Publications

An agricultural growth model is proposed to verify the agricultural convergence hypothesis among some Asian countries following the method of Barro and Sala-i-Martin (1992) and Sala-i-Martin (1996). Conditional convergence of agriculture is facilitated by foreign aid intended for agriculture and spatial externalities associated with foreign trade. However, foreign aid for agriculture may not serve the purpose of mobilizing resources for an environment conducive to development, but rather may function as a substitute to public  expenditure for the sector.

An agricultural growth model is proposed to verify the agricultural convergence hypothesis among some Asian countries following the method of Barro and Sala-i-Martin (1992) and Sala-i-Martin (1996). Conditional convergence of agriculture is facilitated by foreign aid intended for agriculture and spatial externalities associated with foreign trade. However,
foreign aid for agriculture may not serve the purpose of mobilizing resources for an
environment conducive to development, but rather may function as a substitute to public
expenditure for the sector.

This paper explores the complex process of rural development at the community level in the Philippines. From the complementation among the essential elements of rural development (social infrastructure, physical infrastructure, and financial services), linkages are traced towards the attainment of goals. Roads initiate the delivery of other physical infrastructure to the usually isolated rural community. Roads also facilitate the delivery of capacity building activities and community organizing, which empower the community. An empowered community, in turn, will be able to stride a sustainable path towards development. Although development assistance requires a certain density of a bundle to exhibit an effect in
a community, expansion of the coverage from the current rate will be needed. Without expansive coverage of a comprehensive package of interventions similar to those provided through official development assistance, manifestation of rural development may be delayed further. A comprehensive package of development projects may be identified and formulated through a participatory approach. Substantial funding that will enable both intensity of intervention and wider coverage will be more efficient than a project implemented in phases spread over time covering different communities. This simultaneous implementation will
generate rural development constructs and an expected multiplier effect, both of which are long-term outcomes. This effort will require efficient coordination and synchronized implementation of various development assistance intended for the rural sector.

This paper explores the complex process of rural development at the community level in the Philippines. From the complementation among the essential elements of rural development (social infrastructure, physical infrastructure, and financial services), linkages are traced towards the attainment of goals. Roads initiate the delivery of other physical infrastructure to the usually isolated rural community. Roads also facilitate the delivery of capacity building activities and community organizing, which empower the community. An empowered community, in turn, will be able to stride a sustainable path towards development. Although development assistance requires a certain density of a bundle to exhibit an effect in a community, expansion of the coverage from the current rate will be needed. Without expansive coverage of a comprehensive package of interventions similar to those provided
through official development assistance, manifestation of rural development may be delayed further. A comprehensive package of development projects may be identified and formulated through a participatory approach. Substantial funding that will enable both intensity of intervention and wider coverage will be more efficient than a project implemented in phases spread over time covering different communities. This simultaneous implementation will
generate rural development constructs and an expected multiplier effect, both of which are long-term outcomes. This effort will require efficient coordination and synchronized implementation of various development assistance intended for the rural sector.

BACKGROUND:

Until 1998, iodine deficiency was a public health problem in the Philippines. A law entitled "An Act Promoting Salt Iodization Nationwide" (ASIN) has been passed and implemented by the government to eliminate iodine deficiency. The contribution of salt iodization, as well as dietary, health, and environmental factors, to improving the intellectual performance of Filipino schoolchildren remains to be determined.

OBJECTIVE:

The objectives of the study were to determine the relationship between iodine status and levels of psychomotor and cognitive performance in first-grade children aged 6 to 10 years, and to examine the extent to which dietary, biochemical, health, and environmental factors contribute to children's mental performance.

METHODS:

Two hundred ninety children in six classroom sections from a public school in Manila were examined by measurement of urinary iodine excretion (UIE) and thyroid palpation. The median UIE level for each section was determined. Sixty-five children classified as iodine deficient (UIE < 90 microg/L with grade 1 goiter, n = 34) and non-iodine deficient (UIE > 100 microg/L without goiter, n = 31) were given psychomotor and cognitive function tests (Bender-Gestalt and Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices). Scores from the two tests were used to determine each child's general ability percentile rank. Other variables examined were dietary intake (% RDA of nutrients ingested based on two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls); deficiencies in iron, vitamin A, and selenium; parasitic infection; coliform contamination of drinking water; household use of iodized salt; illness in the past 2 weeks; and wasting and stunting.

RESULTS:

Children whose general ability scores were at or above the 50th percentile had higher UIE levels, but the relationship was not significant. Children from sections with higher median UIE levels had higher percentile ranks for general ability (p = .002). Backward logistic regression showed that the variance in deficient and adequate mental performance was explained by dietary intakes that met > or = 80% of the RDA for energy, protein, thiamin, and riboflavin; the use of iodized salt; child's iodine status; and stunting (R2 = .520, p = .0016). Higher class median UIE was associated with better psychomotor and cognitive performance in children who were tested. Factors that contributed to better performance include higher intakes of energy, protein, thiamin, and riboflavin; household use of iodized salt; normal iodine status; and absence of stunting or chronic malnutrition.

CONCLUSIONS:

Salt iodization, accompanied by adequate intakes of energy, protein, and foods rich in thiamin and riboflavin, can contribute to improved mental performance in Filipino schoolchildren. Longer-term factors that can contribute to improved performance are achievement of normal iodine status and elimination of protein-energy malnutrition.

