Abstract
This issue explores key economic and policy challenges in Southeast Asia, with a focus on Metro Cebu’s water management, investment liberalization, economic crises, and institutional reforms in Vietnam. Metro Cebu’s rapid industrialization has fueled economic growth but also raised concerns about water accessibility. The paper highlights policy and institutional barriers and suggests reforms for sustainable and equitable water distribution. Another study investigates the effects of international investment liberalization in the Philippines, particularly how changes in restrictions impact the First Philippine Fund (FPF) closed-end country fund. Findings indicate that US investors react to policy shifts, revealing the significance of investment regulations in shaping market behavior. The issue also explores the environmental impacts of economic cycles, particularly the compounded effects of the ASEAN financial crisis and climate phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña in the Philippines. An analysis of Vietnam’s institutional reforms from 1987 to 1997 underscores the importance of administrative capacity in managing economic transformation following the collapse of the Soviet bloc.
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