A robust and resilient middle class is essential for the Philippines to achieve its 2040 vision of becoming a predominantly middle-class society, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Speaking at the 62nd Philippine Economic Society (PES) Conference on November 8, NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan emphasized policies aimed at lifting Filipinos out of poverty and shielding them from economic shocks as crucial to realizing the government’s “AmBisyon Natin 2040” goals.

My Cup Of Liberty

By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr.

On Oct. 22, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released the World Economic Outlook (WEO) and its corresponding database, an Excel file of macroeconomic data covering 197 countries and territories, with the data spanning from 1980 to projections until 2029. The IMF releases the WEO twice a year, in April then an update in October.

I always download the Excel files of the database.

In a speech at the 62nd Philippine Economic Society (PES) Conference on Friday (Nov. 8), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary. Arsenio M. Balisacan emphasized the importance of policies that enable the transition of Filipinos into the middle class while cushioning them from economic shocks.

The Philippines' chief economist is looking forward to benefits in case talks for a free-trade agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and the United States can be kickstarted when Donald J. Trump returns to the White House early next year.

"Of course, we should" was Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan's reply to Manila Bulletin when asked if Manila and Washington should also pursue a bilateral FTA.

The Philippines must pursue long-term reforms to thrive amid intensified uncertainty wrought by geopolitics and external developments, including Donald J. Trump's impending return to the White House seen solidifying the United States' trade protectionism, according to a World Bank economist.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) highlighted the importance of having a strong middle class to achieve the Philippines’ long-term vision of a prosperous, predominantly middle-class society by 2040.

Speaking at the 62nd Philippine Economic Society Conference in Quezon City last Friday, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan underscored the relevance of policies that support the transition of Filipinos into the middle class and protect them from economic shocks.

While the government maintains that a robust middle class will propel the country to a predominantly middle-class society within the next 15 years, economists warned that a lack of quality, stable jobs poses a threat to this goal.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said that a strong middle class is crucial to achieving the Philippines' 2040 vision for a prosperous society, known as AmBisyon Natin 2040. However, local economists view the rise in underemployment in September as a troubling sign of a struggling workforce and limited job quality.

Speaking at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Philippine Economic Society, Governor Dax Cua, President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), highlighted the importance of NEDA’s Devolution Study as a crucial framework to guide the country’s local government units (LGUs) through the complex process of devolution brought on by the Mandanas-Garcia ruling. He called for a flexible approach to devolution that respects each LGU’s unique priorities, needs, and fiscal realities.

Updating economists

By Mahar Mangahas

The Philippine Economic Society. Yours truly is a grizzled, old economist. It was soon after my University of the Philippines (UP) Bachelor of Arts in 1962, major in economics degree, that I joined the Philippine Economic Society (PES). If that marked me as an economist, then I have been one for three-fourths of my life.

MANILA, Philippines — Building a strong middle class is necessary to realize the country’s long-term vision of a prosperous, predominantly middle-class society by 2040 or AmBisyon Natin 2040, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Speaking at the 62nd Philippine Economic Society (PES) Conference, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan emphasized the importance of policies to enable Filipinos to enter the middle class and protect them from economic shocks.