Routledge Handbook of the Contemporary Philippines (Routledge Handbooks)

The Philippines is a fascinating example of a "poor country democracy" where issues of economic development and poverty, political participation and stability, as well as ethnicity and migration are crucial. The __Routledge Handbook of the Contemporary Philippines__ provides a comprehensive overview of the current political, economic, social, and cultural issues of the country. The Handbook is divided into the following four sections concentrating on a different aspect of the Philippines: • domestic politics; • foreign relations; • economics and social policy; • cultures and movements. In terms of domestic politics, chapters discuss clientelism, bossism, dynasties, pork barrel and corruption as well as institutions - the presidency, congress, the judiciary, the civil service, political parties, and civilian-military relations. The Philippines is confronted with many overseas challenges, with the foreign relations section focused on the country’s relationship with China, Japan, and the USA as well as assessing the impact of the Filipino diaspora community around the world. Regarding economics and social policy, authors examine industrial policy, capital flight, microfinance, technocracy, economic nationalism, poverty, social welfare programs, and livelihoods. The final section on Philippine cultures and movements highlights issues of customs, gender, religion, and nationalism while also examining various social and political forces - the peasantry, the middle class, indigenous peoples, NGOs, the left, trade unionism, the women’s movement, and major insurgencies. Written by leading experts in the field, the Handbook provides students, scholars, and policymakers of Southeast Asia with an interdisciplinary resource on the evolving politics, society, and economics of the Philippines. Cover 1 Half title 2 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Table of contents 6 List of figures 10 List of tables 11 Notes on contributors 13 Foreword 19 Introduction 20 PART I: Domestic politics 34 1 Clientelism revisited 36 2 Patrons, bosses, dynasties, and reformers in local politics 45 3 The political party system 57 4 Combating corruption 74 5 The civil service: weaknesses and constructive informal practices 92 6 House of clans: political dynasties in the legislature 104 7 Pork transmogrified: the unending story of particularistic spending 116 8 Congress: separate but not equal 126 9 The presidency: a relational approach 137 10 The judiciary under threat 149 11 Civil-military relations: norming and departures 163 PART II: Foreign relations 178 12 Foreign relations between the Philippines and the United States 180 13 From antagonistic to close neighbors? twenty-first century Philippines–China relations 191 14 Towards strategic partnership: Philippines–Japan relations after seventy years 205 15 Diaspora diplomacy 216 PART III: Economics and social policy 228 16 Bypassing industrial development 230 17 Capital flight 244 18 The changing configuration of capitalism 254 19 Economic nationalism and its legacy 273 20 Technocracy and class politics in policy-making 281 21 The allure of Pantawid Pamilya: the conditional cash transfer program 292 22 Informality and legality in women's livelihoods in Baguio City 303 23 Persistent poverty and elite-dominated policymaking 312 24 From pamilya to grasya: microfinance 326 PART IV: Cultures and movements 338 25 A syncretic culture 340 26 Gender, nation, and Filipino Catholicism past and present 349 27 Between rights protection and development aggression: indigenous peoples 360 28 The resilience of the peasantry 371 29 The middle class in society and politics 382 30 NGOs in the post-M Marcos era 395 31 Crossovers double-crossed: NGOs, semi-clientelism and political reform 405 32 The left: struggling to make a comeback 415 33 Trade unions: "free" but weak 424 34 The women's movement: policy issues, influence and constraints 437 35 Bangsamoro secessionism 446 36 Moro insurgency and third party mediation 458 37 The problem with a national(ist) method 467 Index 481 This landmark volume brings together leading scholars in the field to investigate recent conceptual shifts, research findings and policy debates on the informal economy as well as future challenges and directions for research and policy. Well over half of the global workforce and the vast majority of the workforce in developing countries work in the informal economy, and in countries around the world new forms of informal employment are emerging. Yet the informal workforce is not well understood, remains undervalued and is widely stigmatised. Contributors to the volume bridge a range of disciplinary perspectives including anthropology, development economics, law, political science, social policy, sociology, statistics, urban planning and design. The Informal Economy Revisited also focuses on specific groups of informal workers, including home-based workers, street vendors and waste pickers, to provide a grounded insight into disciplinary debates. Ultimately, the book calls for a paradigm shift in how the informal economy is perceived to reflect the realities of informal work in the Global South, as well as the informal practices of the state and capital, not just labour. The Informal Economy Revisited is the culmination of 20 years of pioneering work by WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing), a global network of researchers, development practitioners and organisations of informal workers in 90 countries. Researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and advocates will all find this book an invaluable guide to the significance and complexities of the informal economy, and its role in today's globalised economy "The Philippines is a fascinating example of a 'poor country democracy' where issues of economic development and poverty, political participation and stability as well as ethnicity and migration are crucial. The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Philippines provides a comprehensive overview of the current political, economic, social and cultural issues of the country. The Handbook is divided into the following four sections concentrating on a different aspect of the Philippines: Domestic politics, Foreign relations, Economics and social policy, Cultures and movements. Chapters discuss the political parties and contested elections, as well as dynasties and local governance in the Politics section, and the Economics section looks at topics such as international political economy, industrial policy and economic nationalism. The section on Philippine society highlights the women's movement and gender issues, and goes on to concentrate on religion, culture and customs. The Philippines is confronted with many foreign challenges, and the final section focuses on the relationship the country has with China, Japan, Europe and the USA. Written by leading experts in the field, the Handbook provides students, scholars and policymakers of Southeast Asia with an interdisciplinary resource on the evolving politics, society and economics of the Philippines"-- Provided by publisher