Alexander C. Escucha

Alex is the president of IDEA (Institute for Economic Development and Econometric Analysis). He is also the chairman of the board of trustees of the University of the Philippines Visayas Foundation and a Fellow of the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), which advocates for market-oriented reforms. He is also a member of the Shareholders Association of the Philippines (SharePhil) which advocates for the protection of shareholder (especially minority) rights. 

He served as president of the Philippine Economic Society (PES) in 2005, and concurrently as chairman of the Federation of ASEAN Economic Associations (FAEA).  He has also served as the president of the Corporate Planning Society of the Philippines (CPSP) and the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP). 

He retired in December 2021 after 42 years in banking and finance, the last 27.5 years of which were with China Banking Corporation. He was a director of subsidiary China Bank Savings. He was responsible for and involved in key functions such as strategic planning, economic research, product and business development, and technology, among others.  

As head of investor relations, he was dealing with local and foreign investors as well as credit rating agencies (Moody’s, Fitch Ratings, Standard and Poor’s). He was corporate information officer as the primary representative to the local stock exchange and, as communications officer, served as the official spokesperson dealing with the media. He also served as the chief sustainability officer overseeing governance and ESG initiatives beyond compliance towards best practices. 

Alex played a crucial role in developing the governance framework of China Bank, which led to top awards for best governance practices on the Philippine Stock Exchange (Bell Awards) and the ASEAN Governance Scorecards (ACGS).  

Alex currently writes a column for the Business World publication, covering economic development issues, financial markets and banking. In addition, he is focusing on key aspects of the Philippine Development Plan such as malnutrition, early education and the empowerment of LGUs (local government units.)  

Alex is a product of the Philippine public school system, finishing his elementary and high school education in his hometown of Cabatuan, Iloilo, Philippines. He obtained his AB Economics degree, cum laude, from the University of the Philippines School of Economics under a scholarship program for “poor but deserving students” and won the Gerardo Sicat award for most outstanding undergraduate thesis.