DISCUSSION PAPERS

DP 2019-11: Towards Inclusive Social Protection Program Coverage in the Philippines: Examining Gender Disparities
by Aubrey D. Tabuga and Carlos C. Cabaero

Using survey-based data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, this paper examines people's access to social protection by looking at the coverage of various social protection programs such as the Government Service Insurance System for government workers, Social Security System for private sector workers, and PhilHealth. It examines the circumstances of different groups of workers such as wage and nonwage earners, the self-employed, and the household workers, among others. It identifies the types of occupations and locations of those without access to social protection, or those who belong to the bottom 30 percent of households as they are those most in need of government intervention. The analysis is supplemented by an empirical estimation of the likelihood that employed and unemployed persons will be covered by social insurance schemes. It likewise offers a closer look at the characteristics of those outside the labor force because this is a primary reason for the exclusion of many individuals in accessing social protection. Further, the study examines the social insurance aspect of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. The study also recommends insights to improve the coverage of social protection programs in the country. Click here to download the paper.

DP 2019-10: The Philippines' Voluntary National Review on the Sustainable Development Goals
by Celia M. Reyes, Jose Ramon G. Albert, Aubrey D. Tabuga, Arkin A. Arboneda, Jana Flor V. Vizmanos,
and Carlos C. Cabaero

United Nations member-states, including the Philippines, committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to "conduct regular and inclusive reviews of progress at the national and sub-national levels, which are country-led and country-driven". The Voluntary National Review (VNR) aims to facilitate the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges, and lessons learned, to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The VNR also seeks to strengthen policies and institutions of governments and to mobilize multi-stakeholder support and partnerships for the implementation of the SDGs. In particular, this VNR report examines the status of the country in several SDGs, analyzing baseline data and recent historical data on SDG indicators, as well as other supporting indicators and identifying challenges and constraints. With the theme, "Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality", the following set of goals were reviewed in depth in this report: SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions), and SDG 17 (partnerships). Click here to download the paper.

Diversification of products key to improving PH export basket

The country’s export basket has a potential to evolve despite barely improving from 1995 to 2014, a study published by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) showed.

In a public seminar recently organized by PIDS, Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy, senior research fellow at PIDS and coauthor of the study, emphasized that the Philippines must undergo structural transformation or the transition from agricultural to industrial, and eventually, to the services sector—a process that richer and developed countries went through.

“The problem with the Philippine case is that we seem to have skipped a step. READ MORE

Global health problems increasing in the new globalization era

“The world is wealthier than before, but it is not necessarily healthier.”

This was how Susan Pineda-Mercado, special envoy of the president for the Global Health Initiatives described global health in the face of the New Globalization during her presentation at the fifth Annual Public Policy Conference (APPC) conducted recently.

According to Pineda-Mercado, whatever is happening to the world’s physical environment has an impact on health outcomes. READ MORE

PH SMEs weakly linked to int'l production, trade, and investments

Only a few small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines are linked to the so-called global value chains (GVCs). This is according to Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Consultant Tristan Canare in a public seminar recently organized by the Institute.

GVCs, as defined by the World Economic Forum, are the “full range of activities undertaken to bring a product or service from its conception to its end use, distributed across international borders”.

In his presentation, Canare said it is important to link SMEs to GVCs to expand the country’s market access and promote the transfer of technology, human capital, and information. READ MORE

BIMP-EAGA key to boosting Mindanao's trade under the new globalization

The Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), a subregional economic cooperation in Southeast Asia, can help Mindanao reap the fruits of the so-called New Globalization.

This was emphasized by Mindanao Development Authority’s (MinDA) Deputy Executive Director Romeo Montenegro at the Fifth Mindanao Policy Research Forum (MPRF) held in General Santos City recently.

The BIMP-EAGA covers the entire sultanate of Brunei Darussalam; Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua in Indonesia; the federal states of Sabah and Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan in Malaysia, and Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines. READ MORE

POLICY ISSUE AT A GLANCE

Silver Linings for Seniors in the Philippines

The Philippines is on its way to becoming an ageing population given its increasing number of people 60 years and older. With the higher prevalence of illnesses and comorbidities among senior citizens and considering that they are also less economically active compared to younger people, greater government support for their health care and income security is a necessity.

This infographic looks into the situation of senior citizens in the Philippines. It also analyzes the major government policies and programs for them and identifies the gaps in these programs. Finally, it discusses some ways to make the government’s social protection programs for senior citizens more accessible and responsive to their needs.

This infographic is based on PIDS Discussion Paper Series No. 2019-09 titled Silver Linings for the Elderly in the Philippines: Policies and Programs for Senior Citizens written by Celia Reyes, Arkin Arboneda, and Ronina Asis, PIDS president, research specialist, and executive assistant, respectively.

To view in actual size, visit the PIDS website or the PIDS Facebook page.

FACT FRIDAY

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