On November 6, 2025, the UP School of Economics (UPSE) and the Philippine Center for Economic Development (PCED), in partnership with the World Bank, hosted a World Bank Open Lecture titled “Technology and Reform for Development” at the Elizabeth Yu Gokongwei Lecture Room. The seminar featured Dr. Aaditya Mattoo, Chief Economist of the East Asia and Pacific Region of the World Bank, who presented insights from four recently published World Bank books analyzing regional productivity, labor markets, digital services, and decarbonization. To complement the global perspectives, the event included analytical presentations from panel discussants Dr. Chetan Ghate, Professor at the Indian Statistical Institute – Delhi, and Dr. Karl Kendrick Chua, Managing Director at Ayala Corporation and former NEDA Secretary. The seminar, which concluded with an interactive open forum for both onsite and virtual attendees, also featured a book distribution where Dr. Mattoo’s team provided free physical copies of the featured World Bank publications to participants.