An Assessment of Welfare in the Philippines as measured by the Physical Quality of Life Index (1965-88)

Malathie  Disanayaka,; Mohammad  I. Danuningrat,

An Assessment of Welfare in the Philippines as measured by the Physical Quality of Life Index (1965-88)

Malathie Disanayaka | Mohammad I. Danuningrat

Abstract:

The ultimate objective of development is the satisfaction of human needs. Satisfaction of the important needs is a desired goal. Thus, if people would prefer to live longer, they would prefer to acquire at least the basic skills of reading and writing. However, unless some measurement could be utilized it is not possible to gauge the extent to which these needs are being satisfied and the state of the population with respect to these needs. Considering the inherent defects of Per Capita GDP (PCGDP) as a measurement of welfare, the Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) was constructed for the Philippines for the period 1965-88 to assess the extent of progress in welfare of the population. The study had the primary objective of assessing an alternative indicator of the attainment of welfare. The study also had the following objectives: (1) to construct a PQU for the period 1965-88; (2) to observe and analyze any trend or pattern in the PQLI and PCGDP; and (3) to compare the PQLI with PCGDP.