With the passage of Local Government Code in 1991, LGUs are challenged to efficiently manage its resources given the responsibility of delivering of basic services. With this premise, the “Population and Urbanization: Managing the Urbanization Process Under a Decentralized Governance Framework...

The promise and potential of the Philippine economy has remained unrealized notwithstanding the country`s talented labor force, skilled professionals, and relatively abundant resources. What ails the Philippines? This paper argues that the incompetence and downright corruption of Philippine...

This study looks at emigration governance in the context of decentralized Indonesia. It examines various local initiatives that have evolved following the onset of decentralization in Indonesia a decade ago. These initiatives materialized in the form of local regulations (perda). First, we...

This paper attempts to analyze governance systems in Southeast Asia and proposes some policy suggestions that can improve governance practices in the region. It also discusses the links between governance and official development assistance (ODA) and the role of the Japan Bank for International...

Microfinance is an emerging important financial subsector in Asian transition countries. Its role is to improve financial access of the poor and small economic players and thus help them to build assets, which means a contribution to poverty alleviation. This paper provides an overview of rural...

This paper examines Vietnam’s institutional debates and reforms during 1987-1997. It maintains that the country has started “renovation process” due to the collapse of the Soviet bloc in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Identification and analysis of the problems and challenges show that...

The nature of activity of the informal sector may vary across the developed and developing countries, yet it is evident that the sector contributes to economic growth anywhere in the world, regardless of a country's economic system. This article aims to highlight the importance of the informal...

Over the past decade, Metro Cebu has been rapidly moving toward growth and industrialization contributing as much as 70 percent to Visayas’ industrial output. However, associated with this progress are the concerns of various sectors about the quality of water services. Only 23 percent of the...

Governance is a complex concept. It includes the state’s institutions and structures, its decisionmaking process, its capacity to implement guidelines and the relationship between government officials and the public. Hence, this study attempts to develop a composite index of the quality of...

This paper attempts to analyze governance systems in Southeast Asia and proposes some policy suggestions that can improve governance practices in the region. To put the discussion on governance systems in a proper context, the paper discusses the governance and growth nexus in Southeast Asia;...