Benise Balaoing

Haze obscures the Metro Manila skyline on August 19, 2024. PHIVOLCS Director Dr. Teresito Bacolcol earlier said that the haze in the metro could have been caused by local pollutants and not related to volcanic smog being experienced in towns near Taal Volcano. 

Unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups was recorded at stations in Caloocan City, Parañaque City, and Pateros, while Makati City logged a very unhealthy air quality level, based on air quality monitoring by the Environmental Management Bureau.

Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

METRO MANILA HAZE

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- Philippine economic managers have cut the country&#x27;s economic growth target to 5 to 6 percent for 2026.</p><p>This was a downgrade as the Development Budget Coordinating Committee (DBCC) said in June last year that it expects the Philippine economy to grow by 6 to 7 percent from 2025 to 2028.</p><p>&quot;The reason for scaling down the growth-- it rose from the realities that we&#x27;ve been seeing both globally and domestically,&quot; said Department of Economy, Planning and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.</p><p>&quot;As we have seen in various reports of (<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/16/imf-further-cuts-ph-growth-forecast-to-5-1-percent-1316" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">International Monetary Fund</a>), (Asian Development Bank), while the global economic climate improved a bit in the second half of the year, we haven&#x27;t really gone back to the kind of growth expected before April of last year,&quot; he explained.</p><p>&quot;We expect growth perhaps in the first quarter to be...at least [in the] first half to be still quite not as rosy as we would want it to be, but it I think with the improvements we&#x27;re putting in place, the budget, and in the various offices--we expect to see faster growth in the second half and in the succeeding years,&quot; Balisacan said.</p><p>Philippine economic growth slowed to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/11/7/ph-economy-grows-4-pct-in-q3-slower-than-previous-quarter-0920" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">4 percent</a> in the third quarter of 2025, as the government put the brakes on infrastructure spending amid the flood control mess.</p><p>In December, Balisacan said the Philippines <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/1/philippines-unlikely-to-hit-gdp-target-for-2025-depdev-chief-1559" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">may not hit</a> its 5.5 to 6.5 percent growth target for 2025. The 5.5 to 6.5 percent figure is already a revised and lowered target range.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/11/24/amro-cuts-philippine-2025-growth-forecast-1413" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AMRO cuts Philippine 2025 growth forecast</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/10/world-bank-trims-philippine-growth-forecast-says-upper-middle-income-status-in-2028-1057" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Bank trims Philippine growth forecast; says upper middle income status in 2028</a></div>

<p>Philippine economic managers have cut the country's economic growth forecast to 5 to 6 percent for 2026.</p>

Philippine economic managers have cut the country's economic growth forecast to 5 to 6 percent for 2026.

Philippines cuts 2026 growth target to 5 to 6 percent

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Philippines cuts 2026 growth target to 5 to 6 percent

Benise Balaoing,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 05, 2026 03:39 PM PHT

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Philippine economy

economic growth

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