This report sets out the strategic priorities for rural development in the Philippines, opportunities for further analytical work, and options for engagement. It integrates the findings and recommendations outlined in the various working papers included in the Rural Growth Revisited Study. The report is structured around the framework of drivers and facilitators of rural growth, including policy and regulatory issues. It also reviews these drivers and facilitators against the recommendations of the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan for 2004 to 2010 thrusts in rural growth in the Philippines, with a view to identifying additional activities that could further enhance the expected outcomes and impacts. In addition, the report emphasizes the relative weight of rural sectors in the economy and the importance of effective public sector and expenditure management. The issues raised in this report are central to the debate on sector growth as they determine the direction of the economy (what appears to be working and what not) and the relative success of Government and the public sector in targeting and managing scarce public resources and providing the right signals for stimulating investment and competitiveness, which ultimately determine growth.
