Effectiveness of 4p’s in Terms of Mch and Education Essay

Conditional cash transfers (CCTs) are among the most popular social protection schemes today. Promoted by multilateral institutions, notably the World Bank, CCTs have been adopted in at least 30 countries as of 2008, with further ones expected to follow suit in the coming years (WB‘s CCT Webpage). The map below shows these country-adopters. CCTs are grounded on the principle that human capital accumulation is a development vehicle which can be achieved by providing money to poor households, often to women, on conditions that they ensure children‘s regular attendance in school, accompany them to health clinics, and participate in classes and workshops on topics related to health, nutrition, and sanitation (St. Claire 2009: 177; Bradshaw 2008: 188; Hall 2006: 691). Citing the experiences of Latin American countries, particularly Mexico and Brazil, advocates have repeatedly claimed that CCTs are an effective and efficient means of reducing poverty and hunger, keeping childre n in school, enhancing the use of preventive healthcare, empowering women, and increasing the freedom of poor households to invest in their varied needs (WB‘s CCT Webpage; ECLAC 2004). No wonder, with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) deadline getting near, CCTs have been in vogue in a number of countries, including that archipelagic country in the east—the Philippines. In view of the worsening poverty situation and the MDG targets, the Philippine government ran a pilot CCT project in 2007, targeting 6,000 poor households in two provinces and two cities. It proceeded to implementing a full-scale program in 2008, calling it Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and targeting 320,000 additional households. When Benigno Aquino III was elected president in 2010, he decided to sustain his predecessor‘s 4Ps, and further expand its coverage so that when he bows out of the presidency in 2016, it will have reached a total of 4.3 million households (PCIJ 2011). Quoting the Philippine Development Plan 2011–2016, CCTs are the ―cornerstoneâ€â€" upon which the government ―has anchored [the] epic battle against poverty in the landâ€â€" (ibid.). This research has avoided the usual route of scrutinizing the implementation and (non)impact of CCTs in particular, and of development programs in general. It has taken one step back, and examined the factors that influenced or helped shape the government‘s decision to adopt CCTs in a country marked by a long history of poverty and inequality, and was once described as the Latin America in Asia1. The interest on this topic grew out of the observation of the government‘s continued adherence to the so-called residual type of social policy and social provision despite the lessons learned from and the criticisms hurled at past and on-going initiatives. It is in fact worth noting that the 4Ps which of late is called Pantawid Pamilya, is just one of the targeted and pallia tive poverty reduction measures pursued in the country. An earlier one, and internationally acclaimed at that, is the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (Linking Arms Against Poverty) or KALAHI which has been the flagship poverty reduction program since 2003. A critical review of the KALAHI program reveals that its overall intervention does not offer a more permanent and effective way out of poverty because it lacks coherent plans and mutually supporting projects; and that its social protection component is neither broadly implemented nor viewed to provide permanent economic opportunities for the poor to accumulate assets and to engage in permanent income generating activities (Lim 2009: 29). An assessment of the Philippines‘ performance vis-à  -vis the MDGs supports this analysis. It stresses that†¦ Social protection in the Philippines is not universal; it is simply a bundle of safety net measures targeted at the poorest of the poor. It is [neither] a rights-based entitlement for all citizens†¦[nor a determined effort to] address the structural causes of poverty†¦Since it only targets the ―poorest of the poorâ€â€", many poor remained excluded from the government‘s anti-poverty programs. (Serrano in S ocial Watch Philippines 2010: 23) The analytical position adopted here is that ―policy choices are very politicalâ€â€" no matter how they are couched in technocratic jargon and touted as neutral (Fischer 2010: 40). As further explained, ―social policies are the outcomes of political bargains and conflicts since they touch upon power in society—its distribution and accessibility to different political actorsâ€â€" (Mkandawire 2004: 11 and 12). It is therefore imperative to unravel the interplay of different political processes, institutions, and actors, along with their diverse agenda and ideological persuasions in order to gain a better understanding of social policy choices. This research posits that the Philippine government‘s decision to adopt CCTs reflects the unchanged social policy trajectory marked by the tendency towards targeted, palliative, and supposedly apolitical social provision, not to mention externally-influenced, drawing ―encouragementâ€â€" and support from multilateral institutions, all at the expense of structural reform and redistribution (i.e., asset reform, employment creation, recall of unfair international trade rules and agreements). This trajectory has been defined by the interaction of various political institutions, also