This study evaluates the absorptive capacity of a government agency for domestic and external funds. It takes the case of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), one of the biggest recipients of funds from government and foreign sources. Specifically, the paper a) provides an...

Regional development policy and practice took significant transformations over the last five decades. Its relevance has been challenged in recent years by the new economic geography that emerged in view of globalization and as most nations veer towards a more democratic and decentralized...

Iloilo City is one of the oldest cities in the Philippines. It is faced with a burgeoning population and surging slum dwellers, the easiest solution of which is to expand the city area. However, this is not feasible as the city is bounded in the east by Guimaras Strait, and on the other sides,...

Under EO 102, the Metro Naga Development Council (MNDC) has been tasked to formulate, coordinate and monitor programs, projects and activities for the acceleration of economic development and social growth. This paper identifies the three major challenges that the MNDC has faced: first is the...

Cagayan de Oro City (CDO), being the regional capital of Northern Mindanao and being linked with various port cities, extends its socioeconomic and political influence to its neighbors. The perceived emergence of metropolis with CDO as the core city has led to the conceptualization of the Metro...

Metro Cebu is as popular as Metro Manila. As early as 1980's, Metro Cebu has been referred to as the principal urban settlement of the Central Visayas Region. This paper attempts to present the metrowide challenges faced by Metro Cebu and discusses the issues and options for management structure...

BLIST, which stands for Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan and Tuba, is a planning area for the Cordillera Administrative Region. It has been identified as a major subregional area due to the fast growth of Baguio City and its spillover to adjacent municipalities. The 1990 earthquake that...

A world-class metropolis connotes a metropolitan settlement where infrastructure and services are considered at par with world standards in terms of sophistication, efficiency and quality of services. Admittedly, Metro Manila still has much to hurdle in relation to the provision of good...

Associated with the country's drive to become more modern and competitive global economy is the emergence of metropolises, which is defined in theory as large urban settlement having at least one million population. Given such definitions, the only metropolises that would qualify are Metro...

The enactment of 1991 Local Government Code has brought greater responsibilities for local government units to manage their natural resources and the environment. This move has encouraged greater dynamism and innovation in some Philippine cities. Strategies employed and programs undertaken by...