LibGuides: Philippines/South China Sea: Infrastructure

Selected Databases

Business Monitor International (BMI) The BMI Research database provides financial and geopolitical analyses, ratings, risk assessments and forecasts of 179 countries and 22 industry sectors. Topics include: country risk, financial markets, company intelligence, defense & security, infrastructure, oil & gas, and telecommunications. Each topic contains news, analysis, and downloadable reports meant to inform decision-makers in financial and corporate institutions, industry, and government.
Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO) Scholarly materials on politics and international relations Full text of working papers, policy briefs, conference proceedings and links to Web sources Journal abstracts, book summaries, country data, and economic indicators CIAO Focus is a monthly feature that highlights a current international issue with links to relevant documents.
EBSCO Military & Government Collection Military and defense related periodicals, pamphlets, and newsletters Select Military & Government Collection (option to select Security and Counter Terrorism Reference Center and to search both databases simultaneously) Search for a specific title or browse a particular periodical Publications indexed in this database include Air Force Comptroller, Army Reserve Magazine, Defense Studies, Global Security Review, JFQ: Joint Force Quarterly, Military Technology, National Review, Combat Edge, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Foreign Affairs, and Naval Forces
Jane's Sentinel Security Assessment Military and defense information. Country by country internal and external security and threat assessments. Defense news and analysis. Order of battle information for armies, navies and air forces worldwide. Information on military systems and equipment Geopolitical and terrorism intelligence.
ProQuest Central This database serves as the central resource for researchers at all levels. Covers more than 160 subject areas including business, economics, military, news and world affairs, science, telecommunications, etc. through scholarly journals, newspapers, reports, books, magazines, trade publications and videos. Includes: ProQuest Research Library; ProQuest Military; ProQuest Asian Business; ABI/Inform Complete; Wall Street Journal; OxResearch; and many more.

Selected Books

The Philippines by Damon L. Woods A unique, revealing look at the history and contemporary culture of the Philippine Islands and their multicultural and foreign-influenced facets. * An etiquette section that discusses respect and levels of interaction, first names and surnames, titles of respect, and core values versus surface values * Twelve photographs of noteworthy figures such as physician and novelist Jose Rizal, nationalist Andres Bonifacio, and other Filipino heroes
Call Number: DS655 .W66 2006
Publication Date: 2005-12-09
Neoliberalizing Spaces in the Philippines by Arnisson Andre Ortega Amidst the recent global financial crisis and housing busts in various countries, the Philippines' booming housing industry has been heralded as "Southeast Asia's hottest real estate hub" and the saving grace of a supposedly resilient Philippine economy. This growth has been fueled by demand from balikbayan (returnee) Overseas Filipinos and has facilitated the rise of gated suburban communities in Manila's sprawling peri-urban fringe. But as the "Filipino dreams" of successful balikbayans are built inside these new gated residential developments, the lives of marginalized populations living in these spaces have been upended and thrown into turmoil as they face threats of expulsion. Based on almost four years of research, this book examines the tumultuous geographies of neoliberalization that link suburbanization, transnational mobilities, and accumulation by dispossession. Through an accounting of real estate and new suburban landscapes, it tells of a Filipino transnationalism that engenders a market-based and privatized suburban political economy that reworks socio-spatial relations and class dynamics. In presenting the literal and discursive transformations of spaces in Manila's peri-urban fringe, the book details life inside new gated suburban communities and discusses the everyday geographies of "privileged" new property owners--mainly comprised of balikbayan families--and exposes the contradictions of gated suburban life, from resistance to Home Owner Association rules to alienating feelings of loss. It also reveals the darker side of the property boom by mapping the volatile spaces of the Philippines' surplus populations comprised of the landless farmers, informal settler residents, and indigenous peoples. To make way for gated communities and other profitable developments in the peri-urban region, marginalized residents are systematically dispossessed and displaced while concomitantly offered relocation to isolated socialized housing projects, the last frontier for real estate accumulation. These compelling accounts illustrate how the territorial embeddedness of neoliberalization in the Philippines entails the consolidation of capital by political-economic elites and privatization of residential space for an idealized transnational property clientele. More than ever, as the Philippines is being reshaped by diaspora and accumulation by dispossession, the contemporary moment is a critical time to reflect on what it truly means to be a nation.
Call Number: HD906.5 .O78 2016
Publication Date: 2016-09-09
Asia Rising by Hal Hill (Editor); Maria Socorro Gochoco-Bautista (Editor) The center of global economic activity is shifting rapidly towards Asia, driven by a combination of the economic dynamism of the People's Republic of China, India, and other middle-income Asian countries, and sluggish growth in the OECD economies. The rapid growth and rising global prominence have raised a range of major challenges for Asia and for the rest of the world. This comprehensive, forward-looking book examines these issues through in-depth studies of major Asian economies and an analysis of the key development policy options. The contributors, leading international authorities in their field, explore cross-cutting thematic issues with special reference to developing Asia. They address a broad range of subjects including: investment and productivity, savings and the savings-investment relationship, financial development, the provision of infrastructure, and governance and institutions. Detailed country studies focusing on the People's Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand not only provide an analytical narrative for each case study, but also draw attention to the similarities and diversity within the region. This challenging and thought-provoking book will prove an important point of reference for scholars, researchers, and students in the fields of economics, development economics, and Asian studies.
Call Number: ONLINE
Publication Date: 2013-01-31
A Generation Later by James F. Eder For most of the twentieth century, migrant settlers from throughout the Philippines have established homesteads and new ways of life on Palawan Island, a one-time forest wilderness celebrated as the Philippines' "last frontier". This volume presents a careful, longitudinal analysis of socioeconomic change in one Palawan settler community founded by migrant farmers and fisherfolk during the 1940s and 1950s. Based on detailed information at the levels of community, household, and individual spanning a twenty-five-year period
Call Number: ONLINE
Publication Date: 1999-01-01