called ―the rules of the gameâ€â€", as well as actors, notably the elites whose longstanding dominance in the political and economic arenas has compelled and enabled them to suppress or overturn reform efforts that threaten their position and hold of power. That being said, CCTs paint a bleak picture for the long-term solution to poverty and inequality in the country mainly because like many other World Bank/multilateral donor-backed initiatives, they preclude rationalizing and confronting the structural roots of these problems. Framed in a way that appeals to the elites, middle class, masses, policymakers, bureaucrats, academics, and even a number of progressives—a program that addresses the laziness of the poor by requiring them to do something in exchange for some amount; a program that invests in the well-being of children; a program that efficiently uses the limited resources of government; a program that is supposedly ―apoliticalâ€â€", ―neutralâ€â€", or ―non-partisanâ€â€" and thus effectively reduces the likelihood of manipulation by politicos—a broad agreement of outright support for Pantawid Pamilya has been created despite warnings that it may only serve the Washington Consensus agenda of limiting the state, leaving the market to take care of income and welfare distribution, and granting mere safety nets to people who lose out in the process. Pantawid Pamilya is nothing but a continuation of the purportedly apolitical social policy of the country, and as such, runs the risk of obstructing government and society from going beyond palliatives and undertaking the untidy process of structural reform and distribution. With a situation like this, it is not to be expected that the program will catalyze the shift towards a redistributive and/or universal social provision. UNDP‘s Human Development Reports Webpage The Philippines is a country in the Southeast Asia in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Its population based on the 2007 census is 88.5 million, of which 44.8 are males and 43.8 are females. Its average population growth rate as of that same year is 2.04 which registers a .32 decrease from 2000‘s 2.36. (NSO Website) Based on World Bank records, the growth in the country has been averaging around five percent over the last 10 years, except in 2010, where it has reached 7.6 percent, the highest in 30 years. Despite this positive picture, however, poverty continues to plague the country, while inequality remains a huge obstacle in achieving major strides in poverty reduction. The 2009 Official Poverty Statistics, the latest poverty report of the National Statistical Coordination Board, reveals that poverty incidence among the population has declined from 33.1 percent in 1991 to 24.9 percent in 2003, 26.4 in 2006, and 26.5 in 2009. Nevertheless, there still remains more than a quarter of the population, or roughly 23.14 million Filipinos livening in poverty. As for subsistence incidence among the population, the figures have decreased from 16.5 percent in 1991 to 11.1 in 2003, 11.7 in 2006, and 10.8 in 2006. As often the case, the official report differs from the unofficial report, especially if the bases are the perceptions of the poor themselves. Based on the survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations, self-rated poverty has ranged from 46 to 72 percent between 1991 and 2009. These numbers are obviously way about the official estimates. Within that period, overall self-rated hunger has averaged at 13.3 percent, of which moderate hunger has roughly been 9.8 percent, and severe hunger, 3.4 percent. Moderate hunger is when a family went hungry at least once in the last three months, while severe hunger is when a family often went hungry in the last three months. (SWS‘ Social Weather Indicators Webpage ) Inequality has shown a downward trend, but despite this decreasing gini ratio—from 0.4605 in 2003 to 0.4580 in 2006 to 0.4484 in 2009—it is still highest among the members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (UNDP as cited in NSCB 2011: 8). For instance, for the year 2009, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam recorded a gini ratio of 0.394, 0.425, and 0.378, respectively (ibid.). In terms of the Human Development Indicators, on one hand, the country‘s performance has been promising. Its score has consistently increased from 0.550 in 1980 to 0.571 in 1990, 0.602 in 2000, 0.641 in 2010, and 0.644 in 2011, although these are still below the global and the East Asia and the Pacific averages (UNDP‘s Human Development Reports Webpage). – 5 – It is also important to take into account the spatial dimension of poverty. The regions with highest poverty incidence by families are the Caraga Region (39.8%) and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (38.1%), while those with highest number of poor families are Central Visayas (415,303) and Bicol (385,338). The regions with highest subsistence incidence are the Zamboanga Peninsula (18.6%) and Northern Mindanao (15.6%), while those with the highest number of subsistence poor families are Central Visayas (181,649) and Bicol (137,527). Almost 40% of the income poor families are in Luzon, and 40% of the subsistence poor families are in Mindanao. (NSCB‘s 2009 Poverty Statistics Webpage) Moreover, majority of the poor are still located in the rural area with figures that have remained in the 70-percent-mark since 1985 based on the estimates of Balisacan (2006). (Emma_s_RP_Final_Draft_Nov_2011)

