The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap) expects the Philippine economy to grow by 6.5 per cent this year despite slowing growth across the region amid trade tensions between the US and China.

In Asean, the gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for the Philippines was exceeded by Myanmar’s 7.2 per cent, Cambodia’s seven per cent, Laos’ 6.8 per cent and Vietnam’s 6.7 per cent, according to Unescap’s flagship Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2019: Ambitions beyond growth report which was released on Thursday.

Unescap’s updated growth forecast for the Philippines was higher than last year’s actual GDP growth of 6.2 per cent and in the midrange of the government’s downgraded 6-7 per cent target. It is, however, lower than the 6.9 per cent projection in its 2018 flagship report. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ANN