CANBERRA — The Australian National University's Philippine Studies Program held a 'Philippine Update Conference' last October 30-31. I was invited to speak on the situation of Philippine agriculture under the 'Economic Resilience and Inclusive Growth' session. The other presenters were Prof. Maria Socorro Gochoco-Bautista of the UP School of Economics (UPSE), and National Economic and Development Authority Undersecretary Joseph Capuno. A day earlier, another UPSE professor, Jan Carlo Punongbayan, presented a Philippine economic update.

The conference in the Philippines is held yearly but was temporarily halted during the Covid-19 years. Conference organizers announced that they were planning to hold the forum next year in the Philippines outside of Metro Manila.