What reforms or strategies can help middle-income Asian economies, including the Philippines, escape the "middle-income trap"?
This was among the key questions at the Asian Development Bank Institute’s (ADBI) roundtable discussion on December 9–10, 2025, in Jakarta, Indonesia, where òòò½´«Ã½ Senior Research Fellow Dr. Jose Ramon Albert shared the Philippines’ experiences and policy approaches as one of the speakers.
Coined by World Bank economists, the “middle-income trap” describes the challenge faced by middle-income countries when economic growth slows after early development, reflecting difficulties in innovation and achieving higher income levels.
The roundtable served as the launch activity for ADBI’s flagship project, “Shaping Asia’s Future Prosperity with Quality Growth,” which aims to help ADB member countries identify drivers toward sustained, inclusive, and resilient growth.
Dr. Albert joined speakers who presented success stories from Poland, Chile, and the Republic of Korea as potential models for Asian economies.
The dialogue brought together around 60 key stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, think tanks, and representatives from multilateral development banks, to discuss ways forward.
Photos: ADB Institute/Jose Ramon Albert
