THE President has appointed Ruperto Majuca, Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) senior research fellow, as the new assistant director general (ADG) for Planning and Policy of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda). 

Majuca has been with the state-owned think tank since August 2009. His research at PIDS include those related to macroeconomics, international financial and regional economics.

He has extensive knowledge in monetary economics, macroeconomics, mathematical and statistical techniques, and experience in monitoring of markets, among others.

“Headed by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano W. Paderanga Jr. as director general, Neda now has four deputy directors general [DDG] and three ADGs, one each for planning and policy, investment programming, regional development, and central support operations,” the Neda said in a statement. 

As ADG for planning and programming, Majuca will report to DDG for Planning Margarita Songco and Paderanga. He is the first ADG for Planning and Policy of the Neda since the position of ADG for the National Development Office (NDO), previously occupied by DDG for Investment Programming Rolando Tungpalan, has been removed. 

The Neda said Majuca finished his doctoral degree in economics as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics at the University of the Philippines.

Majuca was also awarded with a Second Honors Silver Medal by the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, where he finished his Juris Doctor degree in 1996. He ranked 27th in the bar examinations, ranking second in criminal and civil procedure.

Before joining PIDS, Majuca worked as assistant professor of Economics at the Weber State University in Utah from 2006 to 2009.

He also worked for SGV & Co. from 1996 to 1997 as a corporate and tax lawyer and at San Miguel Corp.’s Corporate Planning Division in 1998 as an economist.