The Ang Pagbabalik Class’74 atbp Collaborative Space is the first collaborative room in UPSE and made possible by the generous support of the UPSE alumni batch 1974 and other batches close to the batch. 

The Program in Development Economics Reunion is an annual gathering of alumni and friends of the PDE and Master in Development Economics (MDE).

The Energy Trilemma: An Analysis of the Philippine Situation is the third forum of the Ruperto P. Alozbo Memoerial Lecture Series.  The lecture series is a major project of the UPSE Program in Development Economics Association.

The Asian Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee (ASFRC) is a group of independent experts on economic policy issues relevant to financial markets and the financial industry of the Asia-Pacific region. ASFRC held their 2025 meeting in the Philippines and crafted a statement on What a second Trump presidency means for the US and Asia and presented this to the public in a forum.

Fudan University Professor, Dr. Qian Sun, held a Friday Seminar talk on A Holistic View on Deprivatization. Prof. Sun is a member of the Asian Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee.  ASFRC is meeting in Manila to look into What a Trump Presidency means to the US and to the rest of the world, Asia in particular.

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 this region, and how infrastructure connectivity could affect remote communities in countries such as the Philippines. About the Author: Dr. Thomas Stringer is a Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. He holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from the University of Montreal. His postdoctoral training was completed in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia, researching economic implications of transportation in...

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 on exporters and whether their emergency innovation responses improved business resilience, robustness, and survival during the pandemic. The empirical strategy employed logistic, Weibull, and negative binomial regressions to model exporters’ behavior amid the disruptions. The results show that despite the larger exposure to global shocks, exporters, especially those located in developed countries and connected to global value chains, had higher survival probability than non-exporters during the crisis. The regressions also confirm that in...

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 generic names in purchasing, prescribing, dispensing, and administering medications. The law also requires all medical practitioners (public and private) to prescribe generic medication. We have seen an increase in generic prescribing in the Philippines. This is supported by the proliferation of generics-only drugstore chains in the country. Using IQVIA’s quarterly panel data from 2000 to 2020 of the therapeutic class statins, we examined whether the entry of branded and non-branded...

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, popular in the BWIs, need to be reconsidered, especially considering informality, and rent-seeking, which are common in many emerging market economies. Digital transformation, including blockchain and big data, also changes the possibilities relating to policies as well as institutional design. Based on policy-based research leading to comprehensive fiscal reform in Mexico in 2013/14, and to the Chinese 14th Five-Year Plan, the Seminar will address lessons for fiscal policy choices...

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. We hypothesize a family-based definition of political connections and delineate two types of political connections according to motive: firms with politics-to-business connections motivated by political goals, and firms with business-to-politics connections motivated by profits. Using a sample of 18,000 Philippine corporations, we identify politically connected corporations. We establish stylized facts for these politically connected firms, illustrate the pervasiveness of these connections across regions and industries, and estimate the size of the economy...

This is a hybrid training; Participants are expected to attend 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. Priority will be given to Students in advanced economics and econometrics courses and thesis writers (Econ 199, Econ 138, Econ 233, Econ 298, DE 253 & DE 292). Limited slots only. Other students and non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is an onsite training; Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Priority will be given to new econometrics students (e.g., Econ 131 & Econ 132) and new graduate students. Limited slots only. Other students and non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is a hybrid training; Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Priority will be given to students in advanced econometrics courses and thesis writers (Econ 199, Econ 299, Econ 300, Econ 400). Limited slots only. Other students and non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is an onsite training; Participants are expected to attend all face-to-face sessions. Priority will be given to UPSE graduate students, limited slots only. Non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots. Participants are expected to have already installed Mathematica (c/o the UP Institute of Mathematics).

This is a hybrid training; Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Priority will be given to new econometrics students (e.g., Econ 131) and new graduate students. Limited slots only. Other students and non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is a hybrid training; Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Priority will be given to new econometrics students (e.g., Econ 131, Econ 231, DE 231) and new graduate students. Limited slots only. Other students and non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is an online training; Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Priority will be given to students in advanced econometrics courses and thesis writers (Econ 199, Econ 299, Econ 300, Econ 400). Limited slots only. Other students and non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is an onsite training; Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Priority will be given to new econometrics students (e.g., Econ 131 & Econ 132) and new graduate students. Limited slots only. Other students and non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is an online training; Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Priority will be given to new econometrics students (e.g., Econ 131) and new graduate students. Limited slots only. Other students and non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is a 16-hour course. Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Students currently enrolled or are planning to enroll in Econ 132 are highly encouraged to join.Limited slots only. Non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots

This is an online training; Participants are expected to attend both sessions (AM & PM sessions). Priority will be given to students in advanced econometrics courses and thesis writers (Econ 199, Econ 300 and Econ 400). Others will be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is an online training; Participants are expected to attend both sessions (AM & PM sessions). Priority will be given to new economics students (Econ 131 and Econ 231) and new UPSE graduate students. Others will be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is a 20-hour course. Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Students currently enrolled or are planning to enroll in Econ 132 are encouraged to join. Limited slots only. Non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots

This is a hybrid training with F2F (March 14) and fully online components (March 21 & 28).Priority will be given to new econometrics students (Econ 131, Econ 232) and new UPSE graduate students. Others will be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is a hybrid training with F2F (March 13) and fully online components (March 20 & 27). Priority will be given to students in higher econometrics courses (Econ 132, Econ 138, Econ 232, Econ 233), thesis writers, and students in advanced graduate courses (Econ 241, Econ 298, DE 253, DE 292). Others will be accommodated depending on the available slots.

Limited slots only. Students planning to take Econ 132 are encouraged to join. Non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots.

This is a hybrid training with online and F2F participants. Priority will be given to UPSE undergraduate and graduate students who are writing their theses.

This is a hybrid training with online and F2F participants. Priority will be given to Econ 131 and new graduate students.

This 24-hour course, segmented into four sessions,  familiarized the participants with the basics of Matlab, visualization, econometrics, optimization, ODEs, machine learning, and symbolic math.

Venue: Other Details: None Events Extensions Alumni UPSE in the News

This 20-hour course, segmented into five (5) sessions,  familiarized the participants with the R and R Studio interface, packages, Tidyverse, coding, data management, visualization, tests, basic regressions, RStudio Projects, and R Markdown.

Limited slots only. Priority will be given to thesis writers and students enrolled in Econ 241 and econometrics classes. *Non-UPSE students may be accommodated depending on the available slots.

Two training sessions covering Basic R for Public Policy took place on January 29 and February 5, 2022. During these sessions, participants received instruction on fundamental coding syntax, visualization techniques, database management, and basic analysis of economic data.