University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Economics and Management

The College of Economics and Management (CEM) is one of the eleven degree-granting units of the University of the Philippines Los Baños. It is the first in Asia to offer degree programs in Agricultural Economics and has trained agricultural, resource and environmental economists from all over the continent. CEM is composed of four departments - the Department of Agricultural Economics, Department of Economics, Department of Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship, and the Institute of Cooperatives and Bio-Enterprise Development (ICOPED). Also affiliated with the college is the Agribusiness Center for Entrepreneurs and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Center for Technology Exchange and Training for Small and Medium Enterprises (ACTETSME). History The College traces its roots from the Institute of Agricultural Development and Administration under the College of Agriculture in 1975 with three Departments - Agricultural Economics, Economics, and Management. It later became the College of Development Economics and Management which merged IADA with the Agricultural Credit and Cooperative Studies and the Agrarian Reform Institute in 1978. Department of Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (DAME) The first undergraduate program in Agribusiness was established at the UP College of Agriculture in Los Baños, Philippines as Bachelor of Science in Agriculture major in Agribusiness in 1966. The program was initially a joint undertaking with the UP College of Business Administration in Diliman, Quezon City until 1975. In 1969, a seminar titled "Advanced Agribusiness Management" was held in Manila which led to Jose D. Drilon publishing the book "Agribusiness Management Resource Materials," the foundation of current agribusiness programs around the world. Drilon further expanded the concept of agribusiness to include coordinators for agribusiness structure and policy such as governments and research institutions in his 1971 book. Goldberg meanwhile added other coordinators such as schools, financial institutions, and cooperatives. D.K. Desai (1973) attempted to integrate all the entities and sectors within agribusiness and called it the Agribusiness System. In 1975, the newly created Institute of Agricultural Development and Administration (now CEM) assumed sole administration of the program. The program was officially recognized as B.S. in Agricultural Business in 1978. In June 1983, the program was renamed B.S. in Agribusiness Management then in 2017 B.S. in Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship. Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics (DAAE) The field of agricultural economics in the Philippines developed alongside the expansion of agricultural education during the American colonial period. In 1919, the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture established the Department of Rural Economics (DRE), regarded in institutional histories as among the earliest formal agricultural economics units in Asia. The department was renamed the Department of Agricultural Economics in 1936 and later became the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics (DAAE) in 2015, to open the broader application of economic analysis to agriculture, rural development, natural resources, environmental issues, and public policy. Within the University of the Philippines Los Baños, agricultural economics became one of the foundational disciplines of the College of Economics and Management. The discipline contributed to the development of related academic fields in agribusiness management, cooperative management, and economics, as well as graduate instruction, research, and extension programs focused on agricultural and rural development. Over time, the expansion of the field corresponded with broader trends in quantitative analysis, interdisciplinary research, and international collaboration in agricultural and applied economics. Department of Economics (DE) The Bachelor of Science in Economics (BS Economics) program of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) is a four-year undergraduate degree under the College of Economics and Management. It requires 135 academic units and includes general education courses, core economics courses, specialization courses, and research requirements such as a seminar and thesis. The curriculum begins with introductory and intermediate courses in economics, mathematics, and statistics. Early subjects include General Economics (ECON 11), Intermediate Microeconomics (ECON 102), Intermediate Macroeconomics (ECON 101), Statistical Methods (STAT 101), and Mathematical Economics (ECON 130). General education courses include subjects in communication, history, arts, science, ethics, and physical education. In higher years, students take more advanced and applied economics subjects such as Introduction to Econometrics (ECON 137), Intermediate Econometrics (ECON 138), Growth Theory and Open Economy Macroeconomics (ECON 103), Factor Market Analysis and Welfare Economics (ECON 104), Money and Banking (ECON 121), International Economics (ECON 141), Public Economics (ECON 151), Philippine Economic History (ECON 115), and Benefit Cost Analysis (ECON 175). Students are also required to complete an undergraduate seminar (ECON 199) and undergraduate thesis (ECON 200). Students select one specialization: Development Economics or Environmental Economics. Development Economics focuses on economic growth, poverty, inequality, and development