The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic profoundly impacted people's lives, social activities, and businesses. It particularly affected micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which account for the vast majority of firms and most of the labor force. Compared to larger firms,...

In light of recent pronouncements of tariff hikes in the United States (US) and the retaliatory responses of major economies such as China, Canada, and Mexico, this paper revisits the global value chains (GVC) experience of the Philippines amid the trade tensions between China and the US from...

In low resource settings where it is challenging to obtain accurate weight-for-height Z-scores (e.g., equipment to accurately measure height and weight is not readily available, minimally trained community health workers, etc.), the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) is a simple tool used to...

This report proposes a framework in tagging nutrition expenditures of national government agencies. The framework was developed through exhaustive literature review and validation sessions with government agencies. It comprised of five levels (5) of classification elements namely: major...

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic profoundly impacted people's lives, social activities, and businesses. It particularly affected micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which account for the vast majority of firms and most of the labor force. Compared to larger firms,...

This report proposes a framework in tagging nutrition expenditures of national government agencies. The framework was developed through exhaustive literature review and validation sessions with government agencies. It comprised of five levels (5) of classification elements namely: major...

In low resource settings where it is challenging to obtain accurate weight-for-height Z-scores (e.g., equipment to accurately measure height and weight is not readily available, minimally trained community health workers, etc.), the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) is a simple tool used to...

This paper combines labor force survey microdata with measures of occupational AI exposure and complementarity to examine the potential impact of recent advancements in AI on the Philippine labor market. We find that around one third of workers are highly exposed to AI with around sixty percent...

We estimate natural-disaster impacts on children's school enrollments and math skills and test for impact heterogeneities with respect to age and gender in seven countries in Asia and the Pacific, which is the world's most disaster-prone region. We link survey data on children aged 5 to 17 to...

In light of recent pronouncements of tariff hikes in the United States (US) and the retaliatory responses of major economies such as China, Canada, and Mexico, this paper revisits the global value chains (GVC) experience of the Philippines amid the trade tensions between China and the US from...

The Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) is a capital investment grant administered by the Department of Health (DOH), designed to help local government units (LGUs) augment their health infrastructure, such as primary healthcare facilities, hospitals, and equipment. Over the past...

Amid the evolving U.S.-China tariff realignment and the broader restructuring of global value chains, this paper evaluates the vulnerability and strategic positioning of the Philippines alongside four other ASEAN economies-Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. For the ASEAN-5, the key...

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...

ECCD discourse, policy, and research have understandably focused on parents: their roles, knowledge, practices, and lived experiences. However, it truly 'takes a village' to raise a child, perhaps particularly so in a very intergenerational, communal society like the Philippines where both of...

Joint programming, also referred to as convergence, in social protection and economic inclusion interventions has emerged as a critical strategy for addressing persistent poverty in the Philippines. Despite the government's ambitious target to reduce poverty from 18.1% in 2021 to 9% by 2028,...

This study examines how demographic changes lead to different household structures and housing choices among different age groups. It argues that the cointegration of demography, housing market, and wealth have shaped housing demand in the country over time. The results have important often...

Over the years, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) has been at the forefront of the government's efforts to alleviate poverty and improve health and nutrition outcomes among the most vulnerable Filipino families. These programs, which offer financial assistance in return for complying...

This study presents a comprehensive process evaluation of the Department of Education's Alternative Learning System (ALS) in the Philippines, examining its effectiveness in providing second-chance education opportunities for out-of-school youth and adults (OSYAs). While the ALS plays a vital...

Over the years, the Philippines has made progress in improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. Despite this progress and sustained economic growth, waterborne diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and hospitalization, particularly among the poorer segments of the...

Thirty-two years ago, the First Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM I) established a trifocalized Philippine Educational and Training System (PETS) to ramp up achievement of the country's educational and training goals. EDCOM I sought to raise the system's performance by transforming...

Nuclear households remain the dominant form of household type in the Philippines, but we note a rising number of extended and multi-family households, which have important implications on housing policy and demographic trends in the country. This study examines the factors influencing the...

The Philippines has set an ambitious goal of becoming a predominantly middle-class society free of poverty by 2040. However, this aspiration comes at a time of significant global headwinds that pose risks to the country's development trajectory. Growing the middle class is more closely related...

This report assesses the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) in the Philippines, aiming to support the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM2) of the Philippine Congress with empirical evidence for programmatic and legislative reforms. Our assessment uses a comprehensive...

In the past three decades, the prevalence of child wasting in the Philippines has generally fluctuated between 6% and 8%. As a result, the country fell short of the 2022 Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition target of 5%. However, between 2013 and 2018, the decline in the wasting prevalence...

