Research to address poverty in Cebu City, 2 other cities

Faculty members of University of San Carlos (USC) Department of Economics have collaborated with international schools on poverty alleviation research as they pursued studies on social issues.

Professors Francisco M. Largo, Krizia L. Garcia, Christopher C. Bacungan, and Julian Thomas B. Alvarez have started to work with Dr. Yulia Indrawati of Universitas Jember and Dr. Ika Rahutami of Unika Soegijapranata Catholic University for the research.

The collaboration, which will be conducted until 2018, aims to study and compare the different poverty indices in Cebu City here in the Philippines, as well as in Jember City and Semarang City in Indonesia.

The research will produce a database that will be the baseline information on poverty in the three cities. The indicators are meant to help each of the cities find real solutions to poverty.

Meanwhile, USC School of Business and Economics faculty members presented separate studies during the recent Scientific Conference organized by the Philippine Population Association in Silliman University, and during another international conference at USC Talamban.

It included Bacungan’s paper on "The Effects of Different Economic and Institutional Factors on Average Internet Speed: Cross Country Study from 2008-2014.

Prof. Alan A. Tabanao also presented a paper on "Households’ Willingness to Pay for an Improved Garbage Collection in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City."

The professors intended to help policy makers address issues on technology, health and waste disposal.

USC encourages its faculty to conduct studies, as well as collaborate with partner schools in doing research to strengthen its international research networks.

The university urges them to present such undertakings in international conferences, and published in industry journals.