NEW PUBLCATIONS
POLICY NOTES
PN 2016- 07: Making Digital Dividends Inclusive
by Jose Ramon G. Albert, Ramonette B. Serafica, and Beverly T. Lumbera
The Philippines, with its new economic growth trajectory, requires reliable, accessible, and affordable infrastructure in information and communications technology (ICT). To maximize digital dividends or the development effects of these technologies, policies need to be formulated and implemented. This Policy Note gives a brief history of the Internet in the Philippines, examines trends in various ICT statistics, discusses issues confronting the ICT sector, and provides policy recommendations to make digital dividends more inclusive. The high cost of ICT services in the country, protecting privacy and data, cybersecurity, and digital literacy are some of the issues identified in this Note. To address these, the government needs to regulate the interconnectivity of networks, build better ICT infrastructures, and expand ICT services to include other sectors for development. Click here for the full article
PN 2016-06: How Effective Has the Generics Act Been?
by John Q. Wong, J. Richelcyn M. Baclay, Richelle G. Duque, Patricia Margarita S. Roque, Grace Kathleen T. Serrano, Jenina Olivia A. Tumlos, Aisha-Aziza A. Ronsing, and Kim Cochon
The Philippine government passed the Generics Act of 1988 to ensure that inexpensive and effective drugs are made available to all Filipinos. The law aims to supply and promote low-priced quality medicines as alternatives to the widely consumed but more expensive originator brands by requiring physicians to include in their prescriptions both the generic and brand names of the medicines. This Policy Note presents the results of a survey assessing the compliance of physicians and drugstores with the provisions of the law. The survey showed higher compliance among physicians than among drugstores and consumers. Among consumers, low awareness of the law was found, while drugstores demonstrated low compliance with the provision mandating them to display generic menu cards and offer generic alternatives. One of the recommendations is to change the mindset of consumers through continuous education drives that will reach the most important cluster of the population. Click here for the full article
