Michael Barrios Batu is a Filipino-Canadian economist and Associate Professor of Economics at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada.[1] He is known for his public commentary on economic and policy issues in the Philippines and Canada.[2]
Batu earned his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Guelph, Canada, in 2015. He previously obtained an M.A. in Economics from the University of Guelph in 2010, and an Masters in Applied Economics from De La Salle University (Manila) in the Philippines in 2004. He holds a B.A. in Economics with Computer Applications with Academic Distinction from San Beda College, Philippines, which he completed in 2000.[1][2]
In 2019, Batu was an International Visiting Professor at the Centro de Aperfeiçoamento de Economistas do Nordeste (CAEN) at the Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC) in Fortaleza, Brazil, where he taught graduate-level courses on economic development.[6] He is currently an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of the Fraser Valley, teaching economics and conducting research.[7]
Maharlika Investment Fund
In 2022, Batu commented on the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), a sovereign wealth fund approved by the Philippine House of Representatives. Speaking during a Laging Handa public briefing, he said the bill lacked safeguards and transparency measures. Batu noted the absence of specified tenures for members of the Maharlika Investment Corporation (MIC) Board and raised concerns about governance and accountability. He also called for clearer provisions in the law on board member appointments, term lengths, and procedures for replacing members, as well as greater transparency in investment decisions and disclosure of the companies involved.[8]
In January 2023, Batu said that the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was a good venue for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to present the MIF. He added that the event allowed the Philippines to gauge international reception to the proposed sovereign wealth fund. Batu suggested that areas such as agriculture, digitalization, energy, and climate resiliency could be discussed, and that feedback from other countries could help refine the proposed legislation as it advanced to the Senate.[9]
Awards and Recognitions
2025: Batu is ranked among the top 5% of economists globally based on the number of RePEc downloads and abstract views.[10]
2014: Inaugural College of Business and Economics Graduate Teaching Assistant Teaching Excellence Award, University of Guelph.[11]
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