PH economy grows 6.8% in Q1

The Philippine economy grew 6.8 percent in the first quarter, below the government’s target range of 7-8 percent growth for the entire year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday.

The gross domestic product expansion during the first three months was nonetheless faster than the 6.4 percent in the first quarter of last year and the adjusted 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter.

Last year, the economy expanded by 6.7 percent – a slower pace than the 6.9 percent in 2016, which was an election year.                      /kga