ADB chief economist cites need to expand digital platforms in PH ADB chief economist Yasuyuki Sawada Dr. Yasuyuki Sawada, chief economist and director-general for the economic research and regional cooperation department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), highlighted this during a recent webinar organized by ADB and state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). Sawada, citing ADB’s 2021 Asian Economic Integration Report, noted that “if digital sectors expand by 20 percent from the year 2020, global output will rise by $4.3 trillion annually and Asia’s output will increase to $1.7 trillion annually for the next five years.” Based on ADB’s estimates, an expansion of 20 percent in the Philippine digital sector from the 2020 baseline by 2025 could result in an additional output of $37.6 billion and create 2.2 million new jobs a year.