Category: Development

The myth of ‘inclusive growth’ in the Philippines and why GDP alone does not matter

May 25, 2014May 25, 2014 Libertas 22 Comments

Why is there no inclusive growth in the Philippines? The critical component and measurement which goes a long way in explaining why no progress is being made, and inclusive growth remains only the ‘in’ slogan/mantra of the year is the Poverty Elasticity of Growth or PEG (the multiplier effect of percent growth to percent poverty…

Culture, Development, Economy

The brutal business of implementing change in the Philippines

May 24, 2014May 24, 2014 Libertas 15 Comments

“In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act” – George Orwell Improving systems and changing cultures invariably starts with looking under the covers, and with brutal honesty sometimes. Self-delusion doesn’t — shouldn’t — feature in corporate life, nor should it in national governance. Would you prefer your taxes be…

Culture, Development, Education, Government, Politics, Society

Digital transport network Uber: Could it cure Manila’s jeepney infestation?

May 23, 2014 benign0 9 Comments

What’s hot in the public transport innovation scene today? It’s Uber. The top (arguably) “digital transport network” in the world is looking at a possible USD12 billion valuation if efforts to raise a reported USD500 million in its most recent funding round bears fruit. Why is Uber hot? Because it applies well the same simple…

Development, Government, Politics, Tech Talk

Quaint outcomes on Day One of the 2014 World Economic Forum #WEF conference in Manila

May 23, 2014 benign0 12 Comments

Southeast Asia is a part of the world where much of the wealth was created by former colonial masters, inherited by a small elite clique of oligarchs, and is now largely held by the ethnic Chinese diaspora. The degree to which this wealth has trickled down to the greater population varies by country. Nonetheless, major…

Development, Economy

Lead-up to SONA 2014: The sorry report card of Philippine President Noynoy Aquino

May 22, 2014May 22, 2014 benign0 11 Comments

It’s been four years into his so-called “Daang Matuwid” (“straight-and-narrow”) administration with just two years to go to make good on his many unfulfilled promises before he bows out of the office he reluctantly took in 2010. Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III is under an even more powerful magnifying glass now. The country…

Crime, Development, Economy, Government, Media, Politics

Boracay to suffer ‘engineering intervention’ in order to be ‘saved’

May 21, 2014 Kate Natividad 11 Comments

Yeah, so now they start moving their fat asses. The Philippine government is now supposedly “bent on saving the island paradise of Boracay,” saying that “climate change and unchecked development threatens to destroy” it. You don’t say. What do we do next after that major government brainwave? Appoint a ‘Save Boracay Czar’? Thing with troubleshooters,…

Development, Environment, Glitz and Glamour, Government, Lifestyle

Philippine tourism touted as key to ‘inclusive’ growth while decay of key infrastructure continues

May 20, 2014 benign0 13 Comments

Climate change continues to loom as one of the biggest risks to the Philippines’ long-term future. Speaking before the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s ASEAN International Conference on Tourism and Climate Change in Legazpi City yesterday, Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III, asserted that the ‘new normal’ it will bring will compromise the long-aspired-for…

Development, Economy, Environment, Government

Manila ranks near bottom as Tokyo, London, New York top IESE 2014 ‘smartest cities’ list

May 15, 2014May 16, 2014 benign0 16 Comments

According to the IESE Business School website post on the subject, the Cities in Motion Index (ICIM) is basically a ranking of the world’s “smartest” cities along ten dimensions: “governance, public management, urban planning, technology, environment, international outreach, social cohesion, mobility and transportation, human capital, and economy.” The aim of the ICIM initiative is to…

Development, Economy, Environment, Lifestyle