DESIGNERS OF DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS

OUR EXPERTISE

Planning

BTI develops strategic socio-economic, sectoral, sustainability, corporate, and business plans using diverse tools.

Policy and program Review, Evaluation and Advocacy

BTI conducts policy and program reviews using quantitative and qualitative tools.

Economic Modeling, Futures Thinking and Capacity Building

BTI develops innovative economic models supported by futures thinking and scenario-building.

Social Development and Protection

BTI undertakes social development and protection initiatives, providing assessments and recommendations across programs.

Promoting Investments, Productivity and Competitiveness

BTI supports investments, productivity, and competitiveness through research and technical assistance.

Monitoring and Evaluation

BTI delivers monitoring and evaluation services through system reviews and program assessments.

ABOUT US

We ENVISION to

be an organization of sustainable development professionals that is acknowledged and respected for the impeccable quality, practical applications and innovativeness of its products and services.

We strive to

generate innovative and integrative pedagogies and processes that will catalyze interfaces between and across various disciplines, social groups and local and international arenas in planning, policy-making, implementation, monitoring and assessment of sustainable development interventions.

We AIM to

be instrumental in the attainment of inclusive societies and economies that are climate change resilient, culture sensitive, politically & socially empowered, and efficient and sustainable in harnessing resources toward shared prosperity.

THE FOUNDERS

Dr. Habito was Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning and Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority in the Cabinet of President Fidel V. Ramos in 1992-1998. He served as Professor of Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University in 2001-2024, writes the weekly op-ed column “No Free Lunch” in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and is an Independent Director in the boards of several major corporations.

Ms. Antonio is a veteran policy practitioner who has led decades of interdisciplinary work on policy, planning, and development practice in the Philippines. A licensed Environmental Planner, her career began at the National Economic and Development Authority and spans over four decades across governance and sustainable development. She is actively engaged in NGO work, including as President of Earth Council Asia-Pacific and Vice President of EARTH Institute Asia.

Mr. Tan is a passionate environmentalist whose career has been marked by active involvement in governance and advisory roles in various institutions. As two-term President/CEO of Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines in its early years, he steered the organization into prominence and remains in its National Advisory Council. He is also a Trustee of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, and Board Director in PHINMA Education (Laguna Schools), and the Elena P. Tan Foundation.

Dr. Briones is a well-known economist with extensive experience in policy evaluation, modeling, and econometrics. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, and has published widely on the economics of agriculture and natural resources, food security, irrigation policy, rural development, international trade, and the macro economy. He has been tapped by international development institutions to advise the governments of Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, and various ASEAN bodies.

Mr. Lazatin is Executive Director of Transparency and Accountability Network, a network of 34 civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations and academic and research institutions focusing on transparency and accountability in governance. He has been with the Network since March 2001.

Mr. Songco held leadership positions in civil society organizations and government agencies and received awards for public service. He consults for the World Bank, ADB, IFAD, among others, on value chain development, farmers’ entrepreneurship, and rural finance, among other topics. He is currently an adjunct faculty member of the Asian Institute of Management.

Ms. Pastor-Roces is the most senior Filipino curator, having led the research for the establishment of many major Philippine museums, each built on a scholarly synthesis of relevant updated social science and natural history. She has also pioneered the integration of cultural studies in policy work in the fields of economics and the environment. She curated Philippine pavilions in four World Expos, which have won awards and popular acclaim (e.g. Grand Prix for Best Designed Pavilion).

Ms. Lagarde has a distinguished public service career on environment and sustainable development – from teaching at the UP Los Baños, development planning at the National Economic and Development Authority, drafting intergovernmental agreements and action plans at the UN Secretariat in New York, to coordinating environmental programs at the Ministry of the Environment of Canada. Her current interest lies in the intersection of art/humanities and communication advocacy for mainstreaming environment in development decision-making.

Dr. Malayang is an academic scholar and practitioner of environmental policy and governance specializing in environmental science, marine and fisheries governance, forest policy and security, environmental diplomacy and negotiations, biodiversity policy and programs, and environmental security. Research focuses on the institutional and political dimensions of environmental governance, including science diplomacy, the blue economy, and the role of environmental policy in development and national security contexts.

The late Mr. Taguiwalo (1951-2012) was Undersecretary of Health in the administration of President Corazon Aquino, and his analytical skills were also harnessed in non-health concerns, including peace strategies and civil service reforms. Beyond his government service, he continued promoting good governance in various roles, including as head of the think tank National Institute for Policy Studies, and was adviser in the Noynoy Aquino campaign in 2009-2010.

OUR CLIENTS

PROJECTS

Assessment on the Certification and Enhancement of ATI Learning Sites for Agriculture (LSA)

BTI evaluated the LSA Program of Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in terms of design, implementation, and results. Key components of the study were a nationwide survey of 398 LSA owners/operators and consultations in 6 regions, namely Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Western and Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and CARAGA. It sought to determine the program’s effectiveness and extent of achievement of its objectives.

Creation of the Regional Econometric Model (REM)

BTI created a model capable of generating macroeconomic outcomes for regional production, expenditures, prices and employment. The first of its kind in the Philippines, the equations for each regional model were based on macroeconomic theory and existing macro econometric models in the Philippines and beyond.

Agglomeration Model for Mindanao Regions

BTI constructed a regional Computable General Equilibrium Model for Mindanao (CGEMM) and the rest of the Philippines, incorporating agglomeration economies, to support the Mindanao Spatial Strategy Development Framework. This model is first of its kind developed for the Philippines.

Food Security and Nutrition Strategic Review for Philippines

This conducted an independent, analytical and consultative exercise that determined Philippine actions to achieve Sustainable Development Goal #2, i.e. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. It employed participatory and analytical tools, e.g. scenario analysis using the Agricultural Multi-Market Model for Policy Evaluation (AMPLE).

Directors' Corner

White Paper

A White Paper by Brain Trust, Inc. (BTI) on critical actions the Philippine Government and the Filipino people must take in he next ten years to ensure and secure the future of our country and its people in the midst of the rising intensity, expanding breadth, and escalating threats of Global Climate Change.

Articles

Full papers/articles authored or co-authored by our Directors

Publications

Published work arising from BTI reports/ engagements or Directors' scholarly work

BTI Notebook

Short musings or opinion/feature pieces written by our Directors, whether previously published or unpublished.