Questions for Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Questions for Discussion - Essay Example Essentially, some companies believe that if they tell applicants the realistic job information, the applicants will not want the job. This approach of hiring employees without giving them a through understanding of what they are getting themselves into can backfire (Jean & Stanley 2011, p.121). When employees are hired and later find out that the job information was unrealistic, most of them will eventually leave the job. The costs of filling these positions include the cost of employing new employees, training costs, advertising costs and labor hours lost, thus making this process expensive. Giving realistic information about a job will attract only the interested candidates, thus reducing the staff turnover and in the long run reducing the costs of filling vacant positions. Companies need to focus on both the skills and motivation of the job applicants; an individual may have the job skills, but without motivation, he/she may not be interested with job (Packard, 2001). This approac h will enable the recruiter to get the suitable applicants by observing and listening to their reactions and responses; once the hiring team presents the realistic information about the job. An applicant may see the job as a source of experience and after sometimes he/she will move into another career; such an applicant may not be the best for the job. There are applicants who will respond positively about the job; it will be wise to choose prospective employees from this group (Packard, 2001). Employers expect the applicants to give realistic information about their qualifications, skills, and work experience and use various ways to get the information from the applicants. Employers also need to give realistic job information to the applicants; honesty and trust will be the best policy (Jean & Stanley 2011, p.122). A well structured and transparent recruitment system may significantly reduce the rate of staff turnover, which are experienced within the first three months of employme nt, the period where both the employee and the company are typically on a probationary period. For example, Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, has 55,000 employees and hires an average of 200 people per day; while hiring, the firm employs realistic job previews. Applicants view a film illustrating the working conditions at Disney, before completing an application or an interview. After viewing the film, 10 percent of applicants eliminate themselves from the hiring process. Disney observes this as a good thing, as those self-selecting themselves out most likely would not have been an excellent fit with the organization. Honesty in the recruitment process may result to positive remarks about the company; the applicants will regard the company positively thus enhancing the company’s public image (Jean & Stanley 2011, p.124). # 2 There are key disadvantages of this recruitment approach. First, provision of realistic job information may prompt candidates to eliminate themselves voluntarily from consideration for a certain job. For this reason, it is normally assumed that such information will decrease the number of prospective employees who eventually accept the job. However, stiff competition for new workers may diminish the probability that realistic job information will become an essential part of a company’s recruiting efforts. Despite the confidence that this approach will reduce the probability of job acceptance, various analysis and reviews, of the literature of realistic job pre

