Transformation of Rice-Growing Villages in the Philippines

Abstract

AbstractRice-growing villages that look dormant under the shadow of mango trees have undergone a major transformation in their economies. Such transformation is accompanied by household income growth and poverty reduction. The first objective of this chapter is to describe the drivers of economic transformation in four villages (Kei’s villages) in the Philippines from simple rice-dependent economies to more complex ones characterized by diverse sources of livelihood. The drivers of these economic transformations are population pressure, new rice technology, land reform, investments in human capital, urbanization and commercialization, and infrastructure. The second objective is to explore the strategic processes that accompany such transformation, such as rising productivity of rice farming, production of high-value crops, and rising incidence of nonfarm work within the local economy and migration to local towns, big cities, and overseas, among the younger generation. An important finding is that in the course of transformation, participation in the nonfarm labor market and migration are the main pathways in moving out of poverty for the children of poor landless farmers.