Unraveling the differences…

Between

By: JAY MARK JOSOL

HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS
Philippines
The Human Development and Poverty
Reduction Cluster shall focus on
improving the overall quality of life of
the Filipino and translating the gains of
good governance into direct,
immediate, and substantial benefits
that will empower the poor and
marginalized segments of society.
Human Development and Poverty
Reduction Cluster.
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
(4p’s)
K to 12 Basic Education.
Responsible Parenthood.
• Sin Taxes.
Thailand
Health
In general, Thai people enjoy relatively good
health. Life expectancy has risen steadily to
reach 68 years for men and 75 for women.
Employment
Most people have work. With the continued
economic recovery, unemployment dropped
to 1.3 percent and underemployment to
1.7 percent of the workforce in 2005.
Education
Thanks to the nine-year compulsory education
law and other factors, more children enrol in
school, and more stay longer. In 2005, people
had an average of 8.5 years of schooling, an
increase from 7.6 in 2002.
Raising productivity as a way to sustainably
upgrade the living standards of working people
has long been a goal of businesses and
governments.
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT
PHILIPPINES THAILAND

Ranked 83rd in technological advancement in the world Ranked 47th in world’s innovation output
Enhanced Financial Services eg. Digitalized payments
Agricultural Biotechnology
5G Technology Automotive
Robotics
Video Surveillance Aerospace and
Defense Automated Sensors

Drone Technology
SOCIAL REFORMS
Philippines
The Social Reform Agenda (SRA), formally
launched in September 1994, constitutes
government’s response to poverty. As an SRA
document states: the SRA as the «Integrated National
Action Agenda on Anti-Poverty» aims to «ensure the
welfare and early integration of disadvantaged
groups into the political and economic mainstream».
It aims to achieve three general objectives: improved
access of the basic sectors to social services and
productive assets; incorporation of sustainable
development in the management and use of natural
resources; and, increased participation of key
stakeholders in governance.
Thailand
The government took no steps to reform the National
Human Rights Commission of Thailand, which was
downgraded by the Global Alliance of National Human
Rights Institutions in 2016 because of its substandard
selection process for commissioners and its lack of
political independence. The government has not
prosecuted members of its security forces responsible for
torture and unlawful killings of ethnic Malay Muslims. In
many cases, authorities provided financial compensation
to the victims or their families in exchange for their
agreement not to speak out against the security forces,
and not file criminal cases against officials. Thailand has
not endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration
LEVEL OF INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
PHILIPPINES
The Philippines lags many of its neighbors in
infrastructure development, being notorious for
challenging traffic conditions and long commutes. Port
congestion is regularly raised as a constraint to
economic growth. Prior to the pandemic, under
capacity in international airports across the country
presented a significant impediment to development
and tourism. The needs are significant and there are
opportunities in the transport infrastructure sector. In
2017, the Duterte Administration launched the
ambitious $180 billion “Build, Build, Build” (BBB)
program to address the nation’s mounting
infrastructure challenges. The initiative initially
designated 75 projects valued at $48 billion as flagship
projects. These included big-ticket rail, airport, road,
and bridge projects across the nation.
THAILAND
When it comes to infrastructure development,
Thailand has done very well compared with some
other Southeast Asian neighbors. In fact, appropriate
infrastructure, including access to power and water,
has helped Thailand fuel rapid economic growth
during the past three decades.
Thailand has the necessary basic infrastructure in the
form of well-connected roads and highway networks
across the country. To boost the road infrastructure, the
Thai government is planning to construct 4,150 km of
motorways across the country, connecting the east-
west and north-south economic corridors.
MEANS OF INCOME AND CLASSIFICATION

Agriculture, which is made up of four

sub-sectors (crops, livestock, poultry
and fisheries), is the main source of
livelihood for 25-30 percent of the
labour force. It contributes about 10
percent to the gross national product. PHILIPPINE
Another segment is export services,
which include the services delivered
by Filipinos working outside the
country as permanent, temporary, or
irregular migrants. The remittances Livelihood
by Filipinos working abroad have Farming
grown substantially over the years. BPO
Their jobs have also undergone a Teaching
structural change from low-end Overseas Working
service jobs to more professional jobs • Factory Workers
that require higher education skills.
 High class 433,000 50%
MEANS OF INCOME AND CLASSIFICATION THB or less
Middle 103,000- 26-50%
Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second- class 284,000
THB
largest economy, has grown in the past
generation or two from an undeveloped Lower class Less than 25%
country to what the World Bank calls a 57,300 THB
“middle-income” country.
THAILAND
Its three main economic sectors are
agriculture, manufacturing, and services.

Thailand’s economy is a blend of a

strong agricultural sector with a
Livelihood
developed manufacturing sector and a
• Farming
stable service sector. Although the
• Electronical Services
agricultural sector has given way to
• Factory Workers
others, it still employs a large part of the
• Aesthetics
labor force and still bolsters exports, the
• Medical Surgeries
engine of the country’s economy.
Why is the Philippines poor?
Corruption
Because of corruption and inadequate legislation, the
government does relatively little to meaningfully reduce
poverty, deal with rapid population growth and raise
standards of living.
Disaster Proneness
Typhoons, earthquakes and cyclones, cause horrific
devastation and contribute heavily to the high poverty rate
in this country.
Low employment rate
The Philippine Statistics Authority reported today that the
country’s unemployment rate decreased from 7.4 percent in
October to 6.5 percent in November, the lowest since the
start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Income inequality
Remains a significant barrier for holistic development of
Filipino society and quality of life, keeping the Philippines
poor. The island nation has the highest level of income
inequality between the richest 20 percent and poorest 20
percent of the population out of all of the ASEAN states.
Chaotic
The Philippines also struggles to mitigate poverty because
of frequent violent conflicts, primarily in Mindanao, the
Philippines’ large southern island. The consistent conflict
has made it difficult for the Filipino government to fully
apply its efforts towards anti-poverty measures.
High Population Growth
Compared with other countries in the region, the
Philippines is experiencing rapid population growth. The
rate of natural increase — the birth rate minus the death
rate — is 2.2 percent, compared with 0.8 percent in
Thailand and Singapore and 1.9 percent in Malaysia.
Why is Thailand rich?
High number of exports
A country that exports more
than it imports gets richer.
Thailand is becoming ever more
reliant on exports, which
accounted for 67% of GDP in
2018, up from 16% in 1960. This
is one source of its economic
volatility. The more Thailand
relies on foreign markets, the
more it is tied to the economies
of its trading partners, making it
vulnerable to recessions in those
economies and to currency
fluctuations.
Thailand’s main exports are manufactured goods, principally
electronics, vehicles, machinery, and food.
Industry
The industrial sector—of which manufacturing is the biggest segment,
along with mining, construction, electricity, water, and gas—generates
about 35% of GDP and employs about 24% of the labor force.
A strong Agricultural Powerhouse
Agricultural development has played a major role in the transformation of
Thailand’s economy.
Service Sector
The service sector accounts for about 56% of GDP and employs about 46%
of the labor force. Within services, transportation, wholesale and retail
trade (which includes repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles as well as
personal and household goods), and tourism and travel-related activities
have been prominent contributors to GDP and generators of employment.