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During expeditions in the province of Bukidnon, southern Philippines, populations of Hedychium flavescens Carey ex Roscoe - a major plant invader in New Zealand, Hawaii, and La Réunion - were documented. This paper formally reports the presence of H. flavescens, an escaped species with invasive potential in the country. The species was recorded in the municipalities of Impasug-ong and Maramag in Bukidnon in 2018 and 2020, respectively. H. flavescens is the third species of Hedychium in the Philippines, adding to the two previously known species - namely, H. coronarium Koenig and H. philippinense K.Schum. Information on its distribution, habitat and ecology, phenology, colored photographs, and key to different species of Hedychium in the Philippines are provided in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road transport has been one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions. In the Philippines, one such measure is the introduction of a relatively new public transport mode called the “Premium Point-to-Point (P2P) Bus Service”, which features shorter travel time and lower emission intensity than conventional buses. In light of the significant deficiency in transport emission studies for Philippine cities, this paper presents a scenario-based method for quantifying the potential emission reduction benefits of the P2P bus in Metropolitan Manila. Based on a pro rata mode shift assumption, it is estimated that a 1% mode shift of passengers from existing motor modes to P2P buses would lead to 0.64% reduction of total emissions over selected travel routes in Metro Manila. The analytical method addresses the acute emission data scarcity in the Philippines, and provides early evidence on the aggregate environmental benefits of P2P buses. Extensive sensitivity tests are conducted to verify the simulation results and identify key determinants of emission reduction. The tests confirm the robustness of research findings and further uncover the great potential of increasing vehicle occupancy levels to mitigate vehicle emissions in Metro Manila. Policy implications for enhancing the environmental benefits of P2P buses are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is a prevailing challenge in the Philippines. Through the small area estimation (SAE) of the Philippine Statistics Authority, the poor cities and municipalities with poor households were identified. Some locations are also vulnerable to natural calamities and have limited resources. The 2018 SAE shows that the region of Eastern Visayas is one of the poorest in the country. Moreover, the region is vulnerable to natural hazards, particularly typhoons. The regional road network is also less connected for the poorer municipalities. Hence, slow economic growth is a concerted outcome. To provide an evidence-based framework on potentially optimized resource allocation of, say, government institutions and humanitarian organizations in countering these poverty concerns exacerbated by natural calamities, this paper used the geographical information system (GIS) for easier visualization and interpretability. Spatial analyses were also applied to [1] determine if clusters of poverty exist in the region across different periods and [2] if hot spots of poverty incidence exist in the latest SAE. The findings reveal that poverty incidence for all four previous periods of SAE has significant non-random clusters. In addition, poverty hot spots, at varying confidence levels, were statistically identified. These hot spots are also vulnerable to frequent typhoons and have limited access to national roads. Additionally, the bootstrap regression shows that economic growth could be boosted by expanding road networks as an indicator of decreased poverty incidence. This study, thus, further emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making, particularly in efforts to counter poverty, including some of its aggravating external factors such as natural calamities. The application of empirical methods in formulating and improving policies, especially those related to infrastructure investments and expansions, is also recommended, given the limited resources. It also highlights how road networks in the region could be instrumental in promoting economic progress, particularly in less accessible areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical islands can become terrains of urbanisation worthy of examination. In the Philippines, several islands have experienced urban transformation (capital accumulation, immigration, diversification, land conversion) through tourism. At the forefront of these urban transformations are Filipinas, particularly those in interracial relationships with foreign men who invest in island properties and establish resorts. These resorts stimulate a transnationally-oriented mode of urban transformation reliant on the transnational mobilities of tourists, expats and capital. This paper examines this by foregrounding the experiences of Filipinas, concentrating on how they are differentially included and excluded throughout the multi-scalar process of island urban accumulation. I locate these differential experiences in various spaces (nation, community, resort, households), noting in particular the (1) national discourses underlying state tourism and foreign retirement programmes, (2) transactions enabling property purchases and resorts, and (3) translocal mobilities sustaining urban accumulation. What emerge from these accounts are the selective inclusions and exclusions of Filipinas in transnational urban accumulation in the islands. While their role in facilitating island urban accumulation may suggest a form of 'empowered' inclusivity, this can easily be undercut by sexist micropolitics of exclusion that tend to reduce them to 'mere women' and/or 'prostitutes'. Such differential practices of inclusion/exclusion demonstrate the gendered dynamics that unequally put a double burden on Filipinas. Unravelling these accounts demonstrates how gendered relations and sexuality are important forces underpinning urban transformation and transnational mobilities that constitute diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes data collection and analytics challenges at the sub-national level related to measuring SDG indicators and the attribution of government expenditure to the SDGs. The analytical work assessed the quality of sub-national data using Demographic and Health survey (DHS) and its suitability for analysing the impact of local government expenditure on SDG indicators in the Philippines. Our findings suggest that national level surveys lack sufficient granularity to allow for a reliable and accurate measurement of progress over time at the subnational level. In addition, many of the SDG indicators could not be approximated at the local government level. At the same time, data on local government expenditure are in many cases too aggregated to be able to identify causal effects of education or health expenditure. In a best-case scenario, a design of multipurpose household