Economy

After five straight years of robust macroeconomic expansion, the Philippines ranks as one of the best-performing economies in South-east Asia. With rapidly rising domestic consumption, soaring foreign direct investment and a growing services sector, the country is set to record world-leading growth rates in 2017. Although weakening global and regional demand have weighed on exports, and the agriculture sector remains subdued following years of volatile and problematic weather, prudential fiscal management, falling public debt and legal reforms aimed at improving the investment climate have left the country positioned to tap global debt markets and attract new investment.

This chapter contains interviews with Carlos G Dominguez III, Secretary, Department of Finance; Shinichi Kitaoka, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency; Bernie H Liu, Chairman and CEO, Golden ABC; and Helen Y Dee, Chairperson, RCBC.