A WORLD BANK economist will share the role of doing both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews in determining solutions to development problems at a research event in Manila next month.
Economist Vijayendra “Biju” Rao will be among the four key resource persons in Halo-Halo 2: The Filipino Mixed Methods Fair slated in-person this July 10 and 11 at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
Rao is a lead economist of the World Bank’s Development Research Group at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. He had done mixed methods studies on social funds for community development, gender violence in rural areas, and democratic dialogues in rural communities.

Mixed methods is the research approach of doing both quantitative and qualitative research methods to yield broader understandings of phenomena being studied.
Rao is one of two economists speaking at Halo-Halo 2, the other being Edward Cartwright of De Montfort University in the United Kingdom.
Two former presidents of the Mixed Methods International Research Association (MMIRA) —Cheryl Poth of the University of Alberta in Canada, and Judith Schoonenboom of the University of Vienna in Austria— will also provide insights on certain aspects of mixed methods research.
The second edition of Halo-Halo: The Filipino Mixed Methods Fair builds on the achievements of the inaugural edition held last May 21-22, 2024 at the University of Santo Tomas. This year’s edition seeks to promote the use of mixed methods by showcasing its strengths as a research method in addressing various problems of the society from psychology to economics.

The fair is being organized by UST’s Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (RCSSED).
Participants from the different regions of the Philippines can avail of affordable registration fees to participate in Halo-Halo. Interested participants are also invited to submit research e-posters on recently finished and ongoing mixed methods projects for the event’s interactive sessions.
Interested participants can call UST’s RCSSED at rcssed@ust.edu.ph and halohalo.mixedmethods@gmail.com, through 02-87313535, and by searching the Facebook page “Halo-Halo: The Filipino Mixed Methods Fair.”
