JC Punongbayan

About

I am an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines School of Economics or UPSE. I was also a Visiting Fellow of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

I earned my PhD in Economics from UPSE in 2021, where I also graduated summa cum laude in 2009 (BS Economics) and received the José Encarnación Jr. Award for Excellence in Economics and the Gerardo P. Sicat Award for Best Undergraduate Thesis.

Before joining the UPSE faculty, I worked as an economist at the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission, a consultant at the World Bank office in Manila, the head executive assistant at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the research coordinator of the Far Eastern University Public Policy Center.

Apart from my academic work, I’m also a columnist for the online news site Rappler.com, and co-host of Usapang Econ Podcast (available on Spotify and other podcast platforms).

In 2023, my first book, False Nostalgia: The Marcos “Golden Age” Myths and How to Debunk Them, was published by Ateneo de Manila University Press. In 2024, it was awarded the Inkwell of Change Award by Paragala: The Central Luzon Media Awards. False Nostalgia is available at the Ateneo Press Bookstore, Fully Booked (select branches), and online on Lazada, Shopee, and Amazon.

In 2024, I was awarded The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award by JCI Philippines and the TOYM Foundation for my work in economics.

Research interests

Education economics
Macroeconomics
Development economics
Philippine economic history

Available for

Economic research consultancies
Macroeconomic briefings
Trainings on macroeconomics, microeconomics, causal inference, impact evaluation
Media interviews on economic issues