A subset of the informal financial institutions that has been recently used as lending conduits of special credit programs is the credit union system. However, they often face some resource constraints which prevent them from satisfying the credit demands of their members on time. Access to...

This paper is part of the project “A Review of the Components of the Medium-Term National Action Agenda for Productivity (MNAAP)” by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies and the Development Academy of the Philippines. It summarizes the findings in the different components of...

This paper evaluates the impact of the country’s recent trade liberalization experience on the performance, structure and competitiveness of the Philippine Packaging industry. It examines the changes in the industry’s protection level and its consequence, if any, on the levels of allocative...

In the past one and a half decades, the Philippine government pursued major economic policy reforms. One of the key focused areas is the trade sector. Policy reforms included tariff reduction, simplification of tariff structure, and tariffication of quantitative restrictions. While some of the...

This study analyzes the effects of the trade policy reform on the structure, performance and competitiveness of the appliance industry. It also examines the links between changes in the industry structure with changes in the performance and competitiveness of the industry. In particular, it...

Even with lapses in its implementation during the 1980s, trade reform has been continuously brought to the fore of structural adjustment program. It has become increasingly crucial during the 1990s not only because of the backlash of import-substitution but also of the country’s heavy foreign...

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...

The study analyzes the response of households, especially agricultural households, to price and income changes. The determination of the income and price elasticities of demand for food and nonfood items is important in framing appropriate policies affecting the macroeconomy and the agricultural...

Economic openness has been generally viewed as beneficial whether in terms of welfare or efficiency gains. While literature has incorporated that trade liberalization causes productivity growth, market structure has taken a prominent role in the analysis recently. This paper determines how it...

The primary objective for conducting the assessment of the social sector is to provide the basis for setting the thematic priorities for the Philippines, taking into account the development requirements in the next five years. The assessment covers four administrations, Aquino (1986-1992), Ramos...