Regionalization

REGIONALIZATION

by Antonio C. Antonio

March 13, 2014

Regionalization is the process of dividing an area into smaller segments referred to as regions.  The more significant example would be the division of the United States of America into 50 States and the Philippines into 17 Regions.  The importance of regionalization comes into play in conceptualizing and implementing economic development programs.  It should be noted that no two regions have the same socio-economic profiles and even share the same culture, customs and traditions.  For this reason, economic development programs will have to be calibrated to be need-sensitive to a particular region.

QUESTION:  Why do we have to disaggregate the country into provinces, and then aggregate provinces into economic regions even though there is no local government at regional level?

I believe it has something to do with “macro” and “micro” economic planning.  Clustering provinces (in the same geographic proximity and with the economic character) into regions will make government’s economic planning more relevant.  “Regionalizing” the country would make resource and budgetary allocations planning more need-specific and efficient.

The creation of provinces is an effort to group together people with the same cultural backgrounds.  From the “micro” economic standpoint, governments (both local and national) can also prepare economic development plans and programs which would cater to the different cultural backgrounds of citizens in specific provinces.  An exception to this would probably be my home province, Tarlac.  To form the Province of Tarlac, areas were taken from northern Pampanga, southern Pangasinan, western Nueva Ecija and eastern Zambales.  This would explain why Tarlac is described as the “Melting Pot of Central Luzon” and the people in Tarlac speak Pampango, Ilocano, Pangasinense, Tagalog and Zambal.

QUESTION:  Can the prosperity on one area (e.g. Metro Manila) spillover to the neighboring provinces (positive spillover) which will make them prosperous as well.  The presence of hostility, terrorism and rebellion in one area will spillover to the neighboring areas (negative spillover).  For example, if we assume that all provinces near metro manila are prospering as expected, and then there are exceptions, e.g. the provinces of Rizal and Bataan remain stagnant.  What are spatial economic patterns that you may want to analyze assuming that you are given a research grant to do it.  Do you think spatial disaggregation and proximity analysis will help in economic studies?

A classic example of this would be Central Luzon or Region 3.  While most of the provinces in the region (Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija) are relatively prosperous, Tarlac, Zambales and Bataan would be at a disadvantage if and when economic development strategies are made to treat the entire region with equal concern.  It should be noted that parts of these three provinces are mountainous (the Zambales Mountain range, Mount Samat and Mariveles).  These provinces have indigenous communities considered to be the poorest of the poor.  It would be fair to assume that these three provinces cannot be treated in the same plane as Bulacan, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija.

If I were to be given a study/research grant, my study will focus on spatial economic patterns and this inequality of national resource and budgetary allocation for Region 3.

Regionalization has its advantages as well as disadvantages. Economic planners should also be aware of the peculiarities in the areas (provinces) involved… and calibrate economic development programs to address these differences.  Otherwise, these plans, although useful to some, will simply be useless to others… And we could all say goodbye to the worthy intentions of regionalization.

Just my little thoughts...

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