A new study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) confirms the effectiveness of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority's (TESDA) scholarship programs in improving graduate employability, but warns that the country’s poorest citizens are increasingly being left behind. The study, titled “Assessing the Effectiveness of TESDA Scholarship Programs in Targeting the Poor,” authored by Dr. Maribel Daño of De La Salle University, found a concerning decline in the share of poor and “disadvantaged scholars” benefiting from the programs between 2018 and 2022. The research revealed that while TESDA's technical and vocational education and training (TVET) scholarships successfully help graduates secure employment one year after training, their poverty-targeting initiatives are losing focus.

The Social Weather Stations (SWS) announced today the results of its Third Quarter 2025 Social Weather Survey, revealing a significant and concerning increase in the rate of involuntary hunger experienced by Filipino families. The nationwide survey, conducted from September 24–30, 2025, found that 22.0% of families—or roughly one in five—experienced involuntary hunger ("being hungry and having nothing to eat") at least once in the preceding three months. This latest figure represents a substantial 5.9 percentage point increase from the 16.1% recorded in the June 2025 survey. This jump marks an interruption of a prior promising downward trend observed earlier in the year.

Philippine health authorities and global development partners are advancing a major initiative to harness PhilHealth’s massive trove of claims data—including approximately 15 million claims processed in 2024 alone—to drive smarter, evidence-based decision-making for Universal Health Care (UHC). The Philippine Institute of Development Studies’ Health Economics and Finance Program (PIDS-HEFP), in collaboration with the World Bank Group and supported by the Australian Government through the Advance UHC partnership, recently held a key workshop to equip policymakers with the analytical capacity needed to transform raw administrative data into actionable policy insights.

Leading global broker TradingPRO today announced a major expansion of its trading operations, featuring extended trading hours and a wider range of financial instruments. The upgrade aims to provide Filipino traders with greater flexibility and access to more global markets, reinforcing TradingPRO’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs of active and professional traders. With the addition of new tradable instruments, TradingPRO users can now diversify their portfolios across multiple asset classes — from traditional forex pairs to commodities and global indices. The expansion empowers traders to optimize their strategies and capture opportunities across different markets.

The Philippines is currently grappling with a severe and persistent “intergenerational curse of malnutrition,” a crisis that experts warn is severely threatening the country’s human capital and long-term development. Despite consistent economic growth, child stunting rates have barely improved, underscoring that economic success alone cannot overcome decades of underinvestment in maternal and early childhood nutrition. Dr. Valerie Gilbert Ulep, Senior Research Fellow and Program Director of the Health Economics and Finance Program (HEFP) at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), described the situation as “widespread and gut-wrenching,” positioning the country as an “epicenter of chronic malnutrition in the region.”

YSPACES, a dynamic new business and event hub, announced its official launch, offering an innovative, one-stop ecosystem designed to support modern professionals, startups, and established enterprises. Located in the heart of the prestigious Bonifacio Global City (BGC) business district, YSPACES provides a seamless environment where flexibility and innovation transform ideas into action. YSPACES is built to meet the evolving needs of today’s businesses, combining essential services into a single, cohesive platform. The hub’s offerings include: Fully Equipped Event Venues: Customizable layouts perfect for everything from product launches and workshops to large-scale corporate meetings.

The latest national Social Weather Survey (SWS), conducted from September 24-30, 2025, revealed that exactly half of all Filipino families (50%) rated themselves as poor (Mahirap). This finding indicates a slight uptick in self-rated poverty compared to the previous quarter. The current 50% figure is one percentage point higher than the 49% recorded in the June 2025 survey. Based on the Philippine Statistics Authority's medium-population projections for 2025, the 50% rate translates to an estimated 14.2 million Self-Rated Poor families in September 2025. This is an increase from the 13.7 million estimated in June 2025.

Reelist8, a leading Philippine financial technology company for the real estate sector, today announced the launch of its innovative AI-powered ecosystem, offering a direct and groundbreaking solution to the nation's severe housing affordability crisis. This new path is set to enable qualified Filipinos to achieve homeownership with as little as 0.5% equity, subject to terms and approval. The core of Reelist8’s offering is a proprietary AI technology stack that directly enables an innovative financing product. This capability is designed to solve one of the Philippine real estate industry's biggest challenges: connecting aspirational buyers with move-in-ready homes at an accessible entry point.

Mindanao is positioning itself as a leader in people-centered Artificial Intelligence (AI), moving beyond theoretical discussion to real-world applications that directly benefit underserved communities in agriculture and public health. This was the key takeaway from the 11th Mindanao Policy Research Forum (MPRF) held on October 21. Jointly organized by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), and Bukidnon State University (BukSU), the MPRF, themed “Harnessing AI in Mindanao: Pathways for People-Centered Governance,” highlighted early, successful implementations of local AI tools. Empowering Farmers: BukSU Associate Professor Dr.

A stark call for support—"We have ideas, talent, and commitment—but no venue, no budget, and no one to back us"—anchored the launch of a new initiative designed to address the persistent challenges facing women-led cultural enterprises in the Philippines. The first session of the three-part “Policy Leadership Workshop Series,” titled “Roots & Realities: Exploring Gender, Culture, and MSMEs,” brought together 25 women cultural entrepreneurs from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The series is a collaborative effort between the Philippine APEC Study Center Network (PASCN) of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada), through the APEC–Canada Growing Business Partnership, with funding from the Government of Canada.

