The Philippine Statistics Authority has issued and delivered a combined 40.9 million national identification cards, called PhilIDs, to registered persons nationwide, or short of the target set for 2022.
Economic growth across developing Asia and the Pacific will ease to 5 percent this year from 5.5 percent in 2025, then edge up to 5.1 percent in 2027, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported Wednesday. The 2026 forecast is a slight upgrade — 0.1 percentage points higher than the bank’s July outlook.
The Philippines’ breakthrough in free trade negotiations with the European Union could trigger fresh factory investments, technology transfers and export growth, business groups said, but warned that local firms must prepare for tougher competition and demanding EU standards.
The Philippines is pushing to wrap up trade negotiations with Canada and Japan by November, building on the substantial conclusion of its free trade agreement (FTA) talks with the European Union as Manila moves to widen market access amid global trade uncertainty.