This paper explores the efficacy of the Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) and Climate Cha... more This paper explores the efficacy of the Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) policies in Pohnpei in making its communities disaster resilient. It explores the institutional mechanisms, action plans and strategies for disaster risk management. Community resilience in this study is defined as the ability of the communities to successfully cope with endogenous and exogenous disturbances based on economic, social, and environmental parameters (Rotmans, Martens, & van Asselt,2002; Resilience Alliance, 2009). Survey questionnaire were distributed to households represented by the 8th graders of the selected schools. Each of the six municipalities of Pohnpei were represented but some were sporadically distributed that only the three highest number of respondents were taken into consideration and the rest were grouped under 'Others'. The questionnaire was designed to be a take-home exercise wherein both the parent and student discuss the items in the questionnaire. The survey was triangulated with Key Informant Interviews among policy makers and people knowledgeable on disaster risk management policies and action plans in Pohnpei. Relevant literatures were reviewed and mostly were searched online. Documents i.e. FSM National Disaster Response Plan 2016 and Pohnpei Joint State Action Plan for Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change were shared by the key informants. This study provides an appreciation of the community's practices and activities related to disaster preparedness, their perceived threats and finishes by providing recommendation of key priorities for the resilience, DRR and CCA programs in Pohnpei.
Corruption has been regarded as the major obstacle to good governance and inclusive, sustainable ... more Corruption has been regarded as the major obstacle to good governance and inclusive, sustainable development. Philippines has been plagued continuously with corruption scandals both in the national and local levels and anti-corruption campaigns from previous administrations is seemingly a wild goose chase. This paper seeks to investigate the correlation between political will vis-à-vis the effectiveness of the anti-corruption campaign in the Philippines. The premise of this paper is that combating corruption requires political will and sustained commitment on the part of the political leaders. This paper uses process tracing to draw descriptive and causal inferences from the collected qualitative and quantitative evidence gathered from the studies of various authors. We will systematically evaluate the related literature to support our causal claims and gain insight into the causal mechanisms. This paper acknowledged its limitations by mainly relying on online literatures to make case analysis and valid inferences on the causal relationship between corruption and political will. Political will as categorically defined in this paper is "the resolve of those in authority to carry out the predetermined goals regardless of the cost, for the benefit of the common good." Political will, will be assessed using the five indicators proposed by Jon S. T. Quah an Anti-Corruption Consultant from Singapore. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. The first section of the paper will trace the history of corruption in the Philippines; then examine the extent of corruption in the Philippine bureaucratic system; measure the political will of the current and the past administrations; ascertain the link between political will among top government leaders and the effectiveness of their anti-corruption campaign. Lastly, the paper will conclude underscoring that top down political will is indeed a requisite in the government's campaign against corruption. The result should persuade government officials to strengthen their resolve and political will in order to achieve a successful anti-corruption campaign.
This paper explores the efficacy of the Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) and Climate Cha... more This paper explores the efficacy of the Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) policies in Pohnpei in making its communities disaster resilient. It explores the institutional mechanisms, action plans and strategies for disaster risk management. Community resilience in this study is defined as the ability of the communities to successfully cope with endogenous and exogenous disturbances based on economic, social, and environmental parameters (Rotmans, Martens, & van Asselt,2002; Resilience Alliance, 2009). Survey questionnaire were distributed to households represented by the 8th graders of the selected schools. Each of the six municipalities of Pohnpei were represented but some were sporadically distributed that only the three highest number of respondents were taken into consideration and the rest were grouped under 'Others'. The questionnaire was designed to be a take-home exercise wherein both the parent and student discuss the items in the questionnaire. The survey was triangulated with Key Informant Interviews among policy makers and people knowledgeable on disaster risk management policies and action plans in Pohnpei. Relevant literatures were reviewed and mostly were searched online. Documents i.e. FSM National Disaster Response Plan 2016 and Pohnpei Joint State Action Plan for Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change were shared by the key informants. This study provides an appreciation of the community's practices and activities related to disaster preparedness, their perceived threats and finishes by providing recommendation of key priorities for the resilience, DRR and CCA programs in Pohnpei.
Corruption has been regarded as the major obstacle to good governance and inclusive, sustainable ... more Corruption has been regarded as the major obstacle to good governance and inclusive, sustainable development. Philippines has been plagued continuously with corruption scandals both in the national and local levels and anti-corruption campaigns from previous administrations is seemingly a wild goose chase. This paper seeks to investigate the correlation between political will vis-à-vis the effectiveness of the anti-corruption campaign in the Philippines. The premise of this paper is that combating corruption requires political will and sustained commitment on the part of the political leaders. This paper uses process tracing to draw descriptive and causal inferences from the collected qualitative and quantitative evidence gathered from the studies of various authors. We will systematically evaluate the related literature to support our causal claims and gain insight into the causal mechanisms. This paper acknowledged its limitations by mainly relying on online literatures to make case analysis and valid inferences on the causal relationship between corruption and political will. Political will as categorically defined in this paper is "the resolve of those in authority to carry out the predetermined goals regardless of the cost, for the benefit of the common good." Political will, will be assessed using the five indicators proposed by Jon S. T. Quah an Anti-Corruption Consultant from Singapore. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. The first section of the paper will trace the history of corruption in the Philippines; then examine the extent of corruption in the Philippine bureaucratic system; measure the political will of the current and the past administrations; ascertain the link between political will among top government leaders and the effectiveness of their anti-corruption campaign. Lastly, the paper will conclude underscoring that top down political will is indeed a requisite in the government's campaign against corruption. The result should persuade government officials to strengthen their resolve and political will in order to achieve a successful anti-corruption campaign.
Uploads
Political will as categorically defined in this paper is "the resolve of those in authority to carry out the predetermined goals regardless of the cost, for the benefit of the common good." Political will, will be assessed using the five indicators proposed by Jon S. T. Quah an Anti-Corruption Consultant from Singapore.
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. The first section of the paper will trace the history of corruption in the Philippines; then examine the extent of corruption in the Philippine bureaucratic system; measure the political will of the current and the past administrations; ascertain the link between political will among top government leaders and the effectiveness of their anti-corruption campaign. Lastly, the paper will conclude underscoring that top down political will is indeed a requisite in the government's campaign against corruption. The result should persuade government officials to strengthen their resolve and political will in order to achieve a successful anti-corruption campaign.
Political will as categorically defined in this paper is "the resolve of those in authority to carry out the predetermined goals regardless of the cost, for the benefit of the common good." Political will, will be assessed using the five indicators proposed by Jon S. T. Quah an Anti-Corruption Consultant from Singapore.
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. The first section of the paper will trace the history of corruption in the Philippines; then examine the extent of corruption in the Philippine bureaucratic system; measure the political will of the current and the past administrations; ascertain the link between political will among top government leaders and the effectiveness of their anti-corruption campaign. Lastly, the paper will conclude underscoring that top down political will is indeed a requisite in the government's campaign against corruption. The result should persuade government officials to strengthen their resolve and political will in order to achieve a successful anti-corruption campaign.