PIDS is a non-stock, non-profit government institution engaged in long-term policy-oriented research to assist the government in planning and policy formulation. It serves the Filipino people by conducting rigorous analysis of development issues and providing policy advice to government and legislators in pursuit of sustained and inclusive growth. It maintains its independence as a policy think-tank through its Board of Trustees and open dissemination of research outputs to the public. It also maintains a Socio-Economic Research Portal, an online repository of completed, on-going and pipeline research on economic development and policymaking, that links various socio-economic studies implemented by various research institutions, government agencies and academe. The current Policy Research Agenda has the following research themes:
1. Economic Policy Choices: Macroeconomic policies, fiscal issues, trade, industry, labor, agriculture, land and agrarian reform, regulatory structures, environment, labor markets, competition policy;
2. Policies for Sustainable Human Development: social protection, education, health policies;
3. Institutional Development and Good Governance: political economy, institutions.