volume-15-number-1

This paper argues that in response to contemporary challenges, the federal governance structure in India requires ne-tuning. A directional shift is required from a cooperative model to a collaborative model of federal governance in view of various endogenous and exogenous imperatives of change, such as rising assertiveness of civil society; rising “self awareness” of regional and local political elites; globalization, privatization, and retreat of the central state; and increasing reliance of the national government on intergovernmental coordination mechanisms rather than centralized/hierarchical mechanisms for policy making and implementation. Thus, I re ect on the possibility of supplementing the federal practice in India (known for being “federal in form and unitary in spirit”) with collaborative institutions and deliberative processes to achieve policycoordination. Institutionalreformsarerequiredtogeneratetherightincentivesforwelfare enhancing, multi-stakeholder engagement and thereby improve the quality of democracy. Three suggestions offered are: (1) expansion of the existing structural and functional horizons of the Inter-State Council (ISC) to engage, inter alia, non-state actors, enabling it to function as a quasi judicial “collaborative council”; (2) offer constitutional status to the newly formed “collaborative community of national and international experts, practitioners, and partners” named NITI Aayog because only a “constitutional mechanism” can prevent the process/institution(s) of multi stakeholder engagement from being marred by ad-hocism and (3) transfer the financial allocation function of the erstwhile Planning Commission to a permanent Finance Commission because a collaborative federal architecture can develop only in the context of a balanced, transparent, and distortion free system of intergovernmental fiscal relations.

Keywords: India, federalism, collaborative federalism, cooperative federalism, intergovernmental interactions, coordination mechanisms, National Development Council, Inter-State Council, collaborative council

This article presents a gendered analysis exploring publication productivity in the Philippines using bibliometric data from the Web of Science. It investigates the temporal pattern of journal article publications for six disciplines, its gendered distribution, differences between disciplines, patterns of authorship and collaboration, and how much women authors contribute and participate in research collaboration. Statistical analyses revealed that although overall publication productivity increased in number from 2003 to 2012, the percentage of female contribution and participation remained almost unchanged. Significant differences were also found among disciplines using logistic regression. Implications of the results in relation to the contemporary environment of higher education institutions and the socio-cultural context of the country are also discussed.

Keywords: Publication productivity, Collaboration patterns, Gender, Bibliometrics, Higher education

Suicide ideation is a robust predictor of suicide completion. Research into the extent of and the factors related to suicide ideation is thus important. Findings can help inform the development of prevention programs. Despite the increasing suicide cases among the youth in the Philippines, substantive local studies on suicide ideation are sparse. This survey determined the prevalence and associated factors of suicide ideation among university students in Manila, Philippines. A questionnaire containing items on suicide ideation and risk factors was administered among 2,450 students enrolled at a private university. As the criterion variable, suicide ideation, which was originally measured using a Likert-based statement, was recoded into a dichotomous variable for the purpose of the present analysis. Using multivariate logistic regression, the risk factors, including seven socio-demographic variables, three mental and psychological variables, two lifestyle-related variables, and four variables on social groups and relationships, were examined for their statistical associations with suicidal thoughts. The prevalence of suicide ideation among the participants was 24%, albeit the level of severity of suicidal thoughts was low. None of the socio-demographic variables was associated with suicide ideation. Multivariate analyses showed that students who were dissatis ed with one’s love relationship (OR=2.33; 95% CI=1.52-3.59); and those who reported low levels of closeness with parents (OR=1.68; 95% CI=1.15-2.46) and with peers (OR=2.56; 95% CI=1.76-3.74) were more likely to think of suicide. Based on our knowledge, this survey was the rst to provide substantive evidence on suicide ideation among university students in the Philippines. The data suggest that a prevention program is necessary, at least for the private university surveyed, given that suicide ideation was prevalent among the university student respondents. There is a need for a reliable clinical follow-up of students with suicidal thoughts in order to con rm the presence of their mental health problem. The study underscores the importance of integrating the roles of primary social groups and relationships into the design of the program seeking to help the students at-risk.

Keywords: youth at risk, suicidal ideation, suicidal behaviors, parental relationships, peer relationships

The paper looks into the proposal of creating a public policy or enacting a law which allows for a free market for human organs, specifically kidneys, in the Philippine context. The paper identities two of the most important arguments that are used by defenders of the free market proposal for human organs: the argument from personal autonomy and the argument from economic efficiency. Using the most recent data on the Philippine kidney selling experience, social justice, and Diokno’s Filipino concept of justice, the paper shows that these arguments are defective and thus cannot ground the free market proposal for human organs in the Philippines.

Keywords: free market for human organs, argument from personal autonomy, argument from economic efficiency, the Filipino concept of justice, social justice

This study surveys the literature on Philippine lake studies using a representative sample from the library databases of the three leading universities in the country. The paper proceeds as follows: firstly, it categorizes the existing lake studies by scholarly orientation (natural science perspective or social science perspective) and by physical size of the particular lake under study (big lake or small lake); secondly, it charts and assesses the overall trajectory of lake studies in the country. The paper concludes that Philippine lake studies are dominated by the natural science-based studies and heavily concentrated on big-lake research. This finding illustrates the gaps in the literature, specifically: one, the need to account for all the existing lakes in the country; two, the need for more social science-based studies on lakes; and three, the need for more outputs on small-lake research. The paper closes with the call to balance scholarly de cit as the way towards meaningful progress in lake studies in the country.

Keywords: Philippine Lakes, Small-Lake Studies, Big-Lake Research, Lake Studies, Natural Science, Social Science and Lake

The concept of industrial clustering—that is, the importance of synergies between complementary economic activities gathered together in one place—has long been associated with an easier, faster process of internationalization for participating rms. But the question of how exactly—by which mechanisms—such industrial clustering helps rms internationalize remains unclear. To fully understand this relationship, the present article focuses on the process of cluster governance, and distinguishes between three different aspects, namely, the cluster composition, the internal network density, and the degree of knowledge sharing. By focusing on two major halal industrial clusters in Malaysia—namely, the Penang International Halal Hub and the Melacca Halal Hub—we shall see how the different aspects of the Malaysian model of industrial clustering facilitates the process of rm internationalization in the Halal industry. In order to analyze the internal network of the two halal parks under study, we use the quantitative methods derived from Bossomaier and Green (1999), based on data related to networks of business interactions. The conclusions of the present article will allow us to formulate useful insights for other halal industrial clusters seeking to internationalize their activities.

Keywords: halal industry, industrial parks, firm internationalization, cluster governance, network density, knowledge management