In the Philippines, poverty remains predominantly rural. While the incidence of poverty is 25 percent for the country, it is much higher among rural inhabitants (36 percent) compared to urban residents (13 percent). Today, over half of the Philippines’ 100 million people live in rural areas, and over a third of rural people are in poverty. Most of the poorest rural households depend on farming and fishing for their livelihoods. The data show that unemployment, illiteracy, and poverty are generally higher among indigenous peoples and those living in upland and coastal areas. Asset reform continues to play a central role in addressing rural poverty. However, as the studies here suggest, asset reforms should go beyond the issuance of titles and tenure instruments. There is need for the enforcement of land rights, an enabling environment and support services to help poor rural households make their lands productive and profitable, basic social services, and systems of land and resource governance where the voices of poor sectors are heard and addressed. n Cited references Alden-Wily, L., Devendra C., and Sharma, S. (2008). Land Reform in Nepal: Where is it coming from and where is it going? Paper prepared for DFID-Nepal. Kathmandu: Published by the authors. Quizon, A. (2017). A Program Assessment of Agrarian Reform (CARP) Implementation, 1988-2016. [Manuscript, unpublished]. Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC) 37