DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Philippine Economic Society (PES) held a knowledge-sharing forum for the Davao region Tuesday, bringing together researchers, policymakers, students and educators to discuss evidence-based policymaking.
The event, themed “Putting Policy to the Test: Basics of Impact Evaluation,” took place at the BSP Mindanao Regional Office in Davao City. Most attendees were faculty and students from senior science high schools and universities in the region.
Monetary Board Member Rosalia V. de Leon said impact evaluation helps determine what works and what can be improved in public resource allocation.
“Using evidence in policymaking enables us to make better decisions and achieve better outcomes for our communities,” she said.
BSP Assistant Governor Maria Margarita Debuque-Gonzales urged students to stay curious, telling them they don’t need to know everything but should learn to think carefully about problems and distinguish belief from evidence.
Dr. Aniceto C. Orbeta Jr., emeritus research fellow and immediate past president of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, spoke about impact evaluation research and its role in assessing development programs.
Dr. Romeo Matthew T. Balanquit, assistant secretary of the Department of Budget and Management and secretary of the PES Board of Trustees, discussed how evaluation evidence informs budget decisions and helps ensure efficient use of public resources.
Eugenio Junior A. Gica of the Philippine Statistics Authority discussed the regional economy, while BSP Mindanao Regional Office’s Ramonnetto S. Gervacio spoke on the central bank’s economic role. Dr. Agham C. Cuevas, PES Board of Trustees member and University of the Philippines Los Baños vice chancellor for academic affairs, closed the program with a session on PES.
The Davao forum was the second leg of a nationwide series the BSP and PES launched in July to promote economics education and research. Additional forums are planned in Cebu in October and Baguio in November.
