Ria Zapanta

Ria Zapanta is the social protection and jobs consultant at the World Bank Group in the Philippines, serving as the lead data analyst to deliver various research and analytical outputs in the areas of poverty and labor. Ria’s major work includes the monitoring and evaluation of the country’s Conditional Cash Transfer program, the government’s flagship poverty alleviation program, and the design and analysis of the COVID-19 High-Frequency Surveys that monitor the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic across households. Her work ensures that key policymakers are aided with data-backed evidence to support their policy formulation and response. She believes in the power of data and technology and wants to leverage these assets to transform access and delivery of social assistance programs in developing countries, particularly in the Philippines.

Ria is pursuing her master’s degree from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.