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SERP-P Celebrates 25th year; UPCIDS awarded top contributor

  • CIDS

The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) successfully concluded its two-day 25th Socioeconomic Research Portal for the Philippines (SERP-P) Anniversary celebration on December 2-3, 2025, which brought together top government officials, esteemed former regulators, and civil society leaders for a critical discussion on fiscal transparency and public accountability.

The anniversary kicked off on December 2 with the 11th SERP-P Knowledge-sharing Forum, centering on the timely theme: “People’s Budget: Tracking Transparency and Accountability”. PIDS President Philip Arnold P. Tuaño delivered the opening remarks, setting the stage for deep dives into the national purse.

Key presentations offered critical insights into the budget process:

  • Mr. Anthony Arvin Salazar of the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department tackled the complexities of “Earmarked Revenues in the Philippines: Trends, Issues, and Policy Options”.

  • The “Assessment of the Macroeconomic and Fiscal Assumptions of the Proposed 2026 National Government Budget” was presented by Mr. Brian Benson See from the Senate Economic Planning Office.

  • Bringing the citizen perspective, President Ken Abante of We Solve Foundation highlighted the importance of “From the Ground Up: Citizen Engagement and Evidence Use in Budget Monitoring”.

 

Guest speakers during the open discussion

 

The afternoon session was anchored by a high-profile Roundtable Discussion on Public Budget Accountability. Moderated by former PIDS President Dr. Gilbert Llanto, the panel engaged in a rigorous debate on mechanisms and challenges in responsible fund utilization.

The distinguished panelists included:

  • Ms. Heidi Mendoza, former Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner.
  • Dr. Ronald Mendoza, DepEd Undersecretary for Strategic Management.
  • Dr. Edilberto De Jesus, AIM Professor Emeritus.
Panelist during the roundtable discussion

Following the spirited discussion, the day concluded with a SERP-P Policy Research Advocacy Workshop, where Dr. Tuaño and PIDS Senior Research Fellow Dr. JP Rivera shared their expertise on translating research into impactful policy advocacy.

PIDS President Tuano during the workshop

 

PIDS Senior Research Fellow Rivera during the workshop

 

Day two, December 3, was dedicated to exploring the tangible impact of policy research at the local government level.

The sessions continued the SERP-P Policy Advocacy Workshop and showcased how evidence-based studies directly inform community development:

  • Former PIDS President Dr. Celia M. Reyes led a compelling Policy Case Study on “The CBMS Journey—From Research to Policy to Local Action,” detailing the evolution of the Community-Based Monitoring System.

  • Dr. Simeon Ilago of UP-NCPAG concluded the event with an insightful presentation on the “Local Development Process and Policy Cycle”.
Speakers during the open discussion

In the afternoon, SERP-P Project Director and PIDS Research Information Department Manager Ms. Melinda Quinoñes reported SERP’s accomplishments for 2025 including new partner institutions. It was followed by a short discussion among partner institutions on their commitment for the betterment of partnerships with PIDS and SERP-P and among the fellow members.

SERP-P concluded with the awarding of the most active partners and milestone awards. The UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies was awarded the top contributor of SERP-P with over 100 papers submitted for 2025.

The PIDS 25th SERP-P Anniversary served as a powerful testament to the Institute’s long-standing commitment to strengthening democratic governance and ensuring that research is continuously translated into evidence-based public policies for genuine national development.

Plaque awarded to UPCIDS as the top SERP-P contributor