Reconstruction activities covering the destruction caused by
Typhoon Yolanda in Central Philippines and strong consumer spending on
the back of remittances and the boom in business process outsourcing
(BPO) sector will fuel the Philippine economy to keep growing in 2014.
While 2013 was arguably a stellar year for what was previously tagged
as the “Sick Man of Asia,” the year was punctuated by external headwinds
blowing in the form of the US Federal Reserve tapering and the budget
crisis, plus the conflict in Syria, that spooked foreign funds to flee
from emerging markets, including the Philippines.
The domestic front was also marred by gut-wrenching natural calamities:
a 7.2-magnitude earthquake and the killer Typhoon Yolanda. The
disasters raised concerns over the economy as economic managers noted
the impact of Yolanda alone could shed a percentage point from the gross
domestic product (GDP).
However, a sense of optimism seems to prevail particularly among market participants.
“These problems are temporary... we will see light at first quarter of 2014,” Harry Liu, president of Summit Securities Inc.
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http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/341918/economy/business/reconstruction-weak-peso-among-phl-economic-drivers-in-2014