 The 2003 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) highlighted the progress of countries in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). A product of the Millennium Summit last September 2000, the MDG embody the commitment of world leaders to uplift the lives of people around the world who lack resources for a decent quality of life. MDG has eight comprehensive goals, the first seven catering to the development of the social and economic plight of the world’s poor, and the last seeking to realign structural conditions, particularly economic forces to bring effective changes that will benefit the poor.
Among ASEAN economies which fared poorly this year in terms of the human development index (HDI) is the Philippines. (HDI is UNDP’s annual measure on quality of life based on life expectancy, education and per capita gross domestic product.) Its HDI standing slipped to 85 out of 175 countries in 2001 from 77 out of 173 countries in 2000 and its score dipped to 0.751 from 0.754. In contrast, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Western Samoa, Jamaica, and Peru occupied higher places in this year’s human development totem pole.
While most countries made progress towards the MDG, notably in reducing poverty incidence by half by 2015, twenty one countries with deteriorating conditions have backslid, contrary to expectations of leaders who drafted the MDG. The Philippines, in particular, has acted swiftly and responsively, moving closer to the MDG goals, but has been crippled by external developments in responding to its pressing concerns.
What follows is the current state of the Philippines vis-à-vis the specific goals under the MDG.
GOAL 1: ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER
Halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty between 1990 and 2015
Previous administrations, particularly those under Presidents Aquino and Ramos, have succeeded in reducing poverty incidence, decreasing to 39.4% of the population in 2000 from 45.3% in 1991. The proportion of families living in subsistence level declined to 16.7% from 20.4%. From 1997 to 2000, poverty incidence and subsistence in the country slightly deteriorated, owing to the combined effects of the Asian financial crisis as well as the El Niño, and La Niña phenomena. These developments explain why 78.0% of families in subsistence level are found in the rural areas.
Halve the proportion of population below the minimum dietary energy consumption and halve the proportion of underweight children.
The number of malnourished Filipino children has gone down to 30.8% in 1996 from 34.5% in 1990. The proportion rose to 32.0% in 1998 and fell to 30.6% to in 2001. More underweight children under the age of five also reside in the rural areas.
Halve the proportion of people with no access to safe drinking water or those who cannot afford it by 2015
Access to safe drinking water has increased at an average rate of two percent a year despite service interruptions experienced by Filipino households from time to time. Although access to safe drinking water improved to 78.5% in 2000 from 73.7% in 1991, the provision of water supply to the rural areas has been slow.
GOAL 2: ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO PRIMARY
EDUCATION BY 2015
The Philippines can confidently achieve universal access to primary education by 2015. The proportion of schoolchildren with access to primary education increased to 97.0% in 2001 from 85.1% in 1991. The cohort survival rate has gone down from its peak in 1991 because poor parents could hardly afford to send their children to school or support them through college. What this indicates is that after initial access to school, kids drop out before completion. Rural areas still lack classrooms and textbooks compared to their urban counterparts.
GOAL 3: PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY
Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, in all levels of education not later than 2015
The country likewise fares well in terms of gender equality. In education, the gender gap between men and women is considered negligible. As a percentage of population, more women than men are enrolled in the secondary and tertiary levels of education. The ratio of participation of girls to boys in primary education increased to 0.96 in 2000 from 0.95 in 1993.
Women, likewise, have higher simple and functional literacy rates than men. In 1994, women had a higher simple literacy rate (94%) than men (93.7%). In urban areas women had a simple literacy rate of 83.9% while those in rural areas had a simple literacy rate of 68.8%.
GOAL 4: REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY RATES BY 2/3 BY 2015 FOR CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS
Government initiatives in providing expanded programs in immunization, promoting breast feeding practices, providing vitamin and mineral supplementation for children under the age of five have been considerably successful. The mortality rate of children under-five has significantly dropped to 48 per 1,000 live births in 1998 from a high of 80 per 1,000 live births in 1998.
In 2000, according to the Maternal and Child Health Survey, 65% of children aged 12 to 23 months were fully immunized. Levels of immunization differ on different diseases, as some have decreased in their levels such as diptheria and measles.
GOAL 5: IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH
Reduce maternal mortality rate by 75% by 2015 (half by 2000 and half by 2015)
The maternal mortality rate has continuously declined to 172 per 100,000 live births in 1998 from 209 per 100,000 live births in 1990. Maternal mortality comprised about one percent of the total cause of death in the Philippines in 1988. The major causes of maternal death are postpartum hemorrhage, eclampsia, and severe infection, which could be avoided given hospitals and clinics adequately equipped or attended by trained or professional health workers. The lack of information and means to manage complications in difficult pregnancies increase the risks of dying during pregnancies. The level of maternal deaths in provincial areas, are higher than in Metro Manila.
