Development Praxis

The Philippines and Vietnam are two ASEAN neighbors that recently moved up together to the upper middle income classification of the World Bank. But each represents a different story of growth, with Vietnam outpacing the Philippines. | via ANC 24/7

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🌱 NEW POLICY BRIEF: Still Trapped, at a Higher Income 📈🇵🇭

While the Philippines' reclassification to upper-middle-income status in July 2026 marks a significant milestone in areas like education, health, and infrastructure, the country has yet to fully escape the middle-income trap. Income growth has outpaced actual structural transformation, leaving the domestic economy poorly connected and reliant on external sources.

We are pleased to announce the release of UP CIDS Policy Brief, "Still Trapped, at a Higher Income: Labor Export, Import Dependence, and the Philippine Middle-Income Trap."Authored by Annette O. Balaoing-Pelkmans, this brief is published under our Program on Escaping the Middle-Income Trap: Chains for Change (EMIT C4C). The study examines why, despite real gains, the country continues to face challenges in building a robust domestic productive core, arguing that institutional effectiveness is the binding constraint to long-term progress.

🔍 Key Highlights from the Brief:
⚙️ Two Forms of Exit: The economy is hollowed out by two persistent "leaks": the export of our most capable workers through migration, and the leakage of domestic demand abroad through imports, which are often easier and cheaper to source than local alternatives.
🏝️ Disconnected Domestic Economy: Weak agricultural productivity and thin inter-sectoral linkages have left the domestic economy poorly wired to itself, hindering the growth of local supply chains.
⚖️ The Coordination Challenge: Because no strong coordinating mechanism exists, firms and agencies often act defensively in silos to protect themselves from the inefficiencies of the system, making collaborative change difficult without institutional reform.
💡 Tatak Pinoy as a Catalyst: The Tatak Pinoy Strategy is identified as a crucial attempt to build coordinating capacity. Its ultimate success depends on granting its institutions real authority, insulating them from capture, and ensuring they are held accountable.

By fostering solidarity through effective coordinating mechanisms, we can move beyond simply celebrating income milestones and start building a future where Filipinos can truly build a life and a career at home.

📖 Download the full policy brief for FREE:
https://cids.up.edu.ph/download/still-trapped-higher-income-labor-export-import-philippine-middle-income-trap/

The Department of Agriculture has distributed P2.6 million worth of ube planting materials to farmers in Leyte and Bohol. | via ANC 24/7

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🍄 A Trip Down Memory Lane for CTMRD’s 35th Anniversary! 🎉

In August 1992, Dr. Renato G. Reyes and his students collected the wild mushroom, Collybia reineckeana, locally known as Kabuteng Calao, from Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. Through careful propagation in the laboratory, this species became the first Philippine domesticated mushroom at CTMRD.

By deeply understanding the mushroom’s specific nutritional and physical requirements, the dedicated research team led by Dr. Renato G. Reyes of CLSU CTMRD and Dr. Miyato Higaki, Dr. Tomoaki Iijima and Dr. Fumio Eguchi of Tokyo University of Agriculture with funding from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) eventually led to its successful cultivation in the early summer of 1999. This breakthrough transformed this wild mushroom into one that can now be cultivated by our mushroom growers.

The domestication of Kabuteng Calao demonstrates how exploring and understanding our natural biodiversity can lead to sustainable mushroom farming and the development of new local food sources.

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗦?

As Southeast Asia’s capital cities continue to experience rapid urbanization and population growth, how much lush greenery still remains within these expanding urban landscapes?

Here’s a visualization showing how much of the capital cities are still covered with forests, grasslands, or with considerable vegetation as of 2025, based on the latest update from the Esri Sentinel-2 10m Land Use/Land Cover data.

Greenery coverage across the 10 ASEAN capital cities varies greatly. Naypyidaw and Vientiane remain among the greenest, while densely populated capitals such as Jakarta and are already heavily built up with buildings, roads, and other infrastructure.

Urban forests and vegetation play a crucial role in reducing heat, improving air quality, and protecting water resources, helping make cities more livable and resilient.

Long-term efforts, such as in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, to restore and expand green spaces are already delivering benefits to residents, from cooler surroundings to healthier urban environments.

Apayao has been named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, highlighting its rich natural ecosystems. Link at the comment section!