Prospects for Rural Poverty Alleviation in the Philippines: Applicability and Implications of China’s Taobao Model

Authors

Katrina Kae S. Principe, University of the PhilippinesFollow

Abstract

Positive rural development is an integral path in the alleviation of rural poverty. China’s experience with Taobao Villages is to deploy e-commerce to initiate growth in the rural sector. These villages, with their relative success in harnessing the potential of e-commerce in rural China, have served as a multidimensional and inclusive growth model for rural poverty alleviation. Led by the private sector and supported by the state, it has empowered growth in the rural areas where entrepreneurs are encouraged to participate in China’s increasingly digital economy. The paper provides reflections on the persisting pursuit of rural poverty alleviation in the Philippines and analyses the feasibility of its implementation in the Philippines. Whilst citing the enabling effects of the Taobao Villages which flourish in China, the paper argues that several key issues need to be addressed if it were to be adopted in the Philippines. In general, the Philippines needs to redefine its rural development goals, examine the root causes of its various constraints such as policy and institutional fragmentation, and there is an urgent need to improve its institutional and economic support capacity. These are prerequisite conditions which will enable the Taobao Village model to be applied in the Philippines and contribute towards rural poverty reduction.

Recommended Citation

Principe, Katrina Kae S. (2022) "Prospects for Rural Poverty Alleviation in the Philippines: Applicability and Implications of China’s Taobao Model," Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies: Vol. 11: No. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://mjcs.newera.edu.my/journal/vol11/iss1/4