Infrastructure

IMF Working Paper: Improving Public Infrastructure in the Philippines February 2016. This paper explores the macroeconomic effects of improving public infrastructure in the Philippines. After benchmarking the Philippines relative to its neighbors in terms of level of public capital and quality of public infrastructure, and public investment efficiency, it uses model simulations to assess the macroeconomic implications of raising public investment and improving public investment efficiency. The main results are as follows: (i) increasing public infrastructure investment results in sustained gains in output; (ii) the effects of improving public investment efficiency are substantial; and (iii) deficit-financed increases in public investment lead to higher borrowing costs that constrain output increases over time, underscoring the importance of revenue mobilization.
The Impact of Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Support Services on Poverty: The Case of Agrarian Reform Communities in the Philippines This study assesses the impacts of rural infrastructure and supported services provided by the Agrarian Reform Communities Project (ARCP) and financed jointly by the Government of the Philippines and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Using data from the same 2,290 agrarian reform beneficiaries’ households from two periods, 2001 and 2003, the study found that average annual income increased by 12%. Ownership of both household and production assets increased significantly.
OECD Investment Policy Reviews: Philippines 2016 This review assesses the overall investment climate in the Philippines, looking at investment policy, investment promotion and facilitation, competition policy, infrastructure investment and responsible business conduct. The Review documents successful reform episodes over the past 25 years in the Philippines, assesses their impact and suggests areas for further reforms. It looks at how to raise investment levels by both foreign and domestic enterprises and at how to ensure that such investment contributes to sustainable and inclusive growth. The current macroeconomic situation in the Philippines is favourable, remittances are high, the business process outsource industry is booming, and the new Competition Act will help to make the domestic market more competitive. The Review argues for one further reform push to ease the many restrictions on foreign investors in the Philippines so as to provide an investment climate where all firms can invest and grow.
Paving the Way for Philippine Tourism via Interagency Collaboration on Road Networks Promoting tourism and improving roads are generic objectives for developing countries. Despite their relationship-tourists often reach destinations via roads-both are seldom considered together while evaluating options in improving the accessibility of tourist destinations. Since government agencies for tourism and infrastructure are usually separate, coordination difficulties arise. This article analyzes how the Philippines is attempting to surmount obstacles to beneficial collaboration linking tourism with road infrastructure by addressing rent-seeking, bureaucratic turf, and incentives to better align the activities of government agencies with tourism-led development. It enhances the literature by focusing on these governance challenges impeding the joint consideration of transport and tourism in developing countries. Additionally, it highlights the catalytic role played by a civil society organization. After providing a case to illustrate this collaboration in practice, the authors consider how the framework developed may be extended by the Philippine tourism ministry in working with other agencies overseeing complementary objectives to ensure seamless intermodal transport in this archipelagic nation.
Philippines Aims for ‘Golden Age of Infrastructure’ Desperately needed airports and trains are part of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s envisioned “golden age of infrastructure”, but graft, red tape and other perennial problems threaten the $170-billion plan.
Pure Force Deploys Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure Software in 30 Cities in Philippines The technologies help police, fire and rescue and emergency medical services agencies decrease response times and more effectively manage incidents and emergencies. https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnvar/20151208/294090LOGO The Metro Manila Development Authority, the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection are among the leading agencies that have implemented the solution in partnership with Pure Force, a private initiative formed to support public safety in Philippines.

