This stud’s aim is to explain why in 2008, there were food related protests in the Philippines. The events have been analyzed using two frameworks. One examined the four dimensions of the food security concept as presented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to understand the dynamic of the rice market; The other expounded the legitimacy of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’ s government, probing at the Philippines’ s level of democratization through an approach of historical institutionalism.
The staple crop in the Philippines is rice. If food prices in general started to increase from 2006, rice markets were slow off the mark. WMR wholesale prices in the Philippines shot up in mid-2007 and reached their peak in 2008. The food unrest critical period occurred between March 2008 and August 2008 when prices escalated Other points deemed important will be raised even if they happened outside of this time frame.
Table of Contents
1) Introduction
1.1 Food security aspects
1.2 Legitimacy aspects
2) Material and methods
2.1 Food (In)security
2.2 Democratization
3) Theory and calculation
3.1 Food (In)security
3.1.1 Availability
3.1.1.1 Food Production Index (2004-2006 =100)
3.1.2 Access
3.1.2.1 Terms of Trade
3.1.3 Stability
3.1.3.1 Price Correlation
3.1.3.2 Import Surges
3.2 Democratization
3.2.1 Economy
3.2.1.1 Migration
3.2.2 Civil Society
3.2.2.1 Civic Engagement
4) Results and discussion
4.1 Food (In)security relevant aspects
4.1.1 Availability
4.1.1.1 Food Production Index
4.1.1.2 Food Supply
4.1.1.3 Trade policy
4.1.2 Access
4.1.2.1 Terms of Trade
4.1.2.2 Unemployment
4.1.3 Utilization
4.1.3.1 Chronic Undernourishment
4.1.4 Stability
4.1.4.1 Price Correlation
4.1.4.2 Import Surges
4.2 Legitimacy relevant aspects
4.2.1 Economy
4.2.1.1 Migration
4.2.1.2 GINI coefficient
4.2.2 Civil Society
4.2.2.1 Civic engagement
4.2.3 Press freedom
4.2.4 Political corruption
5) Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this research is to analyze the underlying causes of food-related protests in the Philippines during 2008. The study examines how the interplay between national food security dynamics and the political legitimacy of the government contributed to the crisis.
- Analysis of food security using FAO's four core dimensions (availability, access, utilization, and stability).
- Evaluation of political legitimacy and democratization through the lens of historical institutionalism.
- Investigation of the impact of global rice market fluctuations and domestic policy responses.
- Assessment of the role of economic structural challenges, including unemployment and income inequality, in the crisis.
Excerpt from the book
2.2 Democratization
The second concept applied to fully comprehend the food demonstrations, is based on the “Historical-institutionalism” approach. It punctuates historically-based norms- and a value system which impacts on present institutions. The Philippines had been a Spanish colony during more than 330 years. The invaders’ hacienda system in which large family holdings were tilled by tenant farmers, ruled. It set an institutionalized divide between an elite and peasants, a partition which still prevails today in a patron-client structure. Colonialism has instated a top-down ruling by an alienated bureaucracy. It is not accountable to the masses and keeps a tight elite’s control over government policies. However attached to democratic values Nationals may be and despite formal democratic institutions, corruption enmeshes the country’s political culture. An oligarchy government lurking behind a Western-style liberal democracy controls the bureaucracy, political parties and elections, thanks to contacts within the security apparatus and their money. The state has evolved into an instrument serving the elites’ interests to the detriment of the public at large. Even though there are elections, politicians, once in power, only seek to recover the costs to enhance their patron-client system in order to stay in power by ensuring reelection (Caoili, 2005).
Summary of Chapters
1) Introduction: Outlines the research aim to explain the 2008 Philippine food protests using food security and political legitimacy frameworks.
2) Material and methods: Details the conceptual frameworks, specifically the FAO food security definition and the historical-institutionalism approach to political legitimacy.
3) Theory and calculation: Describes the specific indices and datasets used to measure food security and democratization metrics.
4) Results and discussion: Analyzes empirical data regarding rice production, trade policies, unemployment, and the political landscape to evaluate the crisis causes.
5) Conclusion: Summarizes how structural challenges and interdependency in global markets, coupled with domestic political issues, exacerbated the food crisis.
Keywords
Philippines, rice crisis, food security, FAO, democratization, historical institutionalism, National Food Authority, NFA, FIELDS program, economic sabotage, political corruption, patron-client system, import surges, market integration, 2008 protests.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper investigates the reasons behind food-related protests in the Philippines in 2008, connecting global food market trends with domestic socio-political issues.
What are the central thematic fields?
The two main themes are food security, analyzed via FAO metrics, and the political legitimacy of the government, explored using a historical institutionalist perspective.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks why food-related protests occurred in 2008 and whether these demonstrations were linked to a broader legitimacy crisis within the government beyond simple food insecurity.
Which scientific method is employed?
The study utilizes a qualitative and quantitative analysis, operationalizing food security through four FAO dimensions and evaluating democratization through historical-institutional assessment and various economic/social indices.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body examines availability, access, utilization, and stability of food, alongside an analysis of economic structural problems, migration, civil society, press freedom, and political corruption.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The key themes include the 2008 Philippine rice crisis, government legitimacy, structural economic challenges, and the role of the National Food Authority.
How did government policies like the FIELDS program aim to address the crisis?
The FIELDS program was launched in 2008 as a long-term strategy to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2013 through investments in fertilizer, irrigation, infrastructure, and seeds.
What role did the "patron-client" system play in the Philippine political landscape during the crisis?
The system is described as an institutionalized structure where political elites and dynasties prioritize maintaining their power and recovering costs over public welfare, which the author argues hinders genuine democratic progress.
How does the author interpret the absence of large-scale violent riots despite the crisis?
The author notes that while there was public unrest, potential measures taken by the government and the disillusionment of the population with politics might have prevented more violent, widespread upsurges.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Marcel Reymond (Autor:in), 2012, The 2007/2008 rice crisis in the Philippines, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/214724
