The 2013 Empowerment Budget
January-March 2013 (1.5 MB)

After being threshed out for several months in the legislative mill and right in the thick of the Christmas season, President Benigno Aquino signed the P2.006 trillion national budget for fiscal year 2013 into law last December 19, 2012.

Gold Smuggling
March-April 2013 (2.06 MB)

Ordinarily, smuggling means the importation of goods into a country in violation of the laws of that country. Gold is a regulated commodity and is governed by the laws of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

BOTCHA
January-February 2013 (1.85 MB)

Festivities in the Philippines are frequent. Some of them have religious significance like Christmas and town fiestas, but most of the time they are held in commemoration of life’s milestones like birthdays and anniversaries. In our country, majority of the celebrations do not happen without serving meat dishes.

Quo Vadis Anti-Smuggling Bill?
November-December 2012 (791 KB)

The first time the Senate evaluated bills on anti-smuggling was during the 13th Congress (2004-2007)1. In the Senate, several bills were filed which were first referred to the Committee on Trade and Commerce. Later on, they were transferred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

The President’s 2013 Budget: The Macroeconomic and Fiscal Perspectives
August  2012 (859KB)

A day after his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Benigno S. Aquino III submitted to Congress his proposed PhP2.006-trillion national budget for the fiscal year 2013. Next year’s budget is touted as an “Empowerment Budget” with the overarching theme Paggugol na Matuwid: Atas ng Taumbayan.

Breaking New Ground: Enacting a National Land Use Policy
January 2013 (815KB)

With only a total land area of 30 million hectares and a population of 92.3 million growing at an average rate of 2.12 percent, how should the Philippines allocate a very scarce and important resource—land—to meet the various needs of Filipinos? The Senate proposes a national land use policy to address this fundamental issue.

Revisiting the Devolution of ENR Functions
June 2012 (213KB)

The Philippines is an archipelagic country composed of more than 7,000 islands, with an estimated land area of 300,000 square kilometers (km2) and a coastline of more than 17,000 kilometers. While the country is relatively small, it is rich in biological and genetic resources making it one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world (Ong, 2004). It is home to one of the world’s richest concentrations of marine life, with more than 500 of the 800 known coral reef species, more than 2,000 marine fish species, more than 40 mangrove species, and 16 seagrass species (ADB, 2008).

Strengthening Banking Regulation: Amending the BSP Charter
December 2011 (253KB)

As the central monetary authority of the country, the BSP is mandated to provide policy directions in areas concerning money, banking and credit.

With the increasing liberalization of the financial market, conglomeration of financial institutions, and advancements in technology, the BSP, as with most central banks in the world, faces increased level of risks.

2012 Year-end report - On the cusp of economic resurgence
February 2013 (936 KB)

The domestic economy exceeded expectations by expanding 6.6 percent in 2012. Strong macroeconomic fundamentals and improved governance helped propel the economic growth. Some facets of the economy, however, have yet to improve.

Philippine Economy: Sluggish in 2011, bullish in 2012?
March 2012 (222KB)

The Philippine domestic economy shrunk to 3.7 percent in 2011, after a stellar growth of 7.6 percent in 2010. Growth was mainly undermined by the severe state underspending as well as the frail external environment. Outlook for 2012 is relatively sanguine with the government hinging its optimism on robust consumer demand and a more vigorous public spending. However, downside risks to growth persist with the global recovery poised to remain slow and uncertain.

Economic Report
October 2011 (245KB)

The Aquino government has set an aspirational gross domestic (GDP) growth target of 7 percent to 8 percent for 2011 up to 2016. In considering the national budget though, it assumed a more conservative growth of 5 percent to 6 percent for 2011 and 5.5 to 6.5 percent for 2012.

Removing Regional Disparity in Infrastructure Development - A Probe into the Proposed 2008 Budget
November 2007 (713KB)

The proposed 2008 budget is marked by a significant increase in real infrastructure spending as a percentage of the national government budget, from 8.41 percent in 2007 to 9.45 percent in 2008. This demonstrates the government’s strong commitment to improve...

Electoral System, Parties and Bureaucracy:
The Missing Links in the Charter Change Debate
September 2006 (227KB)

Efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution have distinctively marked the national agenda since the early 90s. Years of political instability and economic downturns have prompted key sectors of society, and the constituency it has spawned...

Natural Disasters
April 2013 (451KB)

Over the past decades, millions of Filipinos have been adversely affected by natural disasters1 such as typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and their resultant effects like floods, flash floods, landslides and tsunamis due to the Philippines’ geographical location and physical environment.

GHG Emissions
March 2013 (563KB)

Greenhouse gases (GHGs1) are gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, either natural or anthropogenic (as a result of human activity), that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of thermal infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere itself, and by clouds.

Philippine Credit Rating
July 2012 (645KB)

Sovereign credit ratings are important for three reasons. First, they are the major determinants of a country’s borrowing costs in the international capital market. Issuers with lower credit ratings pay higher interest rates representing larger risk premiums. Second, they affect private costs as they generally set the ceiling for the ratings assigned to domestic banks and companies. Lastly, they determine the eligibility of financial instruments for the portfolios of certain low-risk institutional investors

Overseas Filipino Workers
May 2012 (549KB)

The Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) sector has been the primary source of the country’s resiliency. It has consistently showed strong performance, with OFW deployment increasing by an annual average of 9.6 percent from 2004 to 2011.

The MSME Sector
March 2012 (589KB)

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have a very important role in developing the Philippine economy. They help reduce poverty by creating jobs for the country’s growing labor force. They stimulate economic development in rural and far-flung areas. They serve as valuable partners to large enterprises as suppliers and providers of support services. They serve as breeding ground for new entrepreneurs and large corporations.

 

PAVING THE ROAD TO INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
A Proposed Legislative Agenda for the 15th Congress 
December 2010 (1.5MB)

While the 14th Congress has made significant strides in pursing reforms and enacting laws that will further boost economic growth and improve the quality of life of Filipinos, it cannot be denied that much more needs to be done.

Sustaining the momentum, Making Growth Work for the poor
December 2007 (2.2MB)

This report provides an update of the Five Pillars of Growth: An Economic and Social Development Framework, released by the Senate Economic Planning Office (SEPO) in 2004. It presents a picture of the Philippine economy...

A Profile of Selected Philippine
Government Owned and Controlled Corporations
May 2007 (1.6MB)

The role and impact of the government corporate sector on the fiscal position of the government and the economy continue to be significant to this day. Despite reforms undertaken in the past, according to the Commission on Audit...

Five Pillars of Growth:
An Economic and Social Development Framework
(360KB)

The paper, prepared by the Senate Economic Planning Office as reference to the Senate Legislative Agenda, presents the major results of a short-term research project identifying areas of reforms for sustained economic growth and poverty alleviation...