policy. Environmental Economics focuses on environmental issues, natural resources, and related economic analysis. Both tracks include elective courses in specialized areas of economics. The BS Economics program of UPLB is part of the University of the Philippines system and the only program in CEM to receive the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) certification. Faculty (selected) Corazon Aragon (PhD University of Hawaii) Jefferson Arapoc (PhD University of Newcastle, Australia) Emmanuel Genesis Andal (PhD University of Reading) Ma. Laarni Revilla (PhD National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies) Joseph V. Balagtas (PhD Purdue; Visiting Professor) Agnes Banzon (PhD Monash University) Arlene Gutierrez (MBA Asian Institute of Management) Amelia Bello (MA University of Hawaii) Jose DV. Camacho (PhD Kyoto University) Gideon Carnaje (PhD UP Diliman) Ma. Angeles Catelo (PhD Nagoya University) Salvador Catelo (PhD Kyoto University) Achilles Costales (PhD UPLB) Agham Cuevas (PhD UP Diliman) Julieta A. Delos Reyes (MS UPLB) Dinah Pura T. Depositario (DBA De La Salle University Manila) Marilyn M. Elauria (MS Purdue) Danilo Evangelista (MS Australian National University) Herminia Francisco (PhD UPLB) Yolanda Garcia (PhD UPLB) Prudenciano Gordoncillo (PhD Victoria University of Technology) Cielito Habito (PhD Harvard; Professorial Lecturer) Romeo Huelgas (MA UP Diliman) Leodegario Ilag (PhD Purdue) Flordeliza Lantican (PhD Colorado State University) Cezar Brian Mamaril (PhD Virginia Tech) Alessando Manilay (MS Kansas State University) Paciencia Manuel (PhD University of Idaho) Camilo Opeña (PhD Ohio State University) Isabelita Pabuayon (PhD Kansas State University) Tirso Paris (PhD Michigan State University) Ma. Eden Piadozo (PhD Tokyo University of Agriculture) Cesar Quicoy (PhD UPLB) Roberto Rañola, Jr. (PhD University of Minnesota) Corazon Rapera (PhD Virginia Tech) U-Primo Rodriguez (MA Australian National University) Asa Jose Sajise (PhD University of California, Berkeley) Reynaldo Tan (PhD University of Tsukuba) Arvin Vista (PhD Oregon State University) Jose Yorobe (PhD UPLB) Antonio Jesus Quilloy (PhD UPLB) Bates Bathan (PhD Kasetsart University) Ruby Jane Estadilla (MS National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo, Japan) Reymond Denver Buenaseda (MS Kasetsart University) Degree programs BS Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship Majors: Agribusiness Entrepreneurship, Agribusiness Management BS Agricultural and Applied EconomicsMajors: Production Economics and Farm Management, Agricultural Marketing and Price Analysis, Rural Finance and Cooperatives, Food and Nutrition Economics, and Natural Resource Economics BS EconomicsMajors: Development Economics, Environmental Economics MS EconomicsMajors: Economics of Development, Quantitative Economics Master of ManagementMajors: Agribusiness Management, Business Management PhD Agricultural Economics Majors: Production Economics and Farm Management, Marketing and Price Analysis, Policy and Development, Natural Resource Economics, Agricultural Finance and Cooperatives Notable People Jikun Huang (PhD) - Director, Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy Linxiu Zhang (PhD) - Director, Stanford Rural Education Action Project and Deputy Director, Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy William Meyers (MS) - Professor, University of Missouri and director, Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute Maria (Sergy) Floro (Former faculty) - Professor at American University PA Samaratunga (PhD) - Head (Agricultural Economics), Sri Lanka Institute of Policy Studies Jonna P. Estudillo (BS, MS) - Professor, Graduate Research Institute of Policy Studies (Japan) Joseph Salvacruz (BS) - Professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School Cielito Habito (BS/Faculty) - Former Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning and Director General of National Economic and Development Authority Arsenio Balisacan (MS) - Current secretary of Socio-Economic Planning and Director General of National Economic and Development Authority; Dean of UP School of Economics in Diliman Migz Zubiri (BS) - Senator, 14th (2007–2010), 15th (2010–2011) and 17th Congress of the Philippines (2016–present) Carlito Añonuevo (Former faculty) - former president of Action For Economic Reforms Keb Cuevas (BS) - Environmentalist and former Rappler journalist Manuel Candelaria Bautista (BS Economics – did not graduate) – Filipino student leader, campus journalist, and activist at the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (now UP Los Baños); former student council representative and underground press organizer during the Marcos dictatorship Isidro Ungab (BS) - Member of the Philippine House of Representatives, Davao City 3rd District (2007–2016, 2019–present); former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (2020–2022, 2022–2023); former Davao City councilor (1995–2004) Jerrold Tarog (BS Agribusiness Management - did not complete) - Filipino film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and composer; known for Heneral Luna (2015), Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018), and Bliss (2017) Maria Valentina Plaza (BS) - Former Governor of Agusan del Sur (2007–2010) and Member of the House of Representatives for Agusan del Sur’s 1st District (2010–2019); Filipino politician from a prominent political family in Agusan del Sur Jose V. Camacho Jr. (BS) - Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Los Baños References College of Economics and Management website