BMI maintains PhI growth outlook for this year

Research and analysis firm BMI is sticking with its growth outlook for the Philippines for this year, but it expects the economy to expand at a slower pace next year amid uncertainties coming from the US reciprocal tariffs.

- LOUELLA DESIDERIO

"Despite the strongerthan-expected growth in the first half, we believe that growth will slow in the second semester and have thus maintained our GDP (gross domestic product) growth forecast at 5.4 percent for 2025," the Fitch Solutions unit said in a report.

The forecast is below the 5.5 to 6.5 percent growth the government is aiming to achieve this year.

Data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the economy grew by 5.5 percent in the second quarter, slightly faster than the 5.4 percent in the previous quarter, but slower than the 6.5-percent expansion in the same quarter last year.

This brought GDP growth in the first semester to 5.4 percent.