Anchored in the theme “The Cost of Calamities: Unpacking the Economics of Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction in the Philippines,” ECONVERGENCE 2026 examines natural phenomena not only as environmental occurrences, but also economic events.
Every year, disasters return to the Philippines—bringing not only destruction, but deep
economic scars. Despite long-standing knowledge of the country’s vulnerability due to its
geographic location, disaster preparedness continues to lag. This results in the country being
trapped in the cycle of blindly rebuilding what these phenomena destroy, causing billions of
pesos to be wasted for constant rehabilitation activities.
This hard truth is the reality that the UPLB Economic Society’s ECONVERGENCE seeks
to confront for its 21st event iteration: Events that can make or break a country’s development
outcomes.
This premiere inter-high school economics convention will be held on January 17–18,
2026, at the NCAS Auditorium, University of the Philippines Los Baños, bringing together
students, ideas, and conversations on what it truly costs to remain unprepared.
With the participation of 16 high schools from across the Philippines, ECONVERGENCE
2026 places the youth in the center stage. The two-day event will provide a rich learning
environment through keynote talks, panel discussions, educational workshops, and interactive
activities. It also wants to empower young minds to engage more on various socio-economic
issues and realize that even at a young age, they can already help spark awareness, dialogue,
and action within their communities.