H.E. Professor Dr Ernesto M. Pernia is the secretary of socioeconomic planning at the National Economic and Development Authority, Philippines. He is also professor emeritus of economics, having served as professor and chairman at the University of the Philippines.
He has nearly two decades’ worth of work experience at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). His experience there covered investment climate and productivity, economic growth and poverty reduction, education and health, human resource development, and regional economic cooperation in Asia.
He served as a regional adviser on population and employment policy for Asia and the Pacific with the International Labour Organization. He is also on the board of a number of NGOs involved in education and health concerns, population and development, and care of street children.
He received the first award as Outstanding Young Scientist (economics and social sciences) from the National Academy of Science and Technology. He was also selected by the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering for the 2015 Science Lectureship Award.
He is a prolific writer, having authored a number of books and journal articles. He obtained his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, on a Ford Foundation scholarship and a Smithsonian Institution dissertation grant.
