Traditional institutions and sustainable livelihood: evidences from upland agricultural communities in the Philippines

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of traditional informal institutions on the sustainable management of upland agricultural fields in indigenous communities of the northern Philippines. The estimated results from the case study suggest significant positive effects of a traditional reciprocal exchange-labour system and customary property rights restrictions on field maintenance activities, although the existence of traditional authority is not found to be significant. The results imply a continuing positive role for embedded customs in these communities, despite some evidences of decaying traditional institutions