Don’t disregard safeguards against hacking
What lesson can our elections commissioners learn from the current banking scandal that is being investigated by the Senate? That even the most sophisticated computer systems can be hacked, and that disregarding safeguards against hacking is an open invitation to anyone with malicious intent.
Bt talong case: striking at heart of PH concerns
The decision of the Supreme Court to simultaneously ban the field testing of Bt talong and nullify the existing government biosafety guidelines has dire implications for scientific progress, and thus, economic development and welfare, raising very serious concerns in the scientific community.
No brainer: Aquino should have invested more heavily in public infrastructure
The overall state of public infrastructure in the Philippines is dismal. The World Bank and the World Economic Forum ranked the Philippines as the worst among ASEAN-5 economies in terms of overall state of public infrastructure -- road network, airports, seaports, railroads, telecommunications, power, and others.
Do Regions Gain from an Open Economy?
This paper looks into whether and how sub-national regions can benefit from a country’s economic openness. Using data on the Philippines, it first notes marked disparities across its regions as reflected in economic and social indicators.
The Supreme Court and the Poe disqualification case
The purpose of this piece is to discuss not how the Supreme Court “should have decided” on the Poe case but what could be expected from revealed SC decision making in general.
Binay according to Mercado
Jojo Binay had every chance to face his accusers and give the public a chance to determine for itself whether he was a corrupt city executive or not. He turned down those chances in favor of press conferences where he entertained no questions.
Where has the P260-billion government spending for agriculture gone?
Citizens have the right to know where the P260 billion the Aquino III administration spent for agriculture between 2011 and 2015 went. With that kind of money, what has the administration done for the agriculture sector in general and for the farmers and Filipino consumers in particular?
Financing presidential elections
Cost and financing of presidential elections. A presidential election is a winner-takes-all process. The stakes are very high and the rewards to the victor even higher. Hopefully, the elections lead to high rewards for nation-building too.
Climate Change, Dengue and the Economy: Ascertaining the Link Between Dengue and Climatic Conditions
This paper examines the climate-change related factors that affect the incidence of dengue in the Philippines. This paper examines the climate-change related factors that affect the incidence of dengue in the Philippines. Dengue, one of the most high-profile public health problems in Southeast Asia, has been estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars...
The Philippines’ ‘buwaya’ problem
All our candidates in one form or another are of course promising faster growth and improved development outcomes. What has been the Philippine track record on growth?
Economic policies for more inclusive growth
Inclusive economic growth happens best when the macroeconomic environment is stable, with fiscal, monetary and trade policies in relative balance.
Culture of impunity and world-class corruption
In the light of attempts by some quarters at historical revisionism—trying to sell Ferdinand Marcos and his more than two decades in power as some sort of “golden age” in Philippine history, supposedly with very little crime—it is time to take a hard look at the facts.
