ANNUAL

continued from page 4• Land Reform and Changes in LandOwnership Concentration: Evidence fromRice-Growing Villages in the PhilippinesThis study examined the effects of land reform andland transfer actions of farmer beneficiaries on landownership concentration. Land transfer actions offarmer beneficiaries may not have necessarilyworsened the current land ownership concentration,but in the absence of progressive land tax, theseactions can lead to widening land concentration.• The Hybrid Rice Program: Structure, Conductand PerformanceGiven the current fiscal crisis, and the country’s scarceresources, the poor state of infrastructure, and thesevere under-funding of education and health services,the study’s rationale found it imperative to evaluatethe design, conduct and performance of the hybridrice program which was said to be heavily subsidizedby government. The study presented the role ofgovernment in rice-variety improvement and the Asianexperience in hybrid rice technology.• Rules of Origin: Evolving Best Practices forRTAs/ FTAsThe study focused on some recurring Rules of Origin(ROO) issues and presented some suggestions for aframework for ROO best practices that arecharacterized by transparency, predictability, neutralityand non-discrimination, and the added dimension ofbeing development-friendly.• Infrastructure and Regional GrowthThe study, part of a book titled “Policies andInstitutions for Advancing Regional Development:The Philippines in Comparative East Asian Context,”identified some of the main factors behind the dismalperformance in infrastructure investment in thePhilippines and indicated pathways that may lead tomore substantial levels of investment in the future.• Rural Innovations as Responses to Failures inRural Financial MarketsReviews and innovations developed by some financialinstitutions to meet the challenges of microfinanceand rural finance markets are the core concerns of thisstudy.• Micro-Insurance: Issues, Challenges andPolicy ReformsThis paper assessed the state of micro-insurance in thecountry, identifying the players and their performance,and the challenges facing micro-insurancedevelopment. It is also an assessment of the role andsignificance of micro-insurance and risk protectionservices in socioeconomic development, povertyreduction and the development of the financial sectorof the Philippines.• Financing the Millennium Development GoalsThe study essentially brings up-to-date the estimatesmade earlier in 2002 in the resource requirements andresource gaps that are pertinent to the attainment ofthe MDGs on primary education, child mortality, continued on page 6PIDS 2006 ANNUAL REPORT5