Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, through Jhon Louie B Sabal, Assistant Professor of the Department of Economics, served as a plenary speaker at the Junior Philippine Economics Society (JPES) Mindanao Conference hosted by the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology Department of Economics on 30 March 2026.
Held onsite at Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology, the conference gathered over 400 economics students, faculty, and emerging policymakers from across Mindanao, serving as a platform for critical discussions on regional development, human capital, and structural transformation.
Sabal opened the plenary session with a presentation entitled “Understanding the Mindanao Economy: How All Six Regions Perform,” where he situated Mindanao within the broader structure of the Philippine economy. He examined its contribution to national output, growth dynamics, demographic scale, and persistent regional disparities across its six administrative regions.
He highlighted that Mindanao accounts for 16.7% of national output, placing it behind Luzon but slightly ahead of the Visayas. He further noted that recent growth patterns suggest both Mindanao and the Visayas have been expanding faster than Luzon, consistent with convergence dynamics in regional economics. Despite its scale and growth potential, he emphasized that Mindanao continues to experience the highest poverty incidence in the country, underscoring persistent structural challenges.
Sabal also underscored the uneven distribution of development within Mindanao, where economic activity remains concentrated in the Davao and Northern Mindanao regions. He stressed the importance of more deliberate spatial development strategies to ensure that investments, infrastructure, and opportunities are more evenly distributed across all six regions, while also noting emerging signs of convergence in sectors such as real estate and infrastructure.
Following Sabal’s lecture, Dr Jennet Mag-aso, faculty member of Agricultural Economics at the University of Southern Mindanao and PhD holder in Agricultural Economics from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, presented on “Transforming Mindanao’s Agri- Fisheries through Policy and Evidence.” She highlighted the role of data-driven policymaking in strengthening agricultural productivity, fisheries development, and rural resilience.
Next, Ructher M Lacaza, Supervising Legislative Staff Officer at the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) of the House of Representatives and MA Economics graduate of the University of the Philippines Diliman, discussed “Powering the People’s Economy through Health and Human Capital in Mindanao.” His talk emphasized the centrality of health systems, education, and human capital investment in building inclusive and sustainable regional growth.
The final plenary was delivered by Harvey M Niere, MA Economics graduate of the University of the Philippines Diliman, who spoke on “The Intersection of Economics and Peace in Mindanao.” He examined how economic development and peacebuilding are deeply interconnected, particularly in regions with long-standing social and institutional challenges.
Sabal, who is currently a PhD Economics candidate at Ateneo de Manila University where he also earned his Master’s degree in Economics, is recognized for his work on regional development, poverty analysis, and applied economic research in Mindanao.
Through this engagement, Xavier Ateneo reaffirms its commitment to advancing evidence- based policy discourse and strengthening regional development conversations, particularly on inclusive growth, human capital formation, and Mindanao’s long-term structural transformation.
