Dr. Cielito F. Habito

Professor of Economics, Ateneo de Manila University
Former Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning of the Philippines and Head of the Philippine National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
SEARCA Senior Fellow and ARD2014 Technical Adviser and Coordinator
cfhabito@gmail.com

Cielito F. Habito is Professor of Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he served as Director of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development for 11 years. Currently, he heads the USAID Trade-Related Assistance for Development (TRADE) Project. He has served on the boards of various private companies and foundations, and is Chairman of Brain Trust Inc. and Operation Compassion Philippines. He also writes the award-winning weekly column “No Free Lunch” in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. As former Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning and head of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), he served as the country’s chief economic planner in the Cabinet of President Fidel V. Ramos in 1992-1998. He has continued to help guide policy directions of the government of the Philippines and other Asia- Pacific countries in agricultural policy, regional development and sustainable development through work with various multilateral and bilateral development partners. He holds a PhD. and Master of Arts in Economics from Harvard University, Master of Economics from the University of New England in Australia, and Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics, Summa cum Laude from the University of the Philippines.

Plenary 1: Strengthening Resilience, Equity, and Integration in ASEAN Food and Agriculture Systems