The Philippine Economy
The Economy of the Philippines is the 43rd largest in the world; according to 2011 World Bank statistics and it is also one of the emerging markets in the world; according to the CIA Fact book, the estimated 2011 GDP (purchasing power parity) was 391.1 billion. Goldman Sachs estimates that by the year 2050, it will be the 14th largest economy in the world; Goldman Sachs also included the Philippines in its list of the Next Eleven economies. HSBC projects the Philippine economy to become the 16th largest economy in the world, 5th largest economy in Asia and the largest economy in the South East Asian region by 2050.
Echoing softly across the 7,100 islands that form the Philippines archipelago, the lilting strains of the country’s national anthem seem to be a reminder of a volatile past. This indeed is a country where invaders trampled its sacred shores, imposing colonization for more than three centuries. Freedom since then has been a thorny crown to wear and the years of toil under colonial masters and then despotic power hungry leaders have marred these pristine islands. Asia’s only predominantly Christian country, the Philippines enjoys one of the highest literacy rates in the world, and it would seem that economic prosperity is its destiny. But then man plays a cruel hand where destiny cannot. It has been the curse of the Philippines that its leaders have shorn the country of its value. Will the nation rise again? Perhaps, gentle as the wind that swirls across the country, it already has.
The economy of the Philippines is an anomaly in the Asia-Pacific region in that it has lagged behind other economies, such as those of Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. From a position as one of the wealthiest countries in Asia after World War II, the Philippines is now one of the poorest. Since the 1970s, which were a relatively prosperous decade, the Philippines has failed to achieve a sustained period of rapid economic growth and has suffered from
Echoing softly across the 7,100 islands that form the Philippines archipelago, the lilting strains of the country’s national anthem seem to be a reminder of a volatile past. This indeed is a country where invaders trampled its sacred shores, imposing colonization for more than three centuries. Freedom since then has been a thorny crown to wear and the years of toil under colonial masters and then despotic power hungry leaders have marred these pristine islands. Asia’s only predominantly Christian country, the Philippines enjoys one of the highest literacy rates in the world, and it would seem that economic prosperity is its destiny. But then man plays a cruel hand where destiny cannot. It has been the curse of the Philippines that its leaders have shorn the country of its value. Will the nation rise again? Perhaps, gentle as the wind that swirls across the country, it already has.
The economy of the Philippines is an anomaly in the Asia-Pacific region in that it has lagged behind other economies, such as those of Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. From a position as one of the wealthiest countries in Asia after World War II, the Philippines is now one of the poorest. Since the 1970s, which were a relatively prosperous decade, the Philippines has failed to achieve a sustained period of rapid economic growth and has suffered from