Increase access to reproductive health services to 60% by 2005, 80% by 2010, and 100% by 2015
The percentage of birth delivery assisted by trained health personnel has increased at a slow rate to 69.0% in 2000 from 58.5% in 1990. According to the 1998 National Demographic and Health Survey, 77.0% of mothers received a minimum of prenatal check-ups while 59.0% had postpartum care. Women in urban areas were more likely to receive such health services. Reproductive health service has also extended to reproduction and sexual concerns — ranging from the provision of family planning information, counseling on adolescent reproductive health, prevention of abortion and management of its complications, counseling on violence committed against women, prevention and treatment of infertility and sexual disorders, inclusion of services for care of men’s reproductive health, and obtaining professional health service.
GOAL 6: COMBAT HIV/AIDS MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES
Half and reverse the spread of HIV by 2015
The total number of HIV/AIDS cases in the country has been continuously increasing but it has not yet reached 200. The number of deaths has been unstable, increasing from 1990 to 1996 and diving in 1997. Though the spread has not reached an alarming level, there is still no room for complacency. HIV/AIDS cases are slowly rising, commonly transmitted through sexual intercourse. Prevalent cases are found among sex workers. International experts described the HIV/AIDS situation in the Philippines as a “nascent epidemic.”
The incidence of malaria and other major diseases have halted by 2015, and begun to reverse
Malaria is still among the ten leading causes of deaths in the Philippines. Reported cases of malaria have decreased to 49,506 in 1993 from 73,625 in 1990. However, the Philippines has continuously reported increasing cases of malaria from 1994 to 2000. It must be noted however, that deaths under this disease have gone down from 1990 to 1997 and increased again in 1998. The reported death rate has also continuously declined. Most of the deaths are mainly due to delays in treatments, misdiagnosis, and inappropriate management.
Tuberculosis remains a major health problem in the Philippines, claiming as much as 75 lives per day. The cases reported under tuberculosis, including deaths, have been unstable with increasing and decreasing tallies from 1990 to 2000. The highest reported case of tuberculosis was in 1997 with a total of 240,509 cases, while the highest number of deaths was in 1998 with 28,041.
GOAL 7: ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Implement national strategies for sustainable development by 2005, to reverse loss of environmental resources by 2015
Hopes for environmental sustainability remain grim since the country’s natural resource base continues to deteriorate. Total forest cover has declined to 5.4 million hectares in 2000 from 6.2 million hectares in 1990.
Despite the rise in total protected land area necessary for preserving endangered habitats and species to 4.5 million in 2000 from 1.5 million hectares in 1990, there is still an alarming loss of biodiversity. The Philippines has been identified by Conservation International as one of the “eight hottest spots in the world where exceptional number of species are undergoing continuing loss of habitat”.
The Philippines is having a hard time managing sustainable development. According to the Philippine Economic Environment and Natural Resource Accounting, arresting the depletion of natural resources had a negative impact on the fishery, mining, and forestry subsectors.
By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers. Improvements in the plight of poor households have also been unstable. The incidence of informal settlers increased to 4.1% in 2000 from 2.6% in 1991 and from 2.4% in 1985. The percentage of poor households with access to their own faucet or community water system has worsened to 7.6% in 2000 from 7.9% in 1991 and 7.7% in 1985. Access to water sealed toilets, on the other hand, has increased to 46.8% in 2000 from 34.9% in 1985. Those with no access to toilets has declined to 19.0% in 2000 from 21.3% in 1985.
The number of informal settlers in key urban centers has reached 1.3 million families in 2000 with 57% residing in Metro Manila, though government continues to address the problem of shelter for urban poor settlers.
GOAL 8: DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP
FOR DEVELOPMENT
Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system; include a commitment to good governance, development and poverty reduction – both nationally and internationally
Since 1981, the Philippines has committed itself to unilateral trade reforms to turn into a more outward-oriented economy. The changes prepared its economy for multilateral trading under the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The country slowly dropped its tariff rates, including the agriculture and manufacturing subsectors, to an average of 8% in 2000 from 27.8% in 1990. Tariff liberalization slowed down during the 1997 financial crisis especially on some items such as motor vehicles, garments and textiles, petrochemicals, and iron and steel.
Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debts sustainable in the long term.
The country’s outstanding debt has continuously increased from 1991 to 2000, except in 1994 when it posted a slight decline. From 1997, the effects of the Asian financial crisis became apparent, as its impact increased the country’s debt burden significantly. However, debt servicing as a proportion to total exports remained manageable at 15.7% by 2001.
Summary
Much remains to be done in uplifting the quality of life in the Philippines, particularly in the rural areas where resources have to be rechanneled. Human development indicators on universal access to primary education as well as child and maternal mortality show the country is close to achieving the UN millennium targets. The government has to focus on other areas – denuded forests, HIV/AIDS incidents, and the growing number of urban settlers – given limited resources, particularly after the Asian financial crisis. |
