Low human development index reflects MDG failure

During the period of Mrs. Gloria Arroyo’s presidency, the state of Human Development in the Philippines has remained relatively stagnant as reflected by the country’s Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI is a figure calculated by research teams of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help determine a particular nation’s quality of life for its citizens in terms of three calculable facets of human well-being: purchasing power, a long and healthy life and the access to knowledge.

The UNDP releases annual publications of the Human Development Report (HDR), which is based on data collected two years prior.

The Philippines, in the latest publication of the series, the HDR of 2009 (based on data from 2007), received an HDI of .751 and was ranked 105th out of 182 countries included in the study. The nation was classified under the “Medium Human Development” category. The more developed countries possess HDIs closer to one, meaning their people have more purchasing power, longer and healthier lives and more access to knowledge.

Asian countries lagging behind the Philippines in the HDI rankings are Indonesia (111th), India (134th), Vietnam (116th), and Cambodia (137th).

The Asian countries ahead of the Philippines are Singapore (23rd), Hong Kong (24th) [note that Hong Kong is not a country], South Korea (26th), Malaysia (66th), Thailand (87th), and China (92nd). The highest HDI in the continent belongs to Japan, which was ranked 10th.

The HDR for 2007 to 2008, which is based on data from 2006, ranked the Philippines as 90th among 177 countries. We got a .771 HDI. Other preceding HDR releases ranked the Philippines as high as 84th of 177 countries (.763 HDI) in the 2006 release—actual 2004, and 83rd among 177 countries (.753 HDI) in the 2004 report—actual 2002.

When President Arroyo took over from former President Joseph Estrada through extra-constitutional means, the Philippines was ranked 85th among 175 countries in the 2003 HDR, which was based on data when Erap was still president.

Though we did post a short-term annual growth rate of 0.49 percent in our HDI, we dropped more than 20 spots in the rankings as other countries overtook us.

The HDI, however, is more of an indicator of long-term changes when trying to determine a country’s progress as the result of policies. Year-to-year changes may be caused more by a difference in the data collected rather than thoroughly reflecting significant changes in a country’s status of living.

The HDI was first established back in 1990. There was a demand to formulate an indicator of a country’s progress beyond its gross domestic product (GDP). The formula combines the country’s GDP, its average life expectancy from birth, and the education index—which is derived from the combined weighted average of the adult literacy rate (percent of population over 15 years old) and the Gross Enrolment Ratio (in primary, secondary and tertiary schools)—equating to the HDI.

The Arroyo administration has consistently informed the Filipino public of its achievements in raising the GDP throughout its years in power. It was indeed under this administration that the Philippines posted its largest GDP growth in 32 years with 7.4 percent in 2007.

The record growth, however, was not enough to keep the country from sliding in the HDI rankings.
Furthermore, in terms of GDP, the Philippines is only ranked 124th among the 182 countries, even after the current Administration’s self publicized victories in GDP growth.

The Life Expectancy Index, another factor in the function to calculate a country’s HDI, has also remained relatively constant at .77, or 77 years from birth. The Philippines’ average life expectancy has, in fact, increased from 74 years (from birth) since 2000.

The logical conclusion then, which one derives from data, is that with the GDP and life expectancy index somewhat increasing, the slow HDI growth must be attributed to a decline or at least a stagnation in the education index variable.

The adult literacy rate has constantly remained at around 93 percent since 2005, showing a slight increase over 92.6 percent in 2000.

However, the nation is struggling with its Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER). In the year 2000, the country had a 78.8 percent GER. The Arroyo Administration was able to increase this percentage slightly to 80.6 percent in 2005.

The following year, however, the Philippines’ GER dropped again to 79.6 percent, where it has remained as of the latest HDR.

With the GDP and life expectancy increasing at a snail’s pace, the stagnance of our country’s education index statistic doesn’t help increase our HDI.

Common sense would dictate that increased efforts in raising the GER and even the adult literacy rate would greatly speed up the rise of our HDI. –Rafael Puyat REPORTER, Manila Times