ECONOMIC growth edged up in the first quarter (Q1), the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday, but was lower than expected and also fell short of the government's full-year target. At 5.4 percent, gross domestic product (GDP) growth was slightly higher than the 5.3 percent recorded in the last three months of 2024. It was lower than the 5.9 percent seen a year earlier, however, and missed the 6.0- to 8.0-percent goal for 2025. Analysts polled by The Manila Times expected a 5.8-percent result. The slower-than-expected expansion, along with below-target inflation, could prompt the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to continue low-ering key interest rates.   https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/05/09/business/top-business/q1-growth-below-expectations/2109356   (ICE SINGAPORE)

Fonte notizia: The Manila Times, 9 May 2025