Does learning in your own mother tongue really make a difference? Recent evidence shows that mother tongue instruction not only improves understanding—it also boosts test scores in Math, Filipino, and English. Join us this Friday to explore how a language policy can become a game-changer for Filipino learners. To register:
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Electricity prices in the Philippines have remained high despite the restructuring of the energy market and the establishment of the spot market under EPIRA. This outcome motivated the introduction of the Competitive Selection Process (CSP) to enhance competition and transparency in bilateral contracting. However, its system-wide effects, particularly its interaction with the spot market, remain underexplored. To analyze these dynamics, we develop a two-stage supply-function equilibrium model to assess (1) how contracting outcomes differ when agreements are formed through one-on-one negotiations, through a decentralized market with multiple generators, or through a centrally coordinated bilateral market, and (2) how contracting in each setting influences spot-market bidding strategies and resulting spot outcomes. To register: 
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We invite you to the UPSE–PCED Friday Seminar happening this Friday, November 28, 2025 at 4:00 PM at the Judith R. Duavit-Vasquez and Class of 1984 Lecture Room (UPSE 105). This session explores why rice and other food items remain expensive in the Philippines despite declining global prices and trade liberalization, and what these findings mean for inflation, trade reforms, and food security. Register onsite or via Zoom and be part of the discussion!
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This seminar explores migration patterns of highly educated working-age individuals in Mindanao using 2010 and 2020 Census data. Although recent migrants make up only about 4% of this group, their choices reveal clear patterns: younger adults and college graduates are more likely to migrate, and they prefer locations with schools, hospitals, parks, highways, airports, and small-sized enterprises. Densely populated towns, especially capital towns, are more attractive, while some regions like Davao and CARAGA draw more migrants than others. The study also shows life-cycle differences in preferences for amenities and economic opportunities.
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Insights on the Mobile Number Portability Act in the Philippines—trends, loyalty, and global lessons. Register onsite or via Zoom.
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This seminar explores how digital technologies, AI, and sustainable innovations are shaping productivity, labor markets, and services in the East Asia and Pacific region. It emphasizes the transformative potential of technology and the need for coordinated policy and institutional reforms to ensure inclusive, sustainable growth.
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India’s labor market presents a striking reality — about 72% of total employment lies in the informal sector, a defining feature of many emerging market economies. What implications does this hold for inflation dynamics and the effectiveness of monetary policy? Join us as we examine how labor market informality influences inflation behavior and shapes monetary policy transmission in emerging and developing economies.
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Edgardo Jopson is the Acting Division Chief of the Business and Economics Division at the Philippine Competition Commission. He is also a part-time lecturer at the University of the Philippines School of Economics, the De La Salle University Carlos L. Tiu Center for Economics, and the Ateneo de Manila University, where he teaches Data Science for Economists, Statistics, Industrial Organization, and Econometrics.
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Join us for a special lecture on how the Philippines is measuring sustainable development by valuing its natural resources and ecosystem services — from national policies to local conservation efforts.
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Despite notable progress in poverty reduction since 2012, many Filipinos remain vulnerable to economic and climate-related shocks, which threaten to reverse hard-won gains. By examining the underlying drivers such as economic growth, labor market dynamics, and social policies, the report sheds light on the factors that have enabled progress as well as persistent bottlenecks, including labor market barriers and limited access to quality services. Building on these insights, the report proposes a set of targeted policy recommendations aimed at overcoming these obstacles and sustaining inclusive growth, with the goal of fostering a more resilient and prosperous society.
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At the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown in the Philippines in April 2020, the Asian Development Bank, in partnership with the Philippine government and the private sector, implemented the Bayan Bayanihan (BB) food relief program which served approximately 162,000 households in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces. This study evaluates the impact of in-kind transfers on social distancing by examining the effectiveness of the BB program in restricting mobility by enabling households to stay at home. We leverage plausibly random variations in the timing of the rollout of the program by employing recent developments in estimating staggered difference-in-differences strategies to more accurately identify the effect of the program. We find supportive evidence that the program could generally discourage mobility. Our findings suggest that in addition to mitigating food insecurity, food transfer programs can also generate multiple dividends by helping families stay home and reducing the spread of COVID-19. (Co-authors: Yasuyuki Sawada, Elaine S. Tan, Arturo Martinez, Jr., Daniel Boller, Joseph Albert Nino Bulan, Ron Lester Durante, Soyoka Okumura, and Kazuharu Yanagimoto)
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Despite growing interest in place-based policies, their effects on long-run structural transformation remain underexplored, especially in developing countries. This study examines the combined impacts of infrastructure development (highway, industrial park, and school establishments) on agrarian communities in the Philippines using 40 years of multi-generation family data, satellite imagery, and administrative records. The results suggest that infrastructure investment has induced durable structural change by increasing the probability of employment in modern sectors and facilitating human capital accumulation. Both the demand and supply sides of labor are central to self-sustaining modernization through place-based policies. Despite growing interest in place-based policies, their effects on long-run structural transformation remain underexplored, especially in developing countries. This study examines the combined impacts of infrastructure development (highway, industrial park, and school establishments) on agrarian communities in the Philippines using 40 years of multi-generation family data, satellite imagery, and administrative records. The results suggest that infrastructure investment has induced durable structural change by increasing the probability of employment in modern sectors and facilitating human capital accumulation. Both the demand and supply sides of labor are central to self-sustaining modernization through place-based policies.
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Prof. Lisa Grace S. Bersales is currently the Undersecretary on Population and Development and Executive Director of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) of the Philippines and a Professor Emeritus at the School of Statistics in UP Diliman.