You can decide the topic whatever you want by those requirements I Essay - 10

You can decide the topic whatever you want by those requirements I posted - Essay Example The painting has recurring rhythmic pattern similar to rhythm as used in jazz. Jazz are unique music in which he various musical elements including the lyric work in tandem to create a unified rhythm. The painter uses rhyming shapes, sizes and color among other design elements to create a unified piece. The painter’s ability to use various design elements ye achieve harmony in the final product is a feature unique to jazz music. The selection of bold colors and a jumbled sound pattern in the painting makes its structure synonymous to that of rock and roll type of music. Just as with any other professional painter, Delaunay uses the various design elements strategically in order to achieve both harmony and emphasis in the painting. However, his choice of the design elements to use makes the painting grab attention, as is the case with the high-pitched rhythm of rock music. Jacques-Louis David portrays his painting genius in the painting as he employs numerous principles of design. Principles of design refer to acceptable set of rules that govern the utilization of the various visual elements that painters use. The design elements include space, color, form and texture among others. A painter uses more than a single design element when creating an artifact as is the case with The Death of Socrates painted by Jacques-Louis David’s painting. The renowned painter therefore observes a number of design principles thus ensuring that the he creates a holistic painting that communicates effectively. Key among the principles is similarity and contrast. The principle of design seeks to enhance the portrayal of a focal point in a painting. Painters always use the various elements similarly. However, too much similarity in the use of the elements makes a painting boring. Jacques-Louis David uses various elements similarly while contrasting others at strategic stages thus creating a cohesive painting. The people in the painting for

Hamlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

Hamlet - Essay Example The knowledge and the motivation to avenge his father’s death come from a ghost. The ghost has served has an intriguing dramatic device in the play. A dramatic device is an element of the play that helps build the story and affect the reactions of the audience and the delivery of dialogues and the character of the leading figures in the play. At the time Shakespeare wrote this play, ghosts were used in plays and stories commonly. Ghosts were often used to haunt the characters, or to be harbinger of omens. In the Elizabethan era, ghosts were in fact regarded by audience with a positive response and increased the appeal of the play. Using a ghost in the play as a dramatic device helped accrue the appeal of the play since people at that time were looking for such entertainment. A play is dramatic if it involves its audience. Shakespeare’s use of the ghost in the play elicits feelings of fear and dread in the spectator. It serves to perform many functions in the play, contributing to the overall impact of the tragedy. There were superstitions and fear rife in the Elizabethan audience about death and what follows later on. Their fears and apprehension has been used by Shakespeare to build a plot that influences the audience considerably; the plot feeds upon the perceptions of the people on purgatory and afterlife and a ssists in involving the audience in to the play. At the time the play was construed by Shakespeare, although there were many Protestants, there were people who did not belief upon the existence of ghosts and any afterlife. In the play, Shakespeare does not give any indication if the ghost was from hell or from purgatory. This leaves the audience ambiguous about the fate of Hamlet and how his actions were placed in the afterlife: that is, if he was condemned to hell or his given redemption for killing his uncle. The lack on knowledge on this matter leaves the audience embroiled in

Marketing communication 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing communication 2 - Essay Example The empowerment of the customers with respect to the availability of information was really understandable by the case of the departmental store of a friend of mine that was seriously affected because of the improper marketing communication. The departmental store of the friend was performing well within the periphery of the expectations in the couple of years since inception but soon it started to exhibit poor performance. The sales revenue was severely hit. External experts, those were employed by the store, investigated and observed that the failure of the firm even though it maintained quality goods and services, was primarily because of the lack of the marketing initiatives and rusty performance of the marketing department. The departmental store basically targeted the middle income groups and middle aged families especially those where both of the spouses were working. In order to meet the needs of the working customers, the departmental stores remained open for all round the clock, seven days a week. Also, the store provided facilities like home delivery of the purchased items free of charge at the convenient hours along with online purchasing. The store also aimed to grab the lower income strata of the society as it proposed and implemented various sales promotion methods. The goals and the objectives of the marketing communication plan would essentially be to reinstate the departmental store with its glory and pride in the city of its existence. Also, the marketing communication plan would essentially aim to make target customers aware about the various sales promotional offers and schemes and increase the footfalls and thereby to increase the revenue. The marketing communication plan should be such that it inculcates the various mechanisms of effective marketing communication. The decision to visit the store and purchase from the store should be depicted as that of high involvement as per FCB Grid Model and the schemes and

