The Palm Oil Industry in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Opportunities

Authors

  • Agnes C. Sequiño University of San Jose-Recoletos
  • Zosima A. Pañares University of the Visayas

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32871/rmrj1301.01.08

Keywords:

Palm Oil, Environmental Scanning, Social Impact Plans

Abstract

The study focuses on the palm oil industry which has been a major contributor to the economies of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. These countries have been looked upon as the major players in the industry in the world market. This environmental scanning study assessed the contributions and the challenges posed by the presence of the industry to the countries under study. This qualitative and quantitative study looked into the two trends in the impact assessment with reference to case study examples of some industry players in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The first part dealt with the increasing focus on the cumulative impacts and the second part on the emerging requirements to link the social and economic impact to the ongoing social impact plans. An analysis on the effects of the industry’s presence within the context of input – output model, proved to have an impact on the environment, socio-economic and political situation and other relevant factors. These effects on education, housing, population, crime rate, local authority funding and quality of life of people in the regional community have led to be the basis for policies and Social Impact Plans for the Southeast Asian countries. An advocacy may be initiated on countries with emerging economies to benchmark from countries which have improved their socio-political and economic conditions considering the positive impact of the industry’s presence.

Author Biographies

Agnes C. Sequiño, University of San Jose-Recoletos

an Industrial Technologist graduated from the Cebu Technological University in 1980, a holder of a Master of Management degree from University of San Jose-Recoletos and is pursuing a PhD in Research and Evaluation Degree from the Cebu Normal University. She has eleven years of experience in the industry prior to her twenty years stint in the academe. Her exposure to the volunteer work with the Maryknoll Missionaries in the past opened her horizons to be a volunteer adviser to the Business Advisory Program of the Philippine Business for Social Progress while working as a professor and faculty researcher of the Dept. of Business and Management of the University of San Jose- Recoletos. She has published research papers related to the IT – BPO Industry and was one of the invited speakers to the Annual World Congress for IT Outsourcing held at Nikko Hotel, Dalian City, China in August 28-30, 2012.
Her competencies are in the field of business research, marketing and management. She has been awarded a scholarship grant by the Tallberg Foundation to be the country’s representative to the 5th Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Leksand, Sweden in 2010 and was invited as a panelist representing the Philippine to the 19th Annual International Conference of the Association of Employment Practices and Principles (AEPP) held at the East West Center in the University of Hawaii at Manoa in October 2011. She has recently presented and published her latest study on Palm Oil Industry in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Opportunities in the Journal Strategic and International Studies in Key West, Florida, U.S.A. in May 2013.

Zosima A. Pañares, University of the Visayas

received her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education with major in Research and Evaluation (Academic Excellence) from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. She is the Dean of the Graduate School of the University of the Visayas. Her professional experience covers more than forty years of teaching and nearly a decade of managing Research Centers of different Universities. Ma’am Sue, as fondly called by her colleagues and friends, mentors statistics and research to graduate students and postgraduate students all over the country. Dr. Pañares holds a baccalaureate degree in Elementary Education with major in Guidance (Magna cum Laude) from the University of the Visayas, a Master of Arts in Education with major in Guidance and Counselling and a Certificate of Proficiency in Mathematics from the Cebu Normal University.

References

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Published

2013-06-18

How to Cite

Sequiño, A. C., & Pañares, Z. A. (2013). The Palm Oil Industry in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Opportunities. Recoletos Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.32871/rmrj1301.01.08

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2013)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright of the Journal belongs to the University of San Jose-Recoletos