Philippines seen growing 6% until 2018 despite Duterte, Trump

Manila

NEITHER Donald Trump's protectionist ambitions nor Rodrigo Duterte's rants against the United States are proving to be enough to derail the Philippine economy's momentum as one of the fastest-growing in the world. That's according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, who see growth exceeding 6 per cent until 2018.

Gifted with a burgeoning middle class and backed by US$50 billion of revenue from remittances and outsourcing, the South-east Asian economy is getting an additional boost from President Duterte's US$160 billion infrastructure plan.