Philippines keeps its ranking

THE Philippines retained its 105th ranking among 182 countries in a development report released yesterday, placing it in the medium development bracket with a human development index of 0.751 based on 2007 data.

That was slightly higher than its index of 0.747 in a previous report, but below the average of 0.770 for East Asia and the Pacific, according to the Human Development Report 2009 prepared by the United Nations Development Program.

The human development index looks beyond the gross domestic product to a broader definition of well-being. It provides a composite measure of three dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life (measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured by adult literacy and gross enrollment in education), and having a decent standard of living (measured by purchasing power or income).

Norway topped the list with an index value of 0.971, followed closely by Australia. Iceland, which topped the list in 2008, was relegated to third spot. An index value closer to 1.0 means better quality of human development.

At the bottom of the list was Niger, with an index value of only 0.340, followed by Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic and Mali.

“Between 1980 and 2007 the Philippines’ [index] rose by 0.53 percent annually from 0.652 to 0.751 today. [Index] scores in all regions have increased progressively over the years, although all have experienced periods of slower growth or even reversals,” the UNDP said.

“This year’s [index], which refers to 2007, highlights the very large gaps in well-being and life chances that continue to divide our increasingly interconnected world.”

The report says that despite progress in many areas over the past 25 years, the disparities in people’s well-being in rich and poor countries continue to be unacceptably wide.

“Migration can be a force for good, contributing significantly to human development,” UNDP administrator Helen Clark said.

“But to realize its benefits, there needs to be a supportive policy environment as this report suggests.” Roderick T. dela Cruz, Manila Standard Today