Water Supply and Distribution

Adversaries versus Partners: Urban Water Supply in the Philippines In the Philippines, skepticism about private sector participation in urban water provision became increasingly pronounced as missed service targets and regulatory battles plagued governmental relations with the two companies (Manila Water and Maynilad) granted concessions for water provision in the capital, Manila. A comparative study of these two public-private partnerships (PPPs) reveals the challenges of reconciling bureaucratic and organizational dynamics with public suspicion of the private sector. This study draws on interviews and observations with corporate and government officials, academics, journalists, non-governmental organizations and civil society members in the Philippines, almost a decade after the initial privatization. This paper furthers our understanding of the outcomes in Manila-and PPPs more generally-by addressing the tension between credible commitment in contractual arrangements and flexibility for responding to economic and environmental shocks. It argues that adversarial interactions between the private corporations and regulators hindered the collaborative negotiations needed to respond to the currency crisis. Fear of public backlash against price increases and contract adjustments prevented the government and companies from engaging in meaningful joint problem solving. The differential outcomes of the companies illustrate the relevance of specific contractual arrangements and leadership in determining the impact of unforeseen shocks. However, the problems experienced by both companies indicates the need-if the private sector is to equitably and efficiently provide public goods-to redesign PPPs to increase transparency and to develop true partnerships.
The Manila Water Concession: A Key Government Official's Diary of the World's Largest Water Privatization Describes the process of water and sewerage services privatization, including preparation efforts, obstacles surmounted, bidding, and key contract features; Manila, Philippines.
Politics and Urban Water Supply Universal waterworks coverage for urban residents has not yet been achieved across Southeast Asia and will be further constrained as urban populations increase. The importance of ensuring urban water supply is critical, given the Millennium Development Goals' target of halving the number of people without access to safe drinking water by 2010. Public sector failure has led to calls for the private sector to participate in urban supply, fuelling debates between pro and anti-privatization lobbyists. Karen Fisher draws attention to the inherently political nature of urban water supply and demonstrates how this has been used to serve political agendas, with particular reference to Tagbilaran, the Philippines
A Tale of Two Concessionaires: A Natural Experiment of Water Privatisation in Metro Manila In February 1997, Maynilad Water Services, Inc. and the Manila Water Company, Inc. were awarded concession contracts from Manila's Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and split between them the service areas in Metro Manila. In the years thereafter, the paths taken by the two concessionaires diverged dramatically: Maynilad became bankrupt and was turned over to MWSS, whereas Manila Water has prospered and is now a listed company in the Philippine Stock Exchange. The co-existence of two concessionaires in the same city offers a rare opportunity to study the role of internal factors in the privatisation of urban water systems because the effects of many important external factors, such as political support, regulatory structure and unforeseen events, are effectively controlled. The findings suggest that corporate governance, financial management and operations management of privatised water utilities are among the most important internal factors that determine success of water privatisation in developing countries.
World Bank eAtlas of Global Development Indicators related to freshwater resources.

Subject Search Suggestions

Infrastructure
Public works
Airports
Bridges
Dams
Electric utilities
Ferries
Freight
Harbors
Housing development
Local transit
Municipal services
Municipal water supply
Public utilities
Railroads
Roads
Sewage disposal
Sewerage
Telephone lines
Terminals
Waterworks
Water utilities
Waterways

