Stanford Social Innovation Review Highlights Foundation’s Development Entrepreneurship Model

The Standford Social Innovation Review spotlights The Asia Foundation’s development entrepreneurship model in successfully driving reforms in the Philippines.

The Asia Foundation was able to facilitate two significant reforms. First, through a combination of research, advocacy, lobbying, and network building, it helped formulate and pass legislation on the registration of land titles, which resulted in a 1,400 percent increase in residential land titling, helping to resolve conflicts over land ownership and protect the poorest from losing their properties. Working as part of a civil society network, the foundation also helped to pass a law restructuring excise tax on alcohol and tobacco, which generated more than $1 billion earmarked for health expenditures for the poorest.

Small teams drove these reforms. Their members had worked on the issues for some time and had connections to local leaders and political players, enabling them to surmount obstacles when some powerful individuals and organizations fought back. On property rights reform, when differences of opinion emerged, the original team was split in two to pursue different solutions. One group focused on digital solutions but became mired in bureaucratic politics and was halted, while the other focused on legislative reform and ultimately succeeded.