Department of Economy, Planning, and Development

𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐈 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄 𝐅𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

This issue highlights the continuing efforts of local government units, agencies, and development partners in expanding income opportunities and creating sustainable livelihoods for communities across the region. It features programs and initiatives that equip individuals with skills, resources, financial support, market access, and entrepreneurial opportunities aimed at improving economic productivity and quality of life.

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𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐒

𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎𝐒: Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan chaired the meeting of the Social Development Committee-Cabinet Level (SDC-CL) held on Thursday (June 4) to discuss initiatives aimed at enhancing public health preparedness, education reforms, and human development outcomes.

The University of the Philippines Manila - National Institutes of Health (UPM-NIH) briefed the Committee on the updated Pandemic Response Playbook, which underscores the importance of the government drawing lessons from past public health emergencies and adopting evidence-based approaches to strengthen the country's preparedness and response systems.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) also tackled the results and policy implications of the 2025 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), emphasizing the links between population dynamics, health, gender equality, poverty reduction, and human capital development.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) presented updates on the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) Program, including its eMAIFIP digital rollout through the eGovPH App to improve access to healthcare services and help reduce out-of-pocket health expenditures.

The Committee likewise discussed the Department of Education's (DepEd) proposed directives on suspending classes and government work during natural or human-induced hazards.

Joining the meeting were Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa of the DOH, Chair Shirley M. Agrupis of the Commission on Higher Education(CHED) (CHED), Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda of the Department of Information and Communications Technology - DICT (DICT), as well as Undersecretary Georgina Ann H. Yang of the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES), Undersecretary Adonis P. Sulit of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Undersecretary Henry L. Yap of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Undersecretaries Gerard A. Mosquera and Carmela I. Torres of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Undersecretary Nikki Rubia-Tutay of the DMW, Undersecretary Carmela C. Oracion of DepEd, Undersecretary Mary Rose Villaflor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), Undersecretary Lisa Grace S. Bersales of the CPD, Assistant Secretary Noel A. Padre of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Assistant Secretary Jesi Howard S. Lanete of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Assistant Secretary Romeo Matthew T. Balanquit of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎𝐒: The World Bank Group launched its Poverty and Equity Assessment (PEA) Report for the Philippines on June 5, in Ortigas City.

Titled “Building the Filipino Middle Class: Towards Resilient Futures and Poverty Eradication,” the report presents new evidence on poverty and vulnerability, subnational service delivery, labor regulations, and fiscal incidence to identify opportunities for reducing poverty and strengthening the resilience of the Filipino middle class.

The report highlights that by combining reforms that boost productivity and job creation with targeted measures to promote equity and resilience, the Philippines can significantly reduce poverty by 2040 and expand the secure middle class to comprise more than half of the population, while keeping inequality in check.

DEPDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan welcomed the report as a timely and valuable contribution to the government’s efforts to strengthen evidence‑based policymaking and deepen understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Filipinos.

Present at the launch were representatives from the World Bank led by Division Director for the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei Zafer Mustafaoğlu, DEPDev Undersecretaries Rosemarie G. Edillon and Carlos Bernardo O. Abad Santos, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, President and Trustee of Ayala Foundation Antonio G. Lambino II, Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Elvin Ivan Y. Uy, as well as members from the academe, and the private sector.

Read more: https://tinyurl.com/37xdnk82

Download the report here: https://bit.ly/WBPhPovertyEquityAssessment

𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊: Speaking at the launch of the World Bank Group’s Poverty and Equity Assessment report for the Philippines “𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒐 𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔: 𝑻𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑭𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑷𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝑬𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏” on June 5, DEPDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan welcomed the report as a timely and valuable contribution to the government’s efforts to strengthen evidence‑based policymaking and deepen understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Filipinos.

“This report comes at a critical juncture in the Philippines’ development journey—one marked by meaningful progress in poverty reduction, yet also by persistent vulnerabilities and structural constraints that continue to shape the pace and inclusiveness of this growth,” he said.

Balisacan noted that although poverty incidence declined to 15.5 percent in 2023 from 18.1 percent in 2021, many households remain highly exposed to various shocks, including food price volatility, health emergencies, climate-related disasters, and labor market disruptions.

Balisacan emphasized the role of the Filipino middle class in driving long-term development outcomes.

“Building a resilient middle class is therefore more than a social aspiration. It is a socioeconomic imperative that underpins robust domestic demand, broadens the country’s tax base, supports human capital investment, and strengthens social cohesion and institutional stability,” he said.

Read more: https://tinyurl.com/37xdnk82

Download the report here: https://bit.ly/WBPhPovertyEquityAssessment

𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐍𝐀𝐍: Nitong Mayo, bumagal ang inflation rate ng bansa, na nakatulong upang mabawasan ang pressure mula sa mataas na presyo ng langis sa global market at mapagaan ang epekto nito sa gastusin ng mga Pilipino. Ayon sa DEPDev, ipagpapatuloy ng pamahalaan ang pagpapatupad ng mga targeted na hakbang upang mapanatiling stable ang presyo ng mga bilihin.

