With the existing trajectory path of the Philippines' advancement aspirations, there is challenge that lies in sustaining and dramatically elevating the growth in foreign direct investments (FDI), which are critical for the country's economic development. In light of the impending reforms that...

This paper develops a unique dataset of Supreme Court land dispute cases in the Philippines spanning 2002 to 2016. The sample includes 1,409 cases with complete information on the estimated land value (through zonal value estimation), land size, land location, litigation time, and win rate...

This research attempts to examine the legal mandate of Philippine local government officials, mayors and barangay captains, within the national government's anti-illegal drug campaign, notably the police-led Project Double Barrel and Oplan Tokhang. To determine their duties, the General Welfare...

No other food is more central to Filipinos' diets than rice, yet no food poses a greater burden on poor and near-poor Filipinos' budgets. According to the 2015 Family Income and Expenditure Survey, the poorest 20% of households' rice expenditures alone accounted for more than 19% of their total...

Historically, large-scale capital-intensive industries have played a key role in many developing countries' industrialization. Some countries created state-owned enterprises (SOEs) with heavy government intervention and support to complete production chains to meet demand and export markets....

Imperial Manila is often blamed for controlling public spending in at least three ways: a) by being the beneficiary of a disproportionatley larger share of public spending; b) by “controlling” public spending allocations to the LGUs; and c) by passing on unfunded mandates to the LGUs. On the...

To achieve a better future by 2040, most Filipinos express the need for simple and efficient government transactions, affordable government services, and the elimination of corruption. This paper expounds on that vision by explaining how effective public goods and services are hinged on a...

This paper elaborates on the economics of the taxi sector in the Philippines, and the impact of emerging competition such as Uber. It argues that a better understanding of the economics of the taxi industry could help inform regulators on whether and to what extent they should regulate Uber in...

Trade and investment flows into less advanced economies could bring about important technological spillovers that could boost firm-level productivity and bolster their long term economic growth. This brief paper outlines some of the motivations for public sector interventions to support learning...

The Philippine government's Comprehensive Tax Reform Program Package 1 (CTRP-1) has sparked considerable discussion on its effects on households at different income levels. This paper focuses on the impact on income inequality of the CTRP-1, discerning gaps that continue to exist in the...