Energy

Broken Dreams: Unmet Expectations of Investors in the Philippine Electricity Restructuring and Privatization Over the last three decades, privatization and restructuring of electricity sectors has been a hot topic. The expectation was that prices would fall due to increased competition and that generators would become more innovative and efficient. However, the enthusiasm for deregulation wavered after events such as the debacle in California, the fall of Enron and the setbacks of Ontario. In the Philippines, comprehensive legislation was passed in 2001 but the implementation has been rather slow and controversial. This paper looked at the allegation of politicizing power rates and found a logical alternative to the perceived conspiracy angle. Based on market data, it is highly probable that depressed market rates was a result of coping mechanisms of new players trying to adjust to the restructured industry
How Sustainable are Donor-Driven Solar Power Projects in Remote Areas Since the 1980s, donors already support solar power projects in the Philippines. Reports and documentations provide a positive image on project success, but field trips to earlier project sites tell an opposing story. This field report shows that even in an area with only little donor fragmentation problems like a lack of coordination, communication and learning lead to unsustainable projects. It confronts official project reports with the latest experiences from the field and provides qualitative information to an ongoing debate about potentials and problems of donor diversification.
The Philippine Electricity Sector Reform and the Urban Question: How Metro Manila's Utility is Tackling Urban Poverty In the early 2000s, the Philippine government reformed its electricity sector following neoliberal principles: unbundling of the power industry, privatisation of assets and commodification of electricity. This paper shows that the reform was primarily driven by the need to secure electricity supply and cut down tariffs. These national objectives ousted other issues, and notably those that find their expression at the urban level, among which the question of access to electricity in Metro Manila's urban poor communities. The central state withdrew its attention from the issue of electrification, and local actors had to react as they were confronted to social tensions and practices of pilferage. As a consequence, city governments and local administrations are getting involved in this issue, which opens the way to participation of civil society. This paper shows how the "rolling back" of the central state led to new partnerships and arrangements between the distribution utility, local governments and community organisations. This movement points to an urbanisation of energy issues, which could bring positive results for end-users provided that it is accompanied by a clearer regulatory framework.
Philippines' TransCo may Pay for VisMin Grid Connection The Philippines' National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) is contemplating whether it will shoulder the cost of building the long-delayed Visayas-Mindanao grid connection to unburden consumers, TransCo president and CEO Melvin Matibag said. According to a report from The Philippine Star , the state-run company is studying whether government could pay for...
Potentials and Challenges in Implementing Feed-in Tariff Policy in Indonesia and the Philippines Located in Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines are characterized by a tropical climate and high amounts of rainfall that render their high potential for hydro-power and wind energy deployment. The volcanic geography of both countries also indicates their high geothermal potential compared with that of other countries, and their high solar radiation level makes them suitable areas to establish power plants. The present study is an archival-statistical overview of the potential generation of renewable energy in Indonesia and the Philippines and the implementation of the Feed-in-tariff (FiT) policy. This research focuses on the challenges encountered by politicians and policymakers and confirms the insufficient production of energy from wind, solar, and bio-gas sources despite the potential and the attempts to deploy FiT. Results show that the role of the government in providing support to investors is not clear in both countries. In addition, inflation rates have not been calculated. However, FiT has benefitted both countries by preventing degression during the primary years.
Understanding Household Energy Consumption Patterns: When "West is Best: In Metro Manila" This paper addresses the topic of energy and development through a multi-disciplinary and systemic approach that combines environmental considerations with a social understanding of consumption. The focus is on electricity usage in the home and specifically lighting and cooling. Set in the urban mega-polis of Metro Manila, the Philippines, energy consumption is first placed in its biophysical perspective: the energy sources and electricity grid are presented, in relation to the Philippines as well as the region. The research findings then explore the social and cultural drivers behind household electricity consumption, revealing in several examples the strong influence of globalization -- understood here as the flow of people, remittances, images and ideas. Policy recommendations are provided, based on the research results, with concluding remarks relevant to other similar contexts

