Brain Trust: Knowledge and Options for Sustainable Development, Inc.

13/10/2026

"No explanation or accounting accompanied the over P84 billion in additional changes. To make way for its insertions and additions, they cut the budgets for education, health, transportation and disaster response. And they are again causing a major problem by substantially reducing the budget cover for foreign-assisted projects, notably the Metro Manila Subway and the North-South Commuter Railway."

Read full column here:

Hindi na sila nahiya” (they have no shame), declares a paper initiated by the People’s Budget Coalition (PBC) now making the rounds and gathering signatures of support, calling out the House of

13/10/2026

🥬 How can research and innovation help put more nutritious food on Filipino tables?

Join the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) for the webinar “Making Innovations and Expenditures Work for a Food-Secure Philippines” on October 20, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM via Zoom.

The webinar will feature two PIDS studies examining how technology transfer, publicly funded research and development (R&D), and government spending can strengthen the country’s agrifood system.

📘 “How Successful Was the Philippine Technology Transfer Act in Commercializing Publicly Funded R&D? The Case of Agrifood System Innovations”— examines the challenges of commercializing publicly funded research and bringing agrifood innovations closer to practical application.

📗 “Food Security Sectoral Analysis: Strengthening Access to Safe and Nutritious Food for Every Filipino” — examines government spending on food security programs and identifies persistent gaps in nutrition, stability, and equity.

🔗 Register here: https://bit.ly/pidsevent102026.

📺 Livestream on the PIDS and SocioEconomic Research Portal for the Philippines pages.

07/10/2026

𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑

[𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐] 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝: 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

Catch 𝑫𝒓. 𝑹𝒐𝒆𝒉𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒐 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔, Senior Research Fellow at Philippine Institute for Development Studies and President of the Philippine Economic Society as he shares groundbreaking insights on agriculture, food security, and regional leadership.

With his notable researches on economics of agriculture and natural resources, rural development, food security, international trade, and the macro economy, as well as his exposures across ASEAN and strong voice in shaping policy, Dr. Briones brings expertise that will inspire innovation and experience in the agrifood sector.

Don’t miss out. Be part of the conversation. Join the 52nd PBC&E!

𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐖! https://bit.ly/52nd-pbce

07/10/2026

READ | August 2026 Number and Percent Distribution of Employed Persons by Sector 📊

The Services sector 🏢 continued to account for the largest share of employed persons in the Philippines at 61.7% in August 2026.

Meanwhile, the Agriculture 🌾 and Industry 🏭 sectors accounted for 20.9% and 17.3% of the total employment, respectively.

🔎 Read the full report:
➡ https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/labor-force-survey

02/09/2026

PBEd, together with PHINMA, will hold a policy forum, titled Decentralizing Education: Strengthening Local Governance and Financing for Better Learning Outcomes.

Together with industry experts and leaders, the discussion will explore strategies to empower local leaders, accelerate learning recovery, address classroom backlogs and resource gaps, and strengthen transparency, accountability, and community participation.

Follow our page for key highlights and updates as we continue our shared push for actionable solutions to the country's learning crisis.

19/08/2026

"Government rules must impel them to undertake these investments and not encourage complacency by allowing them to pass these costs entirely to honest consumers. But to be fair, the government must do its part to enforce the law and prevent and properly penalize line pilferage via jumpers and tampered meters."

Read full column here:

I first heard about the TANSTAAFL principle—for “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch”—from a visiting American economics professor back in my college days. Politicians, I wrote last

18/08/2026

DSWD PRESS RELEASE: SWS survey shows 600,000 Pinoy families now food secured; hunger on a declining trend – DSWD chief

DSWD Secretary REX Gatchalian emphasized that the survey aimed to determine changes in the condition of Walang Gutom Program (WGP) household-beneficiaries and non-beneficiary households, particularly their experiences of hunger, food insecurity, and their own assessment of their food poverty status.

Based on the results discussed by SWS Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Gerardo Sandoval and SWS Research Fellow Dr. Roehlano Briones, hunger among WGP beneficiaries declined by 6.7 percentage points, from 33.6 percent in the first round to 26.9 percent in the second round. (AKDL)

See comments section for full story.

❤️

18/08/2026

17/08/2026

Brain Trust, Inc. Chair Dr. Cielito F. Habito is heading to Davao!

He will share his insights on the “Economic Assessment for 2026 and Economic Outlook for 2027” at the upcoming MAP General Membership Meeting & Economic Briefing, joined by FEF President Mr. Calixto V. Chikiamco.

🗓️ September 17, 2026 (Thu) | 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 Meeting Rooms 4 & 5 (Level 3), SMX Convention Center Davao

See poster for more details!

14/08/2026

🌾 Great ideas create greater impact when they make it from research to the real world.

Joining us at the 64th PAFT Annual Convention is Dr. Roehlano M. Briones, Senior Research Fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

Dr. Briones will discuss “Accelerating Technology Transfer for Agrifood Innovations,” bringing an important policy and economic perspective to how innovations can move beyond research and contribute to the Philippine agrifood sector.

If you work in research, academe, government, food manufacturing, or product innovation, this is a conversation worth being part of.

📅 August 26–27, 2026
⏰ 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria

🎟️ Registration Fees:
Professionals – PAFT Members: ₱9,000
Professionals – Non-Members: ₱9,500
Students: ₱1,500

⚠️ Convention slots are filling up. Secure yours while registration is still open!

🔗 Registration Form:
https://forms.gle/VR3n16RdworN4NcG7