W4Q Follow Up-Managing Individuals and Their Behavior for Assignment

W4Q Follow Up-Managing Individuals and Their Behavior for Organizational Effectiveness - Assignment Example the cultures have undergone an immense change under the impact of current globalization and advancements in the communication technology which renders the results of Hofstede’s study as obsolete. Wibbeke and MacArthur (2013) studied the cross cultural leadership competencies called geoleadership that explain the leadership competencies of a person in culturally diverse environment. These dimensions include A capable leader has the skills to develop strong professional relationships based on trust and respect with people from other cultures across the horizontal and vertical hierarchy of the organization. Each project is unique in terms of its context, environment, objectives and the individuals who are part of the project team. Schwartz (1992) highlights that most of believe in universalism of our values. Lomranz (1976) argue personal space as the right distance measured by the cultural values. Evans and Edward (1973) describes that few cultures close distance between the persons is common like in Mediterranean cultures while in other cultures people maintain a specific distance. People from Vincentian culture may find the people from Jamaican culture as aggressive simply due to their high tone of voice. Wong (2007) is of the opinion that America culture values originality and distinctiveness at workplace despite the importance of team work where Americans may view cultures as weak who do not possess such characteristics which is a misconception than truth. Further, American businesses may seek benefit from characteristics of support and agreement in other cultures. The freedom of s peech and expression of personal views in a fearless manner can be valuable for people from cultures who do not encourage such behavior. Bond et al (1985) explains that friendly insults are acceptable in American culture. Similarly, American culture is time bound is they tend to maintain their schedules for meetings and other activities where perspective of time may be quite fluid

Rousseau's Social Contract and John Stuart Mill's On Liberty Research Paper

Rousseau's Social Contract and John Stuart Mill's On Liberty - Research Paper Example The two philosophers have also delved into the relationship that exists between the government and liberty, while also investigating the valid basis for limiting liberty. Mill’s position on the concept of liberty is based on the observation that the majority in the society has the opportunity to dominate the minority, and thus subject them under their own authority (Mill, 12). As a result of this observation, Mills advocates for individuality, where individuals possess their own rights that are not interfered by the society and thus can be able to shape their own destiny without depending on the influence of the society, which is highly driven by the tyranny of the majority. On his part, Jean–Jacques Rousseau observes that man was born in freedom, to be absolutely free, but he is always in chain whenever he is (Rousseau,). In an attempt to devise the right ways of developing a political community, he devised the fundamental concept of the liberty of people. Pitched on t he argument that only the people can develop the rules that should govern them, and anything short of that is unacceptable. Therefore, this discussion seeks to compare Rousseau's Social Contract and John Stuart Mill's On Liberty, with a view to assessing their points of congruence and departure, in regards to the concept of liberty and the freedom of man. ... Therefore, it is the institutions like that of private ownership of property that has made man bad (r). This is because, with the introduction of such institutions, man has been corrupted and made mean, so that he attempts to own as much as he can, without any due regard for the others. If there were no private ownership of property, a man could not be such corrupt or mean, because he could only use what is enough for him, and leave the rest for others, thus creating equality for all. Therefore, the existence of institutions has destroyed man’s pity and benevolence. Thus the fundamental basis for Rousseau’s belief in liberty is equality and security, where the man can obey himself, while still uniting himself with all, and retaining the ever unlimited freedom (Rousseau, 33). According to him, only institutions create inequality and insecurity. Mills, on the other hand, observes the fundamental basis for liberty as individuality and individual basic rights, which he obse rves are the basis for the good citizenship, which translates to a healthy society, and consequently to the freedom of mankind (Mill, 24). He observes that individuals should have the freedom from constraint by the government, but that is associated with self-rule. Therefore, Mills differs with Rousseau regarding the fundamental basis of freedom, by arguing that individual rights grant man freedom, and by extension makes the society free. On his part, Rousseau argues that individual rights make an individual a slave of oneself, by making him obey his self-desire (Rousseau, 56).