Economics Archives | University of San Carlos

Carolinian economists earn awards at the 2025 Regional CBMS Festival

universityofsancarlos — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 06:57:34 +0000

A delegation of Carolinian young economists showcased their outstanding skills in economics and data analysis at the 2025 Regional Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) Convention and Data Festival of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Region VII held on September 17–18, 2025, at Bai Hotel, Mandaue City with the theme “Ready, Stat, Go! Building Agile, Resilient, and Future-Ready Filipino Communities through Data-Driven Systems.”

From left: Ely Mark Lingling, Shendee Lee Alag, Louie Jay Trapa (CarES Adviser), Dr. Enriqueta Reston (�� Center for Statistical Services and Training), Kerzlynly Abellanosa, Nicole Angela Acupinpin, Yancy Pacheco, Eurika Kloeh Rabanes, Raphael Anthony Aguilar, Eula Marie Pagalan, and Hanz Heinrick Saenz

Representing the University of San Carlos, the delegation competed in contests that tested data analysis, visualization, and research. Yancy Pacheco and Nicole Angela Acupinpin placed second in the VizWiz Contest, while Eurika Kloeh Rabanes secured third in the StatShots Contest with her entry, “Resilience of a Cebuano Family at the Basilica del Santo Niño.”

Two �� teams also advanced as top four finalists in the Data Festival. The Digital Team—Raphael Anthony Aguilar, Ely Mark Lingling, and Eula Marie Pagalan—presented their paper “Exploring the Relationship Between Mobile Broadband Access and Underemployment in the Philippines.” The Child U5 Mortality Team—Kerzlynly Abellanosa, Shendee Lee Alag, and Hanz Heinrick Saenz—shared their study on “Determinants of Infant and Under Five Mortality in the Philippines: Evidence from the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey.”

The CBMS, introduced to strengthen local governance through grassroots data, remains vital in supporting policies for inclusive development. With Carolinians among those leading in data-driven research, the university continues its tradition of forming professionals who bring knowledge into action for the common good.

For the �� community, these victories reflect the Carolinian way of learning with “Cool Heads, Warm Hearts, and Helping Hands”—balancing competence with compassion and a commitment to service.

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�� students win in PH Statistics Authority competitions

universityofsancarlos — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 12:14:03 +0000

Students from the �� Department of Economics won first place in the StatisTiktok Making Contest during the Philippine Statistics Authority 2024 Regional Data Festival–Visayas Cluster on October 28–29, 2024, at the Department of Education (DepEd) Ecotech Center, Cebu City.

Economics students won the StatisTiktok Making Contest during the PSA Regional Data Festival.

The �� contingent was composed of B.S. Economics Data Analytics Track 2nd year majors Estefen Gerodias, Nicole Angela Acupinpin, Kate Jannah Gayle Alvez, Ely Mark Lingling, Yancy Pacheco, Eurika Kloeh Rabanes, Raphael Anthony Aguilar, Eula Marie Pagalan, and Shaynna Lexine Delusa.

Meanwhile, Computer Science students Ma. Crista Nina M. Ariosa and Yza Hilary A. Alagon grabbed the 1st and 4th places, respectively, at the 28th Philippine Statistics Quiz (Provincial Level) on October 30, 2024, held at Cebu Normal University.

Ebrel T. Albarico (2nd from left), Ma. Crista Nina M. Ariosa (center), and Yza Hilary A. Alagon (2nd from right) together with coach Rene N. Argenal (right) pose with their awards.

StatisTiktok

Organized by the Philippine Statistics Authority Regional Statistical Services Office VII, the two-day event with the theme, “Harnessing the Power of Data and Statistics for a Future-ready Filipino and Filipina Youth” brought together early-career professionals and students from various universities in the Visayas Region interested in statistics, data science and data analytics.

The event featured presentations on (1) The Philippine Statistical System and the Philippine Statistics Authority, (2) How Private is Your Data, (3) Data Visualization for the Official Statistics and SDG Indicators, (4) Data and Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability, (5) How Open are the Philippine Data, (6) Success in Statistics: Position Yourself for the Future, (7) Significant Contribution of Statistics Student Organization to the Statistical Development in the Region, and (8) Big Data and the Role of Statistics.

The event was organized to emphasize PSA’s commitment to produce high quality statistics and promote a responsive and relevant statistical system capable of providing and communicating timely, accurate and useful data to the government and the public.

The objectives of the PSA-sponsored data festival were to (1) instill appreciation and enhance statistical literacy on official statistics among students, (2) enjoin the academe in the advocacy of statistics, (3) strengthen partnerships and foster collaboration with local government offices, civil society organizations, and the private sector, and (4) promote proper interpretation and use of official statistics among local media practitioners.

The Department of Economics’ participation showcased the competencies of its B.S. Economics Data Analytics program in enhancing the power and relevance of data and statistics in today’s trends and generation.

