47th Annual Meeting

Theme:
Survival and Growth:
The Philippines 2010 and Beyond
13 November 2009 * Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Manila

Introduction

Towards the end of each year, the Philippine Economic Society (PES) holds its annual meeting which brings together scholars and practitioners from all over the country to present and discuss papers on a wide range of topics in economics. The 47th Annual Meeting of the Society will take place in Manila in November 2009.

The theme for this year’s annual meeting is “Survival and Growth: The Philippines 2010 and Beyond.” The current global financial turmoil has unearthed numerous problems and issues that the international community has to deal with. It has even brought to fore some fundamental questions that need to be addressed, including the viability of free market mechanisms, or at least the way these have been implemented, in bringing about long-run economic growth.

The domestic economy has so far been less affected than most economies which have experienced contraction in output. According to some analysts, the end is near and growth may be expected to rebound next year. Others claim, however, that what we have seen and experienced so far is only the tip of the iceberg—we might have to face a more prolonged and severe economic environment as global imbalances find their way into more stable grounds.

In the face of these uncertain times, sound analysis of the crisis, both on a global scale as well as more domestically-focused, is direly needed—why it happened, what its impacts are to the various sectors of society and how we can chart our way forward. This year’s Annual Meeting will serve as an opportunity to put clarity to these issues.