Browsing by Author "Villas, Justin Adrian B."

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    An illustration of the Environmental Kuznets Curve: tree cover loss and gross regional domestic product in the Philippines, 2002-2017
    (2019-05) Geron, Ann Therese T. ; Villas, Justin Adrian B. ; Capuno, Joseph J.
    The issue of tree cover loss is one of the principal environmental concerns that the Philippines faces. Without a steadfast political and research body to determine the optimal levels of economic growth and environmental use, inefficiencies are created in society. Players on the side of the environment and players on the side of economic growth sacrifice one thing for the other, unaware of the consequences these impose on society. The trade-off affects citizens, industries, the economy, and ultimately the physical aspects of the country. To be able to determine these costs, the relationship between the two must be established. The question is then: How are environmental utilization and growth related? Specifically, what is the relationship between tree cover loss (TCL) and gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in the Philippines? This paper studied the two variables by checking for the existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in the country. This hypothesizes that at low incomes, growth causes environmental degradation: at a certain high-level income, growth takes a decreasing toll on the environment. This relationship is illustrated by an inverted-U shape. A panel data analysis, accounting for random effects, was executed to determine the interconnection between TCL and GRDP, using regional data from 2002-2017. Regression results show that the EKC holds true for the Philippine setting, illustrating a positive relationship between TCL and GRDP over time, but is so at a decreasing rate.