. PBEd is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by the country’s top chief executive officers in response to the need for greater education and economy alignment. READ MORE

Restrictive procurement policies can impede PH's integration with Asia-Pacific--PIDS study

The country's restrictive policies on foreign investors' participation in public procurement are roadblocks to its integration with the Asia-Pacific region.

This was according to Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Senior Research Fellow Francis Mark Quimba and Research Specialist Sylwyn Calizo at a recent webinar jointly organized by PIDS and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

Quimba and Calizo, who presented their study titled “How ready are we? Measuring the Philippines’ readiness for digital trade integration with the Asia-Pacific”, noted that three restrictions serve as a disincentive to foreign bidders: domestic preference, foreign equity limitations, and local reference requirement. READ MORE

SHS hands-on training, work immersion adapt to the 'new normal'--DepEd official

Education is one of the hardest hit sectors in the country due to quarantine restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. With this, schools face the challenge of ensuring that classes are not compromised.

Jocelyn Andaya, director of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Bureau of Curriculum Development, said this is important for practical classes that will prepare students for employment.

“One of the challenges during this pandemic is not just delivering quality education but also ensuring that our senior high school (SHS) learners are afforded opportunities for work immersion and hands-on training,” Andaya explained during the PIDS webinar titled “Senior High School Graduates’ Prospects and Challenges in the Labor Market” where she served as a discussant. READ MORE

DAR official suggests farm consolidation to boost agricultural productivity

While parcelization of collective certificates of land ownership award (CCLOA) is being pursued, farmers may also undertake other rural development strategies, such as farm consolidation, to boost agricultural productivity.

Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Undersecretary for Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Bernie Cruz said this at a webinar recently organized by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). The webinar discussed the benefits and challenges of parcelization and joining agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs). READ MORE

Digital health could reduce cost of health services--DOH official

Digital health or e-health, particularly telemedicine, has the potential to reduce the cost of health services.

Dr. Enrique Tayag, chair of the ASEAN Technical Working Group on eHealth and director of the Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service of the Department of Health (DOH), said this during a webinar recently organized by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

“Telemedicine is a game changer in this pandemic. It is slowly getting traction in many hospitals. Even doctors are into telemedicine now. We have different platforms and we are going to unveil many models of telemedicine so that everyone will benefit,” Tayag said, who served as a discussant at the webinar. READ MORE

Replicate initiatives on Manila Bay solid waste management at the nat'l level--SWM focal

Government initiatives to rehabilitate Manila Bay may be replicated at the national level, according to Marla Agas, solid waste management (SWM) focal of the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Manila Bay Clean-up, Rehabilitation, and Preservation Program.

Agas, who served as a discussant during a webinar on SWM recently organized by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), shared that on average, around 90 percent of the 178 local government units (LGUs) in the Manila Bay Area were compliant with the basic provisions of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. READ MORE

PH ready for digital trade integration with the Asia-Pacific region--DTI official

The Philippines is ready for digital trade integration with the Asia-Pacific region.

This was according to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary for Digital Philippines and E-commerce Lead Mary Jean Pacheco during a webinar on digital trade and health integration where she served as a discussant. The webinar was jointly organized by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

“We are built for this [digital integration]. The Philippine market is a huge and fast-growing, predominantly young middle-class population, which uses the internet the most. We have substantially digitalized small and medium enterprises that are known for resiliency and creativity,” Pacheco said. READ MORE

FACT FRIDAY

Every Friday, PIDS releases nuggets of research results culled from different PIDS studies. Here are some of the latest #PIDSFactFriday issues.

INFOBITS

Get to know more about our research findings through our newest infographic series--#PIDSInfoBits. Here are our latest issues.

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Webinar Bites

Watch these videos and get a glimpse of the highlights of our webinars on "Senior High School Graduates' Prospects and Challenges in the Labor Market" held on June 24 and "Challenges and Prospects of the Philippine Electric Vehicle Industry" held on July 8.

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