Philippine Statistics Quiz

The PSQ is an annual initiative by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) that tests freshman students’ competency in statistical theory and applications, as well as their understanding and appreciation of its role in the Philippine Statistical System.

The winning students were coached by Rene N. Argenal, a Math faculty member from the Department of Computer, Information Science, and Mathematics (DCISM).

Aside from Ariosa and Alagon, Applied Physics student Ebrel T. Albarico also represented the University in the same competition.

With contributions from Julius P. Relampagos, Ph.D., Department of Economics

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Econ majors place 1st runner-up in debate tournament

universityofsancarlos — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 14:44:22 +0000

Economics majors Kenneth Vincent Aballe, Euseff Yap, Kaye Abellanosa, and Lavinia Baricuatro placed 1^st runner-up in the Junior Philippine Economics Society (JPES) “Motions in Motion 2024” debate tournament held virtually on February 12-13, 2024.

Front, from left: Lavinia Baricuatro, Euseff Yap, Kenneth Vincent Aballe, Kaye Abellanosa, and Louie Jay Trapa (CarES adviser). Back, from left: Dr. Julius Relampagos (Chair, Department of Economics), Gerard Go, and Francisco Largo.

The “Motions in Motion” is an annual event that aims to promote a culture of debate among economics undergraduate students on relevant issues. Meanwhile, JPES is a national confederation of undergraduate Economics organizations in the Philippines and is recognized as the junior arm of the Philippine Economics Society.

This year’s theme, “Promoting Intellectual Welfare for Sustainable Economic Growth” was aimed to foster intellectual camaraderie and sharpen the wits of Kabataang Ekonomista.

During the elimination round, the �� team argued the motion on the postponement of implementing the Mandanas-Garcia ruling that significantly increased the tax base on which the Local Government Units (LGUs) share is computed and, thus, strengthened fiscal decentralization.

In the semi-final round, the �� team argued against the motion of an independent foreign policy in the Philippines.

They emerged victorious both in the elimination and semi-final rounds against Mindanao State University (MSU) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), respectively.

The Carolinian team went against the De La Salle University Economics Organization during the finals where they ended up as the 1st runner-up. They argued on the motion of decongesting the K to 12 Program into the MATATAG K to 10 Curriculum.

In 2022, the Carolinian Economics Society was declared champion of the JPES Motions in Motion debate tournament. The live-streamed debate can be viewed on the

With reporting from the Department of Economics

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Carolinian economics students are champions in debate tournament

universityofsancarlos — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 12:02:37 +0000

Students from the University of San Carlos Department of Economics were hailed as the overall champion in this year’s Junior Philippine Economics Society (JPES) National Economics Debate held virtually on November 14-16, 2022.

Darlyn Joy J. Ponce, Kristin Vera J. Caberte, and Jean Keandre C. Jimeno represented the Carolinian Economics Society. They debated on Motions in Motion, in line with the theme, “Advocates of Today, Leaders Learning for the Future.”

The Carolinian team bested all other debate teams. Courtesy of the Junior Philippine Economics Society.

The economics students emerged victorious against all other debate teams from various universities across the country including the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), and University of St. La Salle (USLS). The debate was set in an Asian parliamentary format where each team was composed of three students.

During the first round, the �� economics students took the opposition side against the team from USLS on instituting educational qualifications for presidential candidates. In the semi-finals, the Carolinian contingent faced PUP on the motion about foreign ownership of renewable energy projects in the country. In the final round, �� won against the UPLB team after they debated on the recently passed SIM Card Registration Act.

Aside from being declared the overall champion, Caberte was also awarded as the best speaker.

JPES is a national confederation of undergraduate economics organizations and is recognized as the junior arm of the Philippine Economics Society, which is the professional association of economics graduates in the country. Meanwhile, the Motions in Motion is an annual event that aims to promote a culture of debate among economics undergraduate students on relevant issues in the field.

The live-streamed debate can be viewed on the Facebook page of the Junior Philippine Economics Society: .

Reported by Ken Boltiador

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Econ Society organizes Visayas confab on TRAIN law impact

universityofsancarlos — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The Carolinian Economics Society (CarES) of the Department of Economics, School of Business and Economics organized the Visayas Economic Conference last February 21-22, 2019 with the theme, “TRAIN law: Transforming Revenue, Advancing Infrastructure for the Nation” held at the Gansewinkel Hall of the University of San Carlos Downtown Campus.

Economics quiz bowl and position paper competitions were held during the first day to provide an academic venue for senior high school students to show their knowledge and aptitude on economic principles and how they can apply these principles in analyzing issues of national interest. Participating schools included the University of San Carlos, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, St. Scholastica’s Academy, Sotero B. Cabahug FORUM for Literacy, PAREF Southcrest School, Inc., and the Philippine Science High School (PSHS)-Central Visayas Campus.

