For Universal Healthcare, the Philippines Tries “Sin Taxes”
The Philippines’ underfunded healthcare system has defied needed reforms for decades, but new taxes on alcohol and tobacco products could at last make universal healthcare a reality.
Governance
Subnational Governance in Nepal Quarterly Newsletter – Issue 4
The Subnational Governance Program in Nepal (SNGP) (स्थानीय सरकार सबलीकरण काययक्रम) is implemented through a strategic partnership between the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and The Asia…
Addressing Conflict & Fragility in Asia
Violent conflict remains a critical ongoing concern that affects people across Asia as wars and insurgencies persist and new risks emerge. The Asia Foundation is addressing the root causes of…
Making Agricultural Land More Bankable and Tradeable
In February 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the Agricultural Free Patent Reform Act. This new law allows patent holders to sell or use their land as collateral and…
Philippine Courts Go Paperless
It’s hard to run a paper-based court system in an archipelago of 2,000 inhabited islands, and the Philippines has pushed hard to digitize the nation's courts. But lessons from a successful pilot project show that starting small can sometimes produce more durable reforms than a “big-bang” approach.
Mapping the Rohingya Diaspora: Lessons from the Camps
Driven from their Myanmar homeland by violent persecution, a million Rohingya refugees now languish in border camps in Bangladesh. A new survey investigates the survival strategies of the Rohingya diaspora.
Myanmar’s Economic Governance Actors
This report examines the actors engaged in economic governance in Myanmar, the factors that shape their authority, and the ways they can contribute to improved economic governance outcomes. It connects…
Inequality and Identity-Based Conflict: The State of the Evidence
In this paper, Joel Selway from Brigham Young University reviews the academic literature on the linkages between inequality and identity-based conflict, and identifies research gaps that local violent event datasets…
Miratori Kim
Miratori (Tori) is a senior program manager for The Asia Foundation in Cambodia. He provides senior-level oversight to the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade-supported local budgeting project…
Rathyrea Prak
Rathyrea Prak is the knowledge and learning manager for The Asia Foundation’s Ponlok Chomnes program in Cambodia. In this capacity, he oversees and facilitates the effective implementation of the monitoring,…
Trade in the Sulu Archipelago: Informal Economies Amidst Maritime Security Challenges
This study describes the networks of formal and informal actors involved in the trade, and the various ports and channels they pass through when importing high value goods and commodities…
Cleared for Takeoff: Coalitions for Change and the Development of Clark International Airport
This paper explores the conditions that gave rise to Clark International Airport development, including the subtle but significant role of the Coalitions for Change (CfC) program. CfC and its local…