Activity Briefs

Poverty Mapping for KALAHI-CIDSS

The major objective of this study is to develop the selection criteria and methodology for the poverty mapping and targeting of the KALAHI project, the flagship poverty-alleviation program of the Macapagal administration. This also includes undertaking the preliminary ranking of municipalities in the identified target provinces. The first phase was concluded late last year and the second phase is ongoing. Funding organizations are the World Bank and the Philippine Government.

Population-Growth-Poverty Nexus

This research aims to provide empirically sound bases for policy advocacy on population, poverty, and development. This includes conducting a quantitative assessment of the relationship between population and economic growth, and how this may be linked to poverty. Furthermore, the project will cover estimation of the determinants of fertility at the household level. The study is in collaboration with the Philippine Center for Population and Development (PCPD).

TNA for GAs, NGOs and the UNCT

APPC recently concluded the first phase of the UNDP-NEDA-NAPC project Deepening Analysis of Poverty and Policy Responses Towards Meeting the National and Millennium Develop-ment Goals of Poverty Reduction.
This endeavor involved a training needs assessment (TNA) on the existing capacity of executive and legislative government agencies (GA), non-government organizations (NGO), as well as the UN Country Team in terms of professional staff competence in designing pro-poor programs and in crafting effective policies and strategies. The APPC team, led by Executive Director Rosemarie Edillon, targeted 84 institutions seen as integral to the goals of the project.

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PPC has recently been appointed Secretariat of the Asia-Pacific Agricultural Policy (APAP) Forum. The Forum is a network of non-governmental organizations and individuals who seek to foster understanding of agricultural policies and to build cooperation in agricultural development among countries in the Asia-Pacific Region. One of its major undertakings is holding annual symposia on significant agricultural policy issues that affect member countries. The 2nd APAP Forum is scheduled for October 2003 in Jeju, South Korea.

In November last year, APPC co-hosted an international seminar with the Global Agricultural Policy Institute (GAPI). The seminar, held in Jeju, South Korea, is entitled “Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Asia-Pacific Region.” Dr. Sang Mu Lee, Chairman of GAPI, opened the conference with his paper on “Agriculture and Rural Development.” Dr. Arsenio Balisacan, who is also Secretary General of the APAP Forum, presented the keynote paper “Emerging Global Scenario and its Implications on Food Security and Agricultural Development in Asia.” The conference comes at a crucial time when many skeptics raise issues about the seeming imbalance of gains and benefits from globalization. Papers of noted researchers from the region were also presented. All these and the discussions that transpired are being prepared by APPC for publication.