Both teams from PSHS placed 1st and 2nd in the quiz bowl competition while the team from �� bagged third place. Members of the winning team were Ereca Joy Debalucos, Pearl Merguerrette Arizo, and Gregory William Joseph Liu, accompanied by their coach, Ruby Cres Gayda. For the position paper competition, Juliana Marie Galbizo from PSHS won 1st place while Kirk Lance Quizon from Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and John David Reyes from �� won second and third place, respectively.

On the second day, an economic conference was organized to discuss implications of the TRAIN law with speakers from the Department of Finance (DOF), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Bureau of Internal Revenue Region 7 (BIR 7), and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (CCCI).

Arnelyn Mitch Abdon, the Director of Fiscal Economics Research Office of DOF, provided an overview of the TRAIN law, highlighting the inflationary effects of the law. Despite its effect on the price level, the law only accounted for a relatively small fraction of the overall increase in prices for 2018.

Meanwhile, Dr. Francisco Dakila, the Assistant Governor of BSP, focused on the impact of TRAIN law on the Philippine economy. According to Dr. Dakila, the current deficit in the country’s balance of payment is necessary for growth. The current account could be in deficit if total investment is greater than total savings. This deficit, however, must be financed domestically, which warranted the implementation of TRAIN law as an important source of revenue for the government’s spending.

In the afternoon session, Jasmine Espinosa and Atty. Jose Hector Baranda from BIR Regional Office 7 discussed the implementing rules and regulations of TRAIN law and provided the latest updates of the tax reform.

Lastly, Consul Antonio Chiu of CCCI talked about the impact of new tax law on the business sector of Cebu. Open fora were held at the end of both morning and afternoon sessions and were moderated by Francisco Largo of the Department of Economics.

The conference concluded with the announcement of winners for the economics quiz bowl and position paper competitions.

by Jan Lorenzo Alegado, Department of Economics

Tags: Economics, Events

Econ stude returns from Harvard confab

universityofsancarlos — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Minerva poses at Harvard Yard.

Marionne Minerva, a third-year B.S. Economics-Business student represented the University of San Carlos and the Philippines in the Business and World Economy Track of the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) Harvard Conference 2018 held at Harvard University, Cambridge, U.S.A. last February 16-19, 2018.

The conference gathered 300 students of the highest caliber from over 40 countries.

The HPAIR Harvard 2018 conference theme was “Innovation” and was highlighted by plenary sessions, panels, keynotes, an international night, HPAIRx, impact challenge case study competition, and entertainment night. These activities provided a dynamic forum for discussion on vital international issues, fostered long-term relationships among young leaders, and connected talented delegates with some of today’s leaders.

Minerva with her group in the Impact Challenge Case Study Competition.

Keynote speakers include Rik Geiersbach (Vice President, Strategy, Defense, Space and Security, Boeing), Jon Liechty (Vice President, Operations, Starbucks Asia Pacific), Michael Eckhart (Managing Director, Citigroup), Mitchell Dong (Managing Director, Pythagoras Investment Management), and Caitlin Iles (Partner, Capital xx).

HPAIR is an internationally recognized student-run organization at Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Since 1991, it has continuously gathered a growing pool of international students from top universities, renowned academics, business professionals, and political leaders to engage in educational events.

Follow an earlier story of Minerva here.

Tags: Economics

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Econ student is selected to HPAIR 2018

universityofsancarlos — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Marionne Lois L. Minerva, a 3rd year B.S. Economics-Business student, has been selected to participate in the Business and World Economy Track of the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR 2018) Harvard Conference on February 16-19, 2018 at Harvard University, Boston, U.S.A.

Marionne Lois L. Minerva

There are two HPAIR Conferences every year, one at Harvard in February and another in an Asian country in August. HPAIR is an internationally recognized student-run organization at Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Since 1991, it has continuously gathered a growing pool of international students from top universities, renowned academics, business professionals, and political leaders to engage in educational events. Its goals are to provide a dynamic forum for discussion on international issues vital to Asia, to foster long-term relationships among young leaders, and to connect talented delegates with some of today’s leaders.

Past speakers at the conferences include former President of the Republic of Korea and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kim Dae-Jung, Governor General of Australia Peter Hollingworth, Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, President of Singapore S. R. Nathan, former United States Ambassador to Japan John Thomas Schieffer, and former President of Goldman Sachs Philip Murphy.

Minerva went through a rigorous selection process before getting accepted to participate in the HPAIR Conference. She has consistently made the Dean’s List, is an Emerging Leader (2017) awardee, and is a student ambassador for the University’s Office of External Affairs. She is also currently the Vice President for External Affairs of the Carolinian Economics Society and Assistant Secretary of the School of Business and Economics (Student) Council. Outside of the University, Minerva is an ambassador of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) and Obama Foundation, was a delegate of the 2016 Association of Southeast and East Asian Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASEACCU) meeting in Broome, Australia, and a delegate of the 2017 UNESCO International Assembly of Youth in Manila.