Philippine–Australian Comparative Dialogue on Policy and Governance

The Philippine-Australian Dialogue on Policy and Governance, co-convened by the Development Academy of the Philippines – GSPDM and the ANU Philippines Institute, will be held as a one-day hybrid symposium on 27 November 2025 in Ortigas, Pasig City. The Dialogue convenes senior policymakers, practitioners, and scholars from the Philippines and Australia to pursue evidence-driven learning across three umbrella themes that reflect governance challenges in both countries: 

• Session 1. Governing Major Projects: Readiness, Assurance, and Community Consent examines how political-economy and governance factors, including incentive structures, contractor networks, risks of capture, and community consent shape project readiness, delivery quality, and the potential for governance reform. 

• Session 2. Designing resilient social policies: Coverage, adequacy, and transfer mechanisms explores how mature (Australian) and emerging (Philippine) welfare systems balance benefit adequacy with fiscal sustainability and social inclusion, emphasizing design choices under resource constraints. 

• Session 3. From oversight to remediation: Building integrity ecosystems that work is treated as a cross-cutting integrity ecosystem, examining how oversight mechanisms such as audit, disclosure, and integrity and probing bodies translate findings into remediation, institutional learning and restore public trust.

Program 

09.00 to 10.30 - Ceremonial Opening Program 

• Welcome Remarks: Leocadio S. Sebastian, Ph.D., CESO I Acting President & CEO, Development Academy of the Philippines
• Message from the Australian Embassy: Moya Collett, Deputy Ambassador, Australian Embassy in the Philippines
• Institute Message: Björn Dressel, Ph.D., Director of the ANU Philippines Institute 
• Keynote Address: Arsenio M. Balisacan, Ph.D., Secretary, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development

10.30 to 12.00 - Session 1. Governing Major Projects: Readiness, Assurance, and Community Consent

• Academic and Practitioner Presentations: Joseph J. Capuno, Ph.D, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development; Ross Butler, World Bank; Sara Bice, Ph.D., ANU Crawford School of Public Policy; Eleazar E. Ricote, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center of the Philippines.
• Moderated Discussion, Open Forum, Q&A: Maria Lourdes G. Rebullida, DPA, DAP Graduate School of Public and Development Management

12.00 to 13.00 - Lunch Break

13.00 to 14.30 - Session 2. Designing resilient social policies: Coverage, adequacy, and transfer mechanisms

• Academic and Practitioner Presentations: Gemma B. Gabuya, Department of Social Welfare and Development; Maathumai Ranjan, ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS); Charlotte Justine Diokno-Sicat, Ph.D., Asian Development Bank; Peter Whiteford, Ph.D., ANU Crawford School of Public Policy
• Moderated Discussion, Open Forum, Q&A: Ben S. Malayang III, Ph.D., Silliman University

14.30 to 14.45 - Coffee and Health Break 

14.45 to 16.15 - Session 3. From oversight to remediation: Building integrity ecosystems that work

• Academic and Practitioner Presentations: Ernesto V. Perez, Anti-Red Tape Authority; Graeme Gunn, ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and Former UNODC; Alex B. Brillantes, Jr., Ph.D., UP National College of Public Administration and Governance; Grant Walton, Ph.D., ANU Crawford School of Public Policy;
• Moderated Discussion, Open Forum, Q&A: Gabrielle Lawrence, ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Closing Session: Building Sustainable Partnerships and Future Collaborations

• Dialogue Synthesis: Paul Hutchcroft, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs
• Closing Remarks: Lizan E. Perante-Calina, DPA, Dean, DAP Graduate School of Public and Development Management