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.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday ordered the removal of excise taxes on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene, a move aimed at easing household expenses while maintaining support for domestic producers.
Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the Philippine economy is unlikely to slip into contraction this year despite mounting pressures from a fuel crisis, although growth is expected to fall short of earlier government targets.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is planning to extend the South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 4 (TR4) up to Matnog, Sorsogon by next year.