The macroeconomic studies that assess the contribution of international remittances to the origin countries of migrants use a different definition of remittances than the microeconomic literature that examines the impact at the household and community levels. This study overcomes this difference...

We expand the standard balance-of-payments-constrained (BOPC) growth rate model in three directions. First, we take into account the separate contributions of exports in goods, exports in services, overseas remittances, and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. Second, we use state-space...

This paper analyses the impact of armed groups and their taxation practices on the municipal fishing sector of the Zamboanga Peninsula in Mindanao, Philippines. Leveraging novel qualitative and quantitative data, we find clear evidence of armed group presence, social implantation, and taxation...

Using time series data from 1945 to 2023, this paper develops stylized facts to trace the historical origins of the Philippines' narrow economic base. Econometric models are then estimated to analyze the drivers and benefits of economic diversification in the Philippines. The empirical results...

Was the episode of high inflation in the Philippines in 2022 driven primarily by supply or demand factors? How did the relative contributions of supply and demand evolve over time? This study adopts the methodology proposed by Shapiro (2022) and Shapiro (2023) to disaggregate Philippine...

This study examines the interplay between Asia-Pacific geopolitics and the Philippines' critical industries, focusing on telecommunications, energy, mining, and digital infrastructure. Utilizing a Philippine-centric lens, it explores how geopolitical tensions, particularly between the U.S. and...

This study investigates the innovation strategies of cultural micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Northern and Central Luzon, Philippines, operating within the domain of traditional cultural expressions, particularly traditional crafts and culinary crafts. These enterprises play a...

Socialized pricing mechanisms are common in utility services like electricity because it is critical for daily activities and therefore, considered vital for economic growth. The aim of such mechanisms is to redistribute financial resources from well-off to marginalized consumers. This is seen...

This paper aims to explore ownership networks of publicly listed financial institutions in the Philippines. It covers the second phase of a research project on financial networks and builds on the analyses done in Tabuga, Ruiz, Serafica and Baiño (2024) which aims to provide an understanding of...

This research harmonizes Philippine Census of Population and Housing (CPH) data from 1970 to 2020 to address data consistency challenges across five decades. The study systematically reconciles evolving variable definitions, classification systems, and measurement scales to create a unified...

If designed and implemented well, public-private partnership (PPP) projects can fill the gaps in the public provision of infrastructure facilities and social services at the subnational level. The more than three decades of implementing subnational PPPs in the Philippines brought to the fore...

The emergence of global value chains (GVCs) in recent years has underlined the increasing reliance of manufacturing industries on services. Manufacturing firms have intensively used service inputs, performed in-house services activities, and sold services embedded in, or bundled with goods....

The Philippine government's long-term vision, AmBisyon Natin 2040, aims for a prosperous, predominantly middle-class society where no one is poor. The Philippine Development Plan 2023- 2028 emphasizes strategies to develop and protect individual and family capabilities by reducing...

This report assesses the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) in the Philippines, aiming to support the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM2) of the Philippine Congress with empirical evidence for programmatic and legislative reforms. Our assessment uses a comprehensive...

Demand-driven technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has been associated with positive economic outcomes for the trainees and the participating firms and enterprises. Despite these potential positive implications, numerous studies consistently show the limited involvement of the...

In the Philippines, skills mismatch has persisted since the 1970s, when the higher education system produced more college graduates than the economy could absorb. Prolonged skills mismatch can result in adverse outcomes such as lower wages, decreased job satisfaction, diminished productivity,...

The Philippines has set an ambitious goal of becoming a predominantly middle-class society free of poverty by 2040. However, this aspiration comes at a time of significant global headwinds that pose risks to the country's development trajectory. Growing the middle class is more closely related...

The Philippines has introduced initiatives to attract retirement migrants, including visa and residence permit programs and various incentives. Central to these efforts is the Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV), managed by the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA). The SRRV offers a...

This study assesses the Philippine Retirement Authority's (PRA) current program and business model. Established by Executive Order No. 1037 in 1985, the PRA aims to position the Philippines as a prime retirement destination, contributing to the country's social and economic development....

This study's third phase evaluates the regulatory impact analysis (RIA) of policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the Philippine Retirement Authority's (PRA) retirement program, focusing on competitiveness and sustainability. Utilizing methodologies such as benefit-cost analysis, breakeven...

The PDP 2023-2028 recognizes innovation as one of the drivers of growth in the services sector, creating a strategic framework to reinvigorate the sector and strengthen creativity and innovation. To help formulate the appropriate strategies and policies, this paper examines the evidence on...