DFA, DOF, and OECD Discuss Inaugural Economic Survey of the Philippines

DFA Undersecretary Charles C. Jose (2nd from right), flanked by OECD’s Dr. Cyrille Schwellnus and Dr. Jens Matthias Arnold (3rd and 4th from left), and DFA APEC National Secretariat (ANS) Director General Marcos Angelo A.S. Punsalang (rightmost). ANS Deputy Director-General Querobine Deapera Laccay and DOF Director Jolly D. La Rosa are on the far left.

MANILA 14 February 2025 — The Honorable Charles C. Jose, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and International Economic Relations (UMAIER), headed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) team on 10 February at the consultation organized and hosted by the Department of Finance (DOF) with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Economics Department, to discuss the OECD Economic Survey of the Philippines. This marks the country’s first inclusion in the Survey which provides a comprehensive analysis of economic developments as well as policy recommendations.

The OECD delegation, composed of Dr. Jens Matthias Arnold, Head of the Country Studies Division of OECD’s Economics Department, and Dr. Cyrille Schwellnus, Head of the Philippines Desk, is in Manila for the Kick-off mission for the Survey. They met with key government agencies over two days to explain the year-round five-stage preparation process which incorporates mechanisms for gathering Philippine government inputs, feedback and comments. The initial discussion also covered the proposed substance and areas to include in the Survey. The first draft is expected in September, followed by a meeting in Paris in November with the Economic Development and Review Committee (EDRC) which will provide an opportunity for the Philippines to explain the policy settings and interact with all OECD countries’ finance ministries. The finalized Survey is set to be launched in early 2026.

Dr. Arnold highlighted the creation of the “Philippines Desk” to better integrate the country into the OECD Economics Department’s work, not only to have a continuing discussion to support economic development, but also for the OECD to learn from the Philippines’ experience.  

Undersecretary Jose discussed the major economic policy challenges facing the Philippines in economic diplomacy, which is one of DFA’s core mandates contributing to national economic development. He highlighted DFA’s efforts in trade, investment, tourism, and other areas of cooperation across various sectors, emphasizing the need to adapt trade policies to global shifts and address issues like protectionism and food security. He also stressed promoting investment in IT, business processing, and energy security. Acknowledging the challenge of limited resources and personnel, he underscored the importance of strengthening DFA staff skills to achieve economic diplomacy goals.

The meeting concluded with Dr. Arnold emphasizing the importance of the ongoing mutually  beneficial OECD-Philippines engagement. The next step will involve a 4-5 day Fact-finding Mission to Manila in March, where a larger OECD team will more closely examine the policy settings and challenges through dialogues with technical level Philippine government officials. Undersecretary Jose thanked the OECD and DOF for the meeting. Both parties agreed to collaborate closely and expressed optimism about the Survey's outcome. END

DFA officials confer with OECD experts in preparation for OECD's first Economic Survey of the Philippines. Photo credit: DFA