The automotive industry is a highly competitive and technology-intensive industry. It requires large economies of scale and high degree of specialization in parts and components manufacturing. The relatively small size of the domestic market is made worse by the entry of smuggled used vehicles. This Policy Notes analyzes the exacerbating issue of auto smuggling in the country. It shows the murky policy environment that has hampered efforts to address it and examines the extent of its negative impacts on government revenues and in our bid to develop a globally competitive auto industry.

The poor, in general, have lower levels of education because they tend to prioritize their daily basic needs and put lower investment in education. Local studies on poverty correlates note that members of poor households more likely have lower levels of education. This Notes intends to raise understanding on the impacts of low education on the employment outcomes of the poor. It analyzes the profile of the working poor based on data from the Labor Force Survey and Annual Poverty Indicators Survey of the National Statistics Office and looks at possible interventions that can promote inclusive growth.

The Philippines has finally reached "investment grade" status. What does this mean for the government, the economy, and business? More importantly, what is in store for the ordinary Filipino struggling to make a living? In a nutshell, credit ratings represent assessments by credit rating agencies on the risk that a borrower (in our case, a sovereign nation, the Republic of the Philippines) would default on its debts. Governments and firms need to get a credit rating to raise funds from bonds, and ratings influence borrowing costs.