Despite the Philippines' progress toward upper-middle-income status, a stark reality check was issued by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and UNICEF Philippines: one in four Filipino children remains stunted, underscoring significant inequalities that impede the country’s human development. The finding was the central message delivered at the October 16 launch of the new book, “Raising the Bar: Understanding and Solving Chronic Malnutrition in the Philippines.” The launch called for urgent action and systemic reforms, stressing that economic prosperity must be coupled with equitable investment in health and nutrition.

A recent national Social Weather Survey (SWS) conducted in the third quarter of 2025 provides crucial insights into the mental health strategies of adult Filipinos, revealing that prayer and spiritual activities are the most common ways they cope with daily pressures. The survey, fielded from September 24-30, 2025, asked respondents the open-ended question, “What do you do to cope with stress?” (Paano po ninyo nilalabanan ang stress?). The results underscore the deep influence of faith and rest in managing psychological well-being across the country. According to the report, 16% of adult Filipinos…

On World Mental Health Day, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) released findings from its latest national Social Weather Survey, revealing a notable increase in the proportion of adult Filipinos who frequently experience stress in their daily lives. The survey, conducted from September 24-30, 2025, highlights the continuing challenges Filipinos face concerning their well-being, with financial concerns remaining the top stressor. The September 2025 survey found that 34% of adult Filipinos report experiencing stress frequently in their daily lives. This marks a significant 7-point increase from the 27% recorded in the last comparable survey in December 2019.

NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan The Philippine labor market demonstrated robust performance in August 2025, marked by a significant drop in underemployment and growth in stable, quality jobs, according to the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev). The positive results, released today by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) from the Labor Force Survey (LFS), are a direct reflection of the government’s strategic efforts to facilitate quality job creation nationwide. The data for August 2025 showcases notable improvements: Underemployment Rate Falls: The underemployment rate improved to 10.7 percent from 11.2 percent in August 2024, translating to 103,000 fewer underemployed persons.

The net satisfaction rating of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. saw a significant rebound in the latest Social Weather Survey (SWS), rising from poor to moderate, according to the results of the Second Quarter 2025 national survey conducted from June 25-29, 2025. The national survey found that 46% of adult Filipinos were satisfied with the President's performance, 19% were undecided, and 36% were dissatisfied. The resulting Net Satisfaction Rating (percentage satisfied minus percentage dissatisfied) is +10, which the SWS classifies as moderate (between +10 and +29). This +10 moderate rating represents a 20-point increase from the poor -10 rating recorded in the April 2025 survey.

Ayala Corporation, one of the Philippines’ largest and most respected conglomerates, has entered into a strategic partnership with Spinneys, the leading premium fresh food supermarket chain in the United Arab Emirates, to bring Spinneys-branded grocery stores to the Philippines. This collaboration marks Spinneys’ first expansion outside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Spinneys, which operates 87 stores across the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, recently announced its entry into Kuwait and is now set to establish a presence in the Philippines’ capital region. Spinneys is majority-owned by the Al Seer Group, a UAE-based consumer holdings company with diverse business interests in food, retail, hospitality, shipyards, and construction, and a presence in over 20 countries.

While the world is wealthier, healthier, and better educated than it was three decades ago, the benefits of this progress have not been evenly shared, and entrenched inequalities, coupled with fragile trust in institutions, continue to hold back global social justice. That’s the key finding of a new International Labour Organization (ILO) report, “The State of Social Justice: A Work in Progress,” published ahead of the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha this November. Progress and Persistent Deficits The report, which marks 30 years since the landmark 1995 Copenhagen Summit on Social Development, acknowledges…

The United Kingdom government has awarded prestigious scholarships to 25 high-achieving Filipino scholars this year, enabling them to pursue advanced degree programmes at leading UK universities. This cohort, which features a historic first for the Philippines, marks a significant milestone in the deepening educational partnership between the UK and the Philippines. The group includes 23 Chevening Scholars who will undertake fully funded Master’s degrees across diverse and critical fields, ranging from innovation, accessibility, and technology policy to climate solutions. The cohort also proudly features two recipients of the highly competitive ASEAN–UK Women in STEM Scholarships.

A recent Social Weather Survey (SWS) has revealed a significant link between home-based food production and lower rates of hunger among Filipino families. The national survey, conducted from June 25-29, 2025, found that families who produce at least a portion of their own food experience lower rates of moderate and severe hunger compared to those who do not. The survey, the most recent quarterly national survey finalized by SWS, found that nearly half of Filipino families (49%) engage in some form of home food production. This includes 8% who produce "a big part" of their food and 41% who produce "a small part." The remaining 51% of families produce no food at home.

Philippine health experts and government officials are working to advance the country’s universal health care (UHC) agenda through reforms in hospital payment systems, information technology, and auditing mechanisms, following a bilateral dialogue with Thailand’s National Health Security Office (NHSO) held last August 26–28 in Bangkok. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies–Health Economics and Finance Program (PIDS-HEFP) led the delegation, joined by representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the Commission on Audit (COA). The World Bank co-organized the exchange. Thailand’s experience with global budgets, electronic claims transfers, and layered audit systems provided practical lessons that the Philippines aims to adapt to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for Filipino patients.

A recent national survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) reveals a decline in both the reported rate of crime victimization and the fear of crime among Filipinos. The survey, conducted from June 25-29, 2025, found a decrease in the percentage of families reporting victimization by common crimes as well as a significant drop in the fear of walking the streets at night. Key Findings on Crime Victimization The Second Quarter 2025 Social Weather Survey found that 8.6% of families reported being victims of common crimes—including pickpocketing, robbery, break-ins, carjacking, or physical violence—in the past six months.