Justin Brownlee has made a career out of rescuing Gilas Pilipinas from impossible situations. Against New Zealand's Tall Blacks, however, the script remains frustratingly familiar.

Foreign business groups welcomed the Philippines' elevation to upper middle-income economy status as a strong endorsement of the country's economic progress, while urging the government to accelerate reforms needed to convert the milestone into sustained investment and long-term growth.

Merienda just got a little more tempting.