MANILA – The Philippines will maintain its status as the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia, with enough buffers against possible protectionist policies by US president-elect Donald Trump, an economist said Friday.
Gross domestic product could grow by 6.7 percent this year, a slowdown from the previous year, with the expansion boosted by domestic consumption and infrastructure spending, said Chidu Narayanan, Asia economist at Standard Chartered Bank.
“Anti-trade measures will hurt ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations),” Narayanan told ANC’s “Market Edge with Cathy Yang.”
The regional bloc’s diversity, however, gives it resilience against Trump’s policies, Narayanan said. The Republican leader assumes office on Saturday.