Humans working together with machines may still seem unusual these days, but that will not be the case in the coming years.

In today’s age of automation and disruptive technologies, also known as the “Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe)”, new technologies are expected to emerge. Aside from robotics, the world is beginning to see innovations in the field of artificial intelligence, genetics, nanotechnology, biotechnology, internet of things, and 3D printing. All of these are expected to improve the quality of people’s lives.

Every September, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) holds the Annual Public Policy Conference (APPC) as the main and culminating activity of the Development Policy Research Month (DPRM), a nationwide celebration to promote the importance of policy research in the formulation of policies, programs, and projects in government.

The APPC aims to gather experts and researchers in the social sciences to discuss and recommend policies on current and emerging issues that need the attention of policymakers.

Technological breakthroughs, such as advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, internet of things, 3D printing, blockchain, and big data analytics, have ushered in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe). These technologies are expected to alter the patterns of production, consumption, and employment, creating both opportunities and risks.

The Duterte administration’s proposal to shift to a federal system demands a bold response and clear action from organizations and individuals. On its part, PIDS dedicated the third APPC to initiate an informed and participatory discourse on the major issues surrounding federalism. Specifically, the APPC convened policy experts to discuss the political feasibility of federalism in the Philippines, the form and fiscal design of a federal government, as well as the implications of federalism given the country’s political, economic, social, and historical contexts.

For its second installment, PIDS repackaged the Annual Public Policy Conference (APPC) by organizing parallel sessions to discuss the conference theme “Risks, Shocks, Building Resilience”. The sessions delved on the issues affecting the resilience of the macroeconomic, agriculture, urban environment, and health sectors. The new format reflects the state think tank’s commitment to promote a systems approach in analyzing the impacts of risks and devising appropriate solutions to address them.