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Join us this Friday! Discover how bacteria cooperate through recombination in our seminar on prosocial behavior.
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Discover how unexpected mortality risk and contrasting discounting behaviors—ED vs QHD agents—interact in a life‑cycle macro model to redefine savings, borrowing, and welfare dynamics.
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What are the hidden costs of poor childhood nutrition? This study uses longitudinal data analysis and advanced mediation analysis. Results uncover how severe stunting in early life can cast a long economic shadow into adulthood in the Philippines.
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What are the academic consequences when college students stray from their high school track, or mismatches occur between senior high school strands and college degree programs?
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Join us for an eye-opening seminar that examines Japan’s inflation trends from the 1960s to the late 1990s and offers fresh insights into how small, slow-moving changes can have big, long-term effects.
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Understand the importance of investing in the quality of education in the first years of schooling of Filipino children, which will impact their academic outcomes.
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Research shows that investing in early education is crucial for enhancing the academic outcomes of Filipino children. Considering a PhD in Economics provides an opportunity to explore and contribute to such impactful research
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Don’t miss the seminar on Spanish Commercial Policy and the Philippines: An Integrative View—an opportunity to understand the historical roots of trade policies and their lasting impact on the Philippine economy.
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Strong institutions shape stable economies. Take a closer look at how judicial checks influence policy outcomes, governance efficiency, and long-term economic growth.
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Don’t miss the seminar, "Grim Trigger Auctions in Repeated Procurement for Medicines," and discover how bid caps based on past prices can lower costs—but may also risk failed auctions.
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Do you want to learn more about programs that pose solutions to collective action problems (CAP)? Don't miss this seminar by UPSE Prof. Emeritus Raul Fabella by registering thru QR codes. Do you want to learn more about programs that pose solutions to collective action problems (CAP)? Don't miss this seminar by UPSE Prof. Emeritus Raul Fabella by registering via the links below: Do you want to learn more about programs that pose solutions to collective action problems (CAP)? Don't miss this seminar by UPSE Prof. Emeritus Raul Fabella by registering via the links below:
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Do you want to know how economic shocks affect inflation expectations and household consumption? This lecture explores how households perceive future price changes and the subsequent impact of these perceptions on their consumption decisions. Don't miss this seminar by registering via the links below:
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Learn about new measures of central bank data dependency–the extent to which a central bank will adjust its policy stance in response to incoming data–for the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank. These measures show that data dependency varies over time and reached record highs in the post-pandemic period. Join us in person or
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Do you want to know more about Futurecasting? The lecture will emphasize the practical applications of futurecasting methodologies such as science fiction prototyping, archetype user journey analysis, and threatcasting in business, policy, and innovation. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your knowledge of futurecasting, and apply this in analyzing emerging technologies, societal shifts, and global
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On January 10, 2025, the UP School of Economics (UPSE) and the Philippine Center for Economic Development (PCED) hosted a seminar titled “A Holistic View on Deprivatization” from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Riingen Informatics IT Lab. The event featured Prof. Qian Sun, Professor of Finance and Chair of the Department of Finance
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The UP School of Economics hosted a seminar entitled “Decomposing Philippine Inflation into Its Supply and Demand Components (2001-2023)” presented by Assistant Professor Jan Carlo B. Punongbayan on September 20, 2024 (Friday), at 4:00 PM, which took place in Room 105 (Judith R. Duavit-Vasquez and Class of 1984 Lecture Room). The seminar was also accessible
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The UP School of Economics held a seminar titled “How well has the 2016-2023 National Climate Budget supported the 2011-2028 National Climate Change Action Plan? (Or, why a Task Force El Niño?)” on September 13, 2024 (Friday) at 3:00 PM. The seminar, presented by Dr. Toby C. Monsod, a professor at UP School of Economics,
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Speaker: Thomas Stringer, PhD (Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, Tecnológico de Monterrey Date: 6 February 2024, 3:00 pm Venue: Julius T. Limpe Lecture Room (Room 103) Abstract: The paper examines the economic effects of road connection, using Northern Canada as a case study. It will also outline some of the policy options explored for developing
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Speaker: Adrian Mendoza, PhD (Assistant Professor, UP School of Economics) Date: 12 January 2024, 3:00 pm Venue: Judith R. Duavit-Vasquez & Class of 1984 Lecture Room (Room 105) Abstract: A large firm-level dataset that covers 23 countries was assembled from the World Bank Establishment Surveys and COVID-19 Surveys to analyze the impact of COVID-19 shocks
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Speaker: Maria Cielo D. Magno Date: 06 October 2023 Time: 4:00 PM  Venue: Judith R. Duavit-Vasquez & Class of 1984 Lecture Room  Other Details: None Abstract: One approach to reduce the cost of medicine is through generic drug competition. The Generics Act of 1988 (R.A. No. 6675) requires government health agencies and personnel to use
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Speaker: Ethisham Ahmad Date: 27 June 2023 Time: 4:00 PM  Venue: Judith R. Duavit-Vasquez & Class of 1984 Lecture Room  Other Details: None Abstract:  The Pandemic has underlined the importance of uncertainty in modeling and policy design, which also applies to the increasing frequency and intensity of climate shocks. Policies based on static market-clearing models,
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Speaker: Marianne Juco Date: 07 June 2023 Time: 4:00 PM  Venue: Judith R. Duavit-Vasquez & Class of 1984 Lecture Room  Other Details: None Abstract This dissertation studies and measures the extent of family relations between Philippine businesses and government, and provides the quantitative evidence for the rich anecdotal literature on Philippine politicians and their firms.
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