1992 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Economic Transformation in Rural SE Asia
| Project/Area Number |
03041020
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for international Scientific Research
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | Field Research |
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| Research Institution | University of Tokyo |
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Principal Investigator |
YASAKA Masamitsu Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo, 経済学部, 助教授 (90191098)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NAKANISHI TORU Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Hokkaido University, 経済学部, 助教授 (30227839)
TAKAHASHI Akira Executive Director, Institute of Developing Economies, 理事 (10012973)
HIGASHI Shigeki Graduate Student, Graduate School of Economics, Tsukuba University
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| Project Period (FY) |
1991 – 1992
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| Keywords | The Philippines / Land reform / Landless laborer / Thailand / Labor Market / Rural manufacturing / Dairy farming / The urban informal sector |
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| Research Abstract |
The philippines and Thailand showed close economic similarities at least until 1980, in spite of different cultural, social and political conditions. The gap of macroeconomic performances between these two countries, however, has expanded rapidly since 1980s. It is well-Known that Thailand is now called one of the Dynamic Asian Economies, while the Philippine economy has remained stagnant for long. The aim of the study is to inquire reasons of this expanding economic gap, by conducting field researches in rural and urban areas in both of the countries.
In 1991, the effects of land reform in the Philippines were examined by field researches in plantations in Bicol and Western Visayas, and paddies in Central Luzon. This land reform was prominent in that it would cover all of the farmlands and even landless laborers should be beneficiaries. This research showed, however, that the poor performances in implementation disappointed peasants and landless laborers. Although the government has begun to implement the reform in cooperations with NGOs and People Organizations, the supporting services are still poor. Even in Central Luzon, which is the biggest grain belt in the Philippines and has enjoyed considerable agricultural development, the income distribution between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries will get worse.
The researches on labor markets in rural and urban areas in Thailand were conducted in 1992. In Central and Northern Thai, it was clarified that labor shortages had occurred because of the development in rural manufacturings and dairy farming. Recently wages for landless laborers in these areas have become higher and consequently migration to Bangkok ceased. In Bangkok, the fact finding on the informal sector in a slum also showed an interesting aspect : while most of the permanent residents who were incorporated into the formal sector came from Central and Northern Thai, the temporary dwellers whose labor markets were fragmented were mostly from Northeast.
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