Roads, Railroads, Airports, and Ports

Company Brief - Proposal Submitted For MCIA Airport Project News: GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation, a joint venture (JV) between Megawide Construction and GMR Infrastructures, has submitted a PHP208bn (USD4.2bn) proposal to the transportation department of Philippines for the development of Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) over a period of 50 years. The JV intends to take over from the MCIA authorities the responsibility of improvement, operations and maintenance of the runway and other airside facilities, which were not covered under the public-private partnership concession awarded to the consortium in December 2013. Work will also include rehabilitation of the existing runway and taxiways, as well as construction of a second parallel and independent runway and a third terminal. The consortium is currently building Terminal 2, which is due for completion in June 2018. The scheme is expected to help alleviate congestion and increase the airport's passenger handling capacity to 50mn a year, according to Business Mirror.
Designing Multimodal Freight Transport Networks: A Heuristic Approach and Applications Designing multimodal freight transport networks can facilitate the economic development of regions and countries as well as help to reduce negative environmental impacts. It is therefore crucial that such be undertaken in areas where more priority is given on road-based freight transport systems. This paper proposes a model for strategic transport planning, particularly in freight terminal development and interregional freight transport network design. The model determines a suitable set of actions from a number of possible actions, such as improving the existing infrastructure or establishing new roads, railways, sea links, and freight terminals. Modelling is undertaken within the framework of bilevel programming, where a multimodal multiclass user traffic assignment technique is incorporated within the lower-level problem, whilst the upper-level problem determines the best combination of actions such that the freight-related benefit-cost ratio is maximised. The upper-level problem involves combinatorial optimisation, and a heuristic approach based on genetic local search is applied as a solution technique. Empirical results of the model as applied to an actual large-sized interregional intermodal freight transport network show that genetic local search could provide better performance as compared to other genetic algorithm-based, as well as tabu search-based, heuristics. The model is successfully applied to transport network planning in the Philippines, where the development of a freight transport network is necessary to increase the utilisation of other modes rather than road-based vehicles
DOTC – North-South Commuter Railway Line – Philippines March 2017: Construction industry; Capital goods; Engineering firms; Industrial production
The EDSA Solution Traffic in Manila Philippines on the Epifanio de los Santos Ave (EDSA) is described. A plan to renovate the EDSA and open two new ring roads will take a decade, but Philippine corporations are working on a short-term solution.
Fraport AG Receives PIATCO Compensation Payment for Manila Terminal Project Based on this compensation, PIATCO has made a partial payment to Fraport AG. Fraport AG said it intends to sell its shareholdings in companies in the Philippines and will no longer purse claims in connection with the expropriation of the terminal project at Manila airport.Fraport AG's share of the total transaction amounts to USD270 million.From the compensation inflows, Fraport AG is required to repay the German federal government up to EUR40 million, which the company received in fiscal year 2008 under Germany's GKA (Bundesgarantie fur Kapitalanlagen im Ausland) foreign-investment guarantee program. Fraport AG is a global airport business that offers integrated airport management services with subsidiaries and investments on three continents.
Improvement of Service Quality Related to Decent Appearance and Service Attitude through SSQM Program In this research, we suggested a SSQM (Standard Service Quality Management) program, and by using the SSQM program, we conducted service training for all the staffs. And then, we evaluated the decent appearance and positive service attitude of employees as part of service quality management based on a suggested assessment checklist format. It was the first time that the assessment was introduced to staffs of either overseas airport service department of Asiana Airlines or its outsourcing companies. This study revealed significant results that the staffs of Manila station displayed obvious improvements in both appearance and attitude. In this paper, we aim to show the practical SSQM Program for service quality improvement executed in real airlines and its effectiveness assessed by their employees.
Industry Brief - Tagum-Davao-Digos Railway Project Approved News: The Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) under the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board in the Philippines approved the Mindanao Railway Project's Tagum-Davao-Digos (MRP-TDD) rail segment. The MRP-TDD is part of the first phase of the proposed 830km MRP loop, consisting of a 102.28km commuter railway from Tagum City to Digos City. The rail network will have seven stations, one terminal in Davao City and one depot in Tagum City. The project, to be locally funded, is estimated to cost PHP35.26bn (USD711.79mn). Work, subject to confirmation from the NEDA Board, is slated to start in Q118 and completed by Q322. The ICC also agreed to the Department of Transportation's North South Railway Projects (NSRP)-South Line project and the Malolos-Clark Railway Project (MCRP). The PHP285bn (USD5.75bn) NSRP-South Line will consist of three tracks that will run from Tutuban to Los Baños, and from Los Baños to Sorsogon. The MCRP, expected to cost PHP211.43bn (USD4.27bn), will connect with the Tutuban-Malolos portion of the North South Commuter Railway. Construction for the first phase e is slated to begin in Q219 and is expected to be completed by Q222, according to NEDA. The ICC has also agreed to the Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project to avoid flooding of 45,000 homes.
Philippines Freight Transport Report Overall, 2015 will be a year of average growth for the Philippine freight industry. We expect the road, rail and air freight sector to grow by 2.6%, 6.5% and 6.1% respectively. Strong consumer demand and the boom in the construction sector mitigate weak export performance. Looking ahead, we expect the rail sector to grow in importance.
The Philippines in 2015 Slowly, on the Straight and Narrow The year preceding a presidential election in the Philippines is a year of political caution where aspirants try to tread carefully over what is one of the most unpredictable political landscapes in the region. The same can be said of the current administration under the leadership of Simeon Benigno C. Aquino III, who rose to prominence and eventually won the presidency after his mother's death. Pres P-Noy Aquino began his political career as the representative of the 2nd Congressional District of Tarlac, from where his family hails, and which he initially won in 1998. He eventually won a Senate seat in 2007 with seemingly no further political ambitions, until his mother's death in August 2009. The country's hosting of the 2015 APEC Summit also contributed to its positive international image as the red carpet was rolled out for heads of state, including United States Pres Barack Obama.
Volcanic Hazards to Airports Volcanic activity has caused significant hazards to numerous airports worldwide, with local to far-ranging effects on travelers and commerce. Analysis of a new compilation of incidents of airports impacted by volcanic activity from 1944 through 2006 reveals that, at a minimum, 101 airports in 28 countries were affected on 171 occasions by eruptions at 46 volcanoes.

Philippines/South China Sea: Infrastructure

Republic of the Philippines Official Agencies