Displacement in Development: Addressing the Apeco Land Conflict
The paper analyzes the passage of Republic Act (RA) No. 10083 or the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Act (Aurora Ecozone) as a policy measure on poverty reduction in one of the 20 poorest provinces1 in the Philippines. It addresses the problem of the imminent displacement of farming, fishing, and indigenous peoples communities in Barangays Esteves, Binauan, Dibet, Culat, Cozo, and San Ildefonso in Casiguran, Aurora as a result of its ongoing implementation. It is divided into the following main sections: (1) overview on the impact of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) on developing countries in Asia; (2) documentation and discussion of the APECO case, including a review of relevant land policies; and (3) conclusions on the responsiveness of existing policies with resulting recommendations on reform. The first part introduces SEZs as a development approach in the Philippines and other parts of Asia where it has become a predominant yet problematic tool. In addition to the economic context from which it originates and operates, it includes social, cultural, political, and environmental factors in the evaluation of its effects, particularly on the peasant with other basic sectors. It presents the APECO as a case study of land conflict to exemplify growing policy gaps that warrant sustained study by Philippine public administration, as illustrated by the following issues: alleged lack of public consultations and hearings mandated by the Local Government Code prior to enactment; the impending conversion of rice lands, coconut lands, and fishing grounds in Casiguran to commercial ports, resorts, and residential areas; private ownership of the agricultural lands by more than 1,500 fanners, fisher folk and Dumagats, granted through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), Proclamation 723, and Certificates of Ancestral Domain Claims (CADC); and inadequate prospects for compensation and relocation. The need to further evaluate the social cost of SEZs with its purported fiscal benefits is underscored. The paper presents a synthesis of existing policy recommendations on these challenges illustrated in the APECO case, to extract alternative perspectives and prescriptions for public administration study and practice.
Caroline H.Pajaron
University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration (NCPAG), Philippines
国际会议
2011 International Conference on Public Administration(2011公共管理国际会议)
成都
英文
569-582
2011-10-18（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）