Ilan sa mga hakbang ng gobyerno ay ang mga sumusunod:

1) 𝗜𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗼𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 upang makatulong sa mga commuter, transport workers, at negosyo na apektado ng mataas na presyo ng gasolina at diesel.

2) 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮, kabilang ng pagdating ng 21,000 metric tons ng LPG noong Mayo 30, 2026.

3) 𝗣𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗯𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗸𝘂𝗸𝘂𝗻𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗶𝘆𝗮 upang mapalakas ang energy security at mabawasan ang pagdepende sa fossil fuels.

4) 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗘𝗹 𝗡𝗶ñ𝗼 𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗸𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗸𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮 sa pamamagitan ng cloud seeding, solar-powered irrigation systems, at crop diversification programs upang mapanatili ang produksyon at sapat na suplay ng pagkain.

Basahin ang buong ulat rito: https://tinyurl.com/az47b6tv

𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊: Following the release of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s May 2026 inflation report, DEPDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan emphasized the need for targeted government measures to help mitigate the effects of weather-related disruptions and global uncertainties on prices and livelihoods, while supporting businesses and protecting livelihoods.

The country’s chief economist added that the government, through the UPLIFT Committee, continues to monitor inflation closely and implement measures to strengthen local food production, improve logistics and market efficiency, and ensure timely support for vulnerable sectors.

Read the full report here: https://tinyurl.com/az47b6tv

𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐍𝐀𝐍: Bumaba sa 6.8 percent ang inflation rate ng bansa noong Mayo 2026, mula 7.2 percent noong Abril 2026. Sa kasalukuyan, umabot sa 4.5 percent ang year-to-date average inflation.

Ang pagbaba ng inflation rate ay dulot ng mas mabagal na pagtaas ng transport cost na nasa 16.2 percent noong Mayo mula 21.4 percent noong Abril. Ito ay dahil sa mas mabagal na pagtaas ng presyo ng diesel (58.5% mula 122.7%) at gasolina (51.6% mula 59.6%). Nakatulong din ito sa pagbaba ng non-food inflation sa 7.4 percent mula 8.2 percent.

Samantala, tumaas naman ang inflation sa kuryente sa 8.9 percent mula 8.3 percent. Ito ay dulot ng mas mataas na singil sa generation, mas mahigpit na suplay sa grid, at ang palitan ng piso sa dolyar. Mas nanaig ito kaysa sa epekto ng pansamantalang pagsuspende ng ilang bayarin, refund acceleration, at mga VAT exemption sa ilalim ng Philippine Natural Gas Industry Development Act.

Ayon kay DEPDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, bagaman nananatiling mataas ang pandaigdigang presyo ng langis, nagsisimula nang bumagal ang pagtaas ng presyo sa transportasyon. Aniya, nakatulong ang napapanahon at targeted interventions o mga hakbang ng pamahalaan upang mabawasan ang epekto ng mga pangyayari sa labas ng bansa sa mga pamilyang Pilipino.

Basahin ang buong ulat: https://tinyurl.com/az47b6tv

𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝟑𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐏𝐏 𝐆𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐎𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐏𝐏 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐒

𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎𝐒: DEPDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan chaired the 35th meeting of the Public-Private Partnership Governing Board (PPPGB) on June 03, 2026, at the DEPDev Central Office to discuss policies and initiatives geared towards strengthening PPP projects.

The Board discussed several policy initiatives and provided high-level policy guidance on matters aimed at strengthening the PPP processes. These included proposed amendments to the PPPGB Protocols and Code of Conduct to further strengthen the PPPGB; the institutionalization of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in PPP projects to facilitate the resolution of contractual disputes; the policy matter opinion on the effects of delisting a PPP project; and a proposed measure for determining the appropriate procurement mode for PPP projects.

The Board also noted the updates on the current PPP projects and proposals approved by the Economy and Development (ED) Council. These include the term extension of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS); PPP for School Infrastructure Project Phase III of the Department of Education (DepEd); and Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) Project Variation of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

The meeting was attended by Department of Finance (DOF) Undersecretary Catherine Fong, Office of the Executive Secretary Undersecretary Erwin D. Sta. Ana, DEPDev Undersecretary Joseph J. Capuno, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Assistant Secretary Romeo Matthew T. Balanquit, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG Philippines) Assistant Secretary Atty. Jesi Howard S. Lanete, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) (DENR) Assistant Secretary Hiro V. Masuda, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center of the Philippines Executive Director Rizza Blanco-Latorre, Department of Trade and Industry – Board of Investments (DTI-BOI) Executive Director Ma. Corazon H. Dichosa, and Department of Justice (DOJ) Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin L. Chan, among others.

Institutionalized through Section 25 of Republic Act No. 11966, otherwise known as the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code of the Philippines, the PPPGB serves as the overall policy-making body for all PPP-related concerns.