A spatial–temporal model is postulated, possibly allowing for spatial units of irregular shapes. An estimation procedure that imbeds the Cochranne–Orcutt procedure into the backfitting algorithm is proposed. Using agricultural data, the method yields superior forecast to some common approaches.

Current reported HIV infection rates among Filipino men may be relatively low, but so is HIV testing, a necessary behavioral step for determining oneís serostatus. Using data from a nationally representative sample of N = 3,519 sexually active Filipino men ages 15 to 54 who participated in the National Demographic & Health Survey (2003), we explored HIV testing as a sexual health behavior. Results indicated that overall testing rate was extremely low (4.7%). HIV tests were more commonly taken as part of a requirement than as voluntary, self-initiated action. One out of four tested Filipino men failed to return for their test results. Other sexual health behaviors like recent condom use were associated with having been tested, unlike HIV-related cognitions. Among those never been tested, half reported wanting to undergo HIV testing, although many did not know where the test was available. The significance of HIV testing for personal and public health, as well as implications for psychological research and practice, are discussed.

A number of researchers have applied multivariate methods to elucidate the population structure of fishes. In this study, we also used multivariate techniques to examine meristic and morphological variations in the silver perch, Leiopotherapon plumbeus (Kner, 1864), from three Philippine lakes, namely, Laguna de Bay, Sampaloc Lake, and Taal Lake. We also aimed to determine whether or not there are meristic and morphological differences among the populations of silver perch from the three lakes, considering that this fish species was introduced from Laguna de Bay into Sampaloc Lake and Taal Lake in the late 1950s and early 1970s, respectively. A total of 710 specimens from four different sites were used in the study: 155 each from Binangonan and Tanay areas of Laguna de Bay and 200 each from Sampaloc Lake and Taal Lake. Based on analysis of variance, eight meristic and 26 transformed morphometric characters were selected for subsequent analyses. Nineteen (19) principal components extracted from the 34 significant variables accounted for 82.3% of the variation in the original variables. Factor analysis using varimax rotation produced four factors: factor 1 was dominated by fin measurements while the highest loadings for factor 2 were gill raker counts. Factors 3 and 4 were dominated by various body and head measurements. Cluster analysis showed specimens from Sampaloc Lake and Taal Lake in one group, while majority of the specimens from Binangonan and Tanay are in another cluster. This suggests a closer morphological similarity between specimens from Sampaloc and Taal. Discriminant analysis gave relatively high correct classification rates (76.13–95.50%). Lower gill raker count was the most discriminating variable. Since both the silver perch from Sampaloc Lake and Taal Lake were introduced from Laguna de Bay, the observed clustering and morphological variation could be attributed to similarities and differences in the lake environments. Laguna de Bay is a shallow eutrophic lake, while Sampaloc Lake and Taal Lake are deep lakes. Further studies, however, are needed to determine which of the myriad of biological and/or physico–chemical factors might have the greatest influence on the observed morphological divergence between the source population and transplanted populations that we found in our study.

Australian literature -- Minority authors -- History and criticism. Authors, Southeast Asian -- Australia. Immigrants' writings, Australian -- History and criticism. http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/180619562?selectedversion=NBD51230223 Title Migrations and Mediations: The Emergence of Southeast Asian Diaspora Writers in Australia, 1972-2006 Author Jose Wendell P. Capili Publisher Australian National University, 2007 Length 386 pages

This guidebook, the final component of CMFR’s media monitor of news media coverage of the 2007 elections…is meant to serve as a companion to the actual training of media coverage researchers by individuals and groups experienced in media monitoring in the Philippine setting.

The search for an effective policy direction to contribute to the alleviation of rural
poverty requires understanding of various socio-economic dynamics affecting the
household. The central issue in the economic dimension is inefficiency in production, which may contribute to the widening income gap among rural households. Spatial externalities are introduced into a stochastic frontier model in the analysis of rural households’ efficiency in utilizing various factors of production including development interventions (infrastructure and capability-building activities) and other localized endowments. Output is measured in terms of income and perceptions on various aspects of rural development summarized into an index. Provision of rural roads and other rural infrastructure should be bundled properly with support services and capacity building activities. This can enhance the demand for other infrastructure and services resulting in a dynamic evolution of essential elements in the pursuit of rural development. Bundles of intervention improve production efficiency of rural households at the different stages of production in-farm and/or off-farm. Spatial indicators illustrate the role of geographical dynamics (physical, social and cultural factors) in rural development, justifying a site-specific, participatory approach in development intervention. Although site-specific interventions may be costly at first, they become more efficient in the long-run. Benefits from an intervention in one community
are expected to produce ripple effects that reach its spatial neighbors.
Stakeholders’ contribution in maintenance is feasible provided that there is a true
sense of ownership of the infrastructure/project, usually evolving through a participatory approach. Public investment in infrastructure and user’s fees can complement one another; continuous provision of new infrastructure and maintenance of existing infrastructure can add up to a sustainable track towards rural development. A socialized user’s fee system can be used as a vehicle to prevent the potential widening of income disparity in rural areas. It is important however to carefully choose a suitable and acceptable basis for the socialized user’s fee rates. An incorrect choice can be perceived as a disincentive for access or might stimulate distrust among the affluent segment of the rural society regarding the sincerity of the government in pushing rural development. An unsuitable basis for user’s fee rates could thus eventually lead to more social problems instead of bridging inequality.