Gender Roles and Attitudes in Upland Farming Systems in the Philippines

摘要

The persistence of poverty in the Philippines is a source of concern for many government planners and decision-makers. While most ASEAN countries have demonstrated a decrease in poverty levels and an improvement in employment conditions, the performance of the Philippines in these developmental areas has lagged behind in the past decade. High unemployment and underemployment rates have continued to plague the country and the incidence of poverty was close to 50% at the national level in the late 1980s. This problem is particularly acute in the rural areas where poverty levels are usually higher, reaching more than 65%. Upland areas, in many instances, are the most affected. In the uplands, most farms are dependent on rain for their water requirement. Likewise, they are distant from processing and market centres, with poor farm to market roads and with a general lack of services such as health, water and electricity. The inherent physical characteristics of these areas put them in a relatively disadvantaged situation and hence, poverty is not an uncommon problem.