Category: Philippines

Philippine Leadership in Danger of Using Up Political Capital

The Philippines has performed well in the past few years relative to its peers. It demonstrated great resilience to exogenous shocks that would have undone less capable economies. However, will it be able to sustain its positive economic position?

There are positive signs. Revised forecasts put GDP growth in 2015 between 5.7–6 percent and forecasters expect a strong rebound in the coming year. The government has maintained an official forecast of 6–7 percent. It expects higher growth in 2016, even when the current administration ends its term of office in June.

What’s In Store for the Philippines Election Winner

The winner of the upcoming 2016 Philippine elections looks set to inherit an underwhelming legacy of lacklustre GDP growth and a shortage of infrastructure. Once again, government under-spending on projects, lower exports, outflow of portfolio investments and stagnant agricultural production has curbed growth. It was not all bad news though. The services sector, construction, manufacturing and consumption all contributed to growth, which will hopefully continue throughout 2016.

Philippine President Aquino’s Hits and Misses

President Benigno Aquino III completes his six-year term much less popular than when he began it. His approval rating has dropped from a high of 79 percent at the beginning of his term to 54 percent as of September 2015. So what explains his falling popularity?

The Rise of Filipino Federalism

Federalism is a buzzword in the Philippines these days. A former chief justice of the Supreme Court, Reynato Puno, recently launched a highly publicised national renewal movement, Bagong Sistema, Bagong Pag-asa (New System, New Hope), calling for a change in the 1987 Constitution through a constitutional convention. The target is to ratify a new constitution by 2018 and hold elections for a new government in May 2019.

How The Philippines’ Education System Makes the Grade

While the Philippines has had robust economic growth since 2010, even despite a weak global economy, it has had little progress in reducing income poverty. Recognising that growth processes leave out some segments of society, the Philippine government has made inclusive growth the cornerstone of its most recent Philippine Development Plan.

How the Philippines Ended Up in the Top 10 in Gender Equality

The Philippines ranked ninth out of 142 countries in terms of gender equality, according to the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2014. As one of the top 10 countries, the Philippines keeps company with high-income Nordic countries, such as Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Perhaps surprisingly, several low-income countries such as Nicaragua and Rwanda also made the top 10.

Mindanao Fighting Delaying Peace and Hopes for Political and Economic Stability

Recent events have reignited separatist conflict in the Philippines.

Maintaining the Philippines Economic Momentum

The Philippines never had it so good. But with a slowing global economy and an election coming up in 2016, what can it expect from the future?