surveys representative at the subnational levels would allow for timely collection, analysis and monitoring of progress over time and would allow for a more tailored modules that focus particularly on the measurement of SDG indicators. At the same time, the creation of data ecosystems at the municipality level through open data portals would enable the timely collection of government expenditures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research concerning urban expansion has been conducted worldwide in the context of global urbanization, yet comprehensive and systematic research on urban growth and morphological changes in Asia is lacking. In this study, the land use, population, and economic development of nine major port cities in the Philippines from 1990 to 2020 were analyzed. The urban land density inverse S function was used to conduct an in-depth analysis of changes in urban spatial morphology. The urban growth patterns were studied by landscape expansion indexes were studied. The results showed that the land area of nine port cities increased by 246.7 km2. Infill expansion in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Bacolod accounted for >60 % of the newly added urban land and has led to a more compact urban form; edge and outlying expansion in General Santos, Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, and Iloilo accounted for >80 % and has led to dynamic changes involving compactness and dispersion. Urban boundaries and terrain limit the development of slow and medium-speed expansion cities; the combination with surrounding cities into megacities can be considered in the future. In contrast, rapidly expanding cities need to improve their compactness and efficiency of urban land use. • This paper provides comprehensive research on urban growth and morphological changes in nine cities in the Philippines. • Infill expansion led to a more compact urban form. • Edge and outlying area expansion form is undergoing dynamic changes involving compactness and dispersion. • The combination of metropolitan with surrounding cities can be considered for slow and medium-speed expansion cities. • Rapidly expanding cities need to improve their compactness and efficiency of urban land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically analyzes the effects of the continuing war and revolution to the economy, livelihood and standard of living in the City of Manila during the Second Phase of the Revolution of 1896 and the Filipino-American War from 1898 to 1901. Through critical examination of economic data, memoirs, accounts, and other primary sources of the period, the paper critically analyzes the changes in the flow of goods and services, businesses and industries, employment, prices of commodities, and other economic factors, and its implication in the standard of living of residents in the City of Manila particularly after the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898 until the establishment of the Civil Government on July 4,1901. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorsogon City is a rapidly urbanising coastal area in the Philippines. Its location, combined with a rapidly changing and growing urban fabric, leaves it vulnerable to both incremental climate change and associated extreme weather events. In this paper, UN-HABITAT data are used to draw out the climate change vulnerabilities and policy responses in Sorsogon City. Vulnerability “hotspots” highlight the spatial intersection of socio-economic justice concerns, particularly in terms of vulnerability to increased cyclone activity. We discuss vulnerabilities of Sorsogon City and its citizens to climate change and measures undertaken through various social, environmental and technical systems and interventions to increase resilience. The paper also attempts to unpick the relationship between the neat, concise reported city and the complexities of urban life using the Sorsogon experiment to consider the limitations of such approaches to governing climate change. We group these under four headings: social simplification in the absence of data; over-governance (and under-representation); quick wins versus strategic investment; and stretching the ecological and vulnerability footprints of the city. The experience of Sorsogon City is then extended to reflect on issues of governance and planning in other Asian coastal cities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite growing attention to identity and intersectionality in the field of development, there is still a dearth of empirical scholarship exploring the ways that being sexually non-normative—or queer—shapes the experience of living in poverty in the Global South. In this paper, I use the ‘missing dimensions of poverty’ framework developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative to explore the ways that queerness and poverty inflect each other in the urban Philippines. I examine the pivotal role that queer people play in household and neighborhood economies, and argue that being queer profoundly affects the ways that low-income Filipinos experience poverty. I suggest that a better understanding of the capabilities that low-income queer individuals are allowed or encouraged to exercise—and the roles that are denied to them—can be used to beneficially integrate those populations into development praxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines two bikeshare programs implemented in two Global South cities, examining the role of users in promoting sustainable transport. To explore the sustainability of smart cycling, we argue that it is important to understand the prevailing administrative and socio-institutional practices within a given context. For the effective stabilisation of smart regimes, harmony between the administrative and socio-institutional practices must be established. In this context, we introduce a complementary approach to understanding transitions. Maintenance of political commitments and institutional support are crucial for cycling success, not incidental footloose initiatives. We explore two case studies in the context of the Global South, in the first one top-down policies and planning initiatives dictate the directions of transitions by enabling or constraining user routines. In the second one, citizens take control to resolve a transport deficit by initiating and driving a very bottom-up user-led transition narrative. We propose a framework to cater to the unique political , cultural and smart discourses of the Global South and the role of users in conjunction with the administrative and socio-institutional practices around them. Investigating both the bikeshare cases through the lens of this framework provides unique insights extending our knowledge beyond the built environment features of sustainable planning initiatives. Our findings reveal the complex narratives that are in play in developing nations and conclude that understanding and realising cycling transitions in southern megacities require a different approach compared to the Global North. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]