By Walden Bello, co-authored by Mary Lou Malig, Herbert Docena and Marissa de Guzman

The book the Anti-Development State: the political economy of permanent crisis in the Philippines was just released in Manila.

The book by Dr. Walden Bello and co authored by, Mary Lou Malig, Herbert Docena and Marissa de Guzman provides a convincing, if painful, explanation why the Philippines is mired in poverty at the beginning of the 21st century, and proposes a route out of the quagmire.

In October, 2003, Focus o­n the Global South, a regional program for policy research, analysis and action, in collaboration with the Poverty and Development Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), brought together representatives of 20 non-government and people’s organizations from 13 countries to discuss Goal 1 of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger. The main purpose of this Asia-Pacific Civil Society Forum was to propose recommendations to the Committee o­n Poverty Reduction of the UNESCAP as to how countries of the regions could better achieve the goal.