Economy

This chapter contains facts for visitors, a list of recommended hotels, and a numbers listing for chambers of commerce, government offices, foreign missions and other important contacts. It also highlights suggested destinations throughout the archipelago for travelers to consider when visiting the Philippines.

The global BPO industry is forecast to be worth $250bn by 2020 and the Philippines is seeking to cement its position as a preferred global service offshoring hub and expand on and diversify its share in this lucrative, yet highly competitive field. Having grown at a compound annual growth rate of around 10% over the past decade, the BPO sector has become the country’s largest source of private...

After years of lagging behind its South-east Asian peers, the Philippines is seeing a long-awaited awakening of foreign direct investment (FDI). Although FDI volumes are still smaller than what countries in its peer group attract, the Philippines has been catching up at an impressive pace. Although many of the challenges that impeded investment in the past have yet to be fully overcome, the...

The Philippines has been a pioneer in decentralisation for Asia, having commenced its local governance reforms in 1991 through the formulation and implementation of the Local Government Code (LGC), which served as the operating framework for the local government system. The LGC seeks to increase local government autonomy and accountability by assigning functions and revenue generating powers...

The Philippine economy continues to enjoy a period of rapid, broad-based growth as the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector and growing remittances from overseas workers drive growth in consumer-oriented industries and construction. Although real growth decelerated in 2014 to 6.1%, it remained higher than many of the country’s South-east Asian peers, and is expected to remain near 6% for...

The Philippines’ abundant biodiversity, natural resources and youthful demographics are all assets that have garnered recognition from investors in recent years. Sustained economic growth and the Philippines’ newly attained investment grade status notwithstanding, the maintenance of peace in the Mindanao region and persistent poverty levels remain key areas to address as the country continues...