Open AccessA socio-economic history of a village in Central Luzon: Thirty-six years of household survey, 1977-2013
Author(s) -
Francis Mark A. Quimba,
Jonna P. Estudillo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
thephilippine review of economics/the philippine review of economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2984-8156
pISSN - 1655-1516
DOI - 10.37907/3erp1202j
Subject(s) - livelihood , frontier , poverty , population pressure , population , agricultural economics , urbanization , welfare , geography , economic growth , agriculture , socioeconomics , rural area , economics , development economics , population growth , political science , sociology , market economy , demography , archaeology , law
This study aims to give a detailed account of how household sources of livelihood, income, and poverty change under the pressure of four modernizing forces: (1) population pressure on closed land frontier; (2) implementation of land reform; (3) expansion of public infrastructures such as irrigation systems, roads, and schools; and (4) growing urban influences accelerated by improvements in transportation and telecommunication systems. This study was conducted in a village in Central Luzon where recurrent household surveys were done for 36 years from 1977 to 2013 encompassing the period of dramatic diffusion of modern rice technology. The major finding is that the interaction between the four modernizing forces and the diffusion of modern rice technology resulted in major economic and social changes that led to a rise in household income and prevented poverty from increasing. This study provides evidence contrary to the popular belief that the spread of modern agricultural technology and the encroachment of market activities into rural villages are harmful to the economic welfare of the rural Filipino people.