The Philippines has emerged as ASEAN’s top tourism economy, leading the region in tourism’s contribution to gross domestic product and ranking among the strongest job creators, according to the 2025 World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Economic Impact Report.
The Philippine economy ended 2025 on a softer note, with gross domestic product growing 3.0 percent year on year in the fourth quarter, bringing full-year growth to 4.4 percent, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. The figures point to an economy that is still expanding—but unevenly, with clear winners and laggards.
The Philippine economy grew slightly less than initially reported in the third quarter of 2025, after official data revisions shaved a tenth of a percentage point off headline growth.
The value of Philippine agricultural output rose to P1.77 trillion in 2025, up 2.6 percent from a year earlier—a solid showing that would have been stronger were it not for weather-related disruptions in the final quarter, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s anti-corruption blitz in flood-control and public-works agencies was meant to clean house. Instead, it is triggering political, economic, and social tremors that now overshadow its stated purpose. The irony is hard to ignore: a campaign launched to restore trust is increasingly viewed as deepening uncertainty.
The United Kingdom’s move to ease trade rules under its Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) is set to boost Philippine export competitiveness while strengthening the country’s push to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, according to British Ambassador Sarah Hulton.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved a one-month extension for the filing of 2025 Annual Income Tax Returns (AITRs), moving the deadline from April 15 to May 15, 2026, in a bid to ease compliance and give taxpayers more preparation time.
In a first-time clash at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, a WTA 500 event, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez showcased experience and firepower to outplay Philippine rising star Alex Eala, 6-1, 6-4, in a match that doubled as a crash course on clay-court tennis.
The Maynilad Water Services Inc. is stepping up efforts to expand its “New Water” program to ensure a more reliable and climate-resilient water supply.