Philippine economy to take 10 years to recover from COVID-19: NEDA chief

Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="edsa AFP " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/life/10/01/20170518-metro-manila-edsa-afp-1.jpg"/><figcaption>This picture taken on September 30, 2016 shows a general view of traffic as Manila&#x27;s financial district is seen in the background. <em>AFP Photo/Noel Celis/file</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - The Philippine economy will take more than a decade to return to pre-pandemic growth, an official said Thursday, warning the next two generations of Filipinos would be paying for the cost of COVID-19.</p><p>Lockdowns and other restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus have shattered the nation&#x27;s economy, throwing millions out of work and leaving many poor families hungry.</p><p>&quot;Our long run total cost of COVID and the quarantine both to the present and future society -- meaning our children and our grandchildren -- will reach P41.4 trillion&quot; ($810 billion), Economic Planning Secretary Karl Chua said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/10/01/21/september-is-worst-month-for-ph-in-covid-19-fight">September overtakes August as worst month so far in PH COVID-19 fight</a></li></ul><p>The figure is more than twice the Philippines&#x27; gross domestic product in 2020, which the World Bank estimates at $361.5 billion.</p><p>The losses would be felt over the next 10 to 40 years, Chua said.</p><p>Consumption, investment and tax revenues would struggle to recover as social distancing rules prevent key sectors, such as tourism and restaurants, from fully reopening.</p><p>Lower productivity caused by death, illness or lack of schooling during the pandemic &quot;is likely to be permanent&quot;, he added.</p><p>The economy is expected to expand by four to five percent this year, Chua said, compared with a record contraction of 9.6 percent in 2020.</p><p>But it would take 10 years before the country returned to pre-pandemic growth, which averaged 6.4 percent in the 10 years before COVID-19 hit. </p><p>Nearly 70 percent of the economy, including 23.3 million workers, remained under &quot;heightened quarantine&quot; restrictions, Chua said.</p><p>He warned lockdowns caused greater hunger and were not the answer to the pandemic.</p><p>The Philippines has recorded more than 2.5 million infections, including over 38,000 deaths.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/09/29/21/philippines-at-bottom-of-bloomberg-covid-resilience-ranking">Philippines drops to bottom of Bloomberg&#x27;s COVID Resilience Ranking</a></li></ul><p>Just over a quarter of the adult population has been fully vaccinated amid a delayed and slow vaccination rollout.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1609031" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

The Philippine economy will take more than a decade to return to pre-pandemic growth, an official said.

Philippine economy to take 10 years to recover from COVID-19: NEDA chief | ABS-CBN

Halalan 2025

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Sports

More

Traffic

Horoscope

Business

Philippine economy to take 10 years to recover from COVID-19: NEDA chief

Philippine economy to take 10 years to recover from COVID-19: NEDA chief

Agence France-Presse

Published Oct 02, 2021 04:39 AM PHT

|

Updated Oct 03, 2021 12:04 AM PHT

Read More:

Philippine economy

Economic Planning Secretary Karl Chua

COVID-19

lockdown

Philippine economy post-COVID

Philippine economy rebound

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.