The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) joins the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) and 19 other prominent institutions to establish the ASEAN+3 Finance Think-Tank Network (AFTN).
A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed in a virtual ceremony, marking the beginning of a collaborative effort to enhance joint research, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and policy development across the ASEAN+3 region.
The signatories of the MoC include prominent research and academic institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank Institute, Banking Academy of Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam’s Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies, Korea Development Institute, and the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences, among others. The AFTN has only two members from the Philippines: the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Research Academy and PIDS.
The AFTN aims to contribute to regional macroeconomic and financial resilience and stability of the ASEAN+3 region through dialogue, knowledge exchange, and mobilization of regional research resources. The network will serve as a platform for in-depth analyses and development of policy proposals to foster macroeconomic stability in the ASEAN+3 region.
PIDS President Aniceto Orbeta Jr. affirmed the Institute’s dedication to supporting regional stability and resilience through collaborative research and knowledge sharing.
“The AFTN’s establishment represents a significant milestone in regional cooperation, bringing together diverse expertise for the collective benefit of the ASEAN+3 community,” he emphasized.
In August, PIDS welcomed AMRO for its annual consultation visit to the Philippines. Initial discussions were made during the visit on exploring research collaboration through the Institute’s membership in the AFTN. ###
