#carlocarrasco — Public Fediverse posts

AMRO Slashes 2026 Philippines GDP Growth Forecast

The Philippines, which is currently the host of the ASEAN Summit and is also one of the economic weaklings of Southeast Asia, is predicted by ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) to have slower gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year, according to a news report by BusinessWorld.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of BusinessWorld. Some parts in boldface…

THE Philippine economy may continue to grow below its potential through 2027 as persistent energy shocks and weak investment weigh on activity, the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) said.

In its latest ASEAN+3 Regional Economic Outlook, AMRO slashed its Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth projections for this year to 3.3% from its July estimate of 4.1% and for 2027 to 4.6% from 5.5%.

Both forecasts are below the National Government’s growth targets of 3.5%-4.5% for 2026 and 5%-6% for 2027.

AMRO also trimmed its inflation forecast for this year to 5.6% from 5.7% previously but raised it for next year to 4.6% from 4.1% previously.

If realized, inflation will accelerate from the 1.7% clip last year and breach the central bank’s 3% target for two consecutive years.

At a press briefing on Monday, AMRO Chief Economist Dong He noted that the Middle East war-driven energy shock took a heavy toll on the Philippine economy, significantly slowing growth while fueling inflation.

“The Philippines is one of the economies that was hit harder by the energy shock,” he said. “As you recall, when the Middle East conflict took place, the government took very swift action and they introduced a national emergency. So that, I think, helped the country galvanize towards responses towards this big energy shock.”

“But of course, growth did slow down significantly and the inflation went up very quickly,” Mr. He added.

The AMRO chief economist also noted that the Philippine economy continues to be weighed down by an investment slump following the flood control corruption scandal which broke out last year.

“Now, the Philippines also have some domestic issues that they need to deal with,” Mr. He said. “Remember, there was this flood control-related issue and that significantly slowed down public investment.”

“So, the growth outlook is very dependent on how fast public investment and construction related activities can pick up,” he added.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think there really is not much the government can do to boost economic growth this year? What is your opinion about the way the current economic managers of the Philippines are handling economic matters? Would you be surprised to see the Philippine economy fall into a recession in the first half of 2028?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Man Arrested in Parañaque City Over Possession of Unlicensed Firearm and Death Threat

Recently in the City of Parañaque, a man who threatened to kill someone and carried an unlicensed firearm was arrested by the local police, according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

A 26-year-old man was arrested after allegedly threatening to kill another man during a heated argument and was found carrying an unlicensed .38-caliber revolver in Parañaque City late Thursday night, Oct. 1.

Police said officers from the Baclaran Police Sub-Station responded to a reported disturbance near the Al-Wasat Mosque along E. Rodriguez Street, Redemptorist Road, Barangay Baclaran at about 11:15 p.m.

Responding policemen saw the suspect, identified as alias “Sari,” causing a disturbance.

An initial investigation showed that Sari and the complainant had engaged in a verbal altercation that escalated when the suspect allegedly threatened, “Papatayin kita.”

Police arrested the suspect and recovered a .38-caliber revolver loaded with two live rounds of ammunition.

The firearm and ammunition were turned over to the Station Investigation and Detective Management Section for examination and documentation.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, do you think violent crime will get worse? Are there many people in your local community who have unlicensed firearms and ammunition?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Vietnam Attracts 522,000 Visitors from the Philippines During First 9 Months of 2026

The Philippines, which is currently the host of the ASEAN Summit and is also one of the economic weaklings of Southeast Asia, continues to grow tremendously as a tourism market for Vietnam as an estimated 522,000 Filipinos visited the said nation during the first nine months of 2026, according to a news report by VnExpress.

It should be noted that more than 480,000 Filipinos visited Vietnam for the entire year of 2025, and the Philippines is one of the fastest growing tourism markets for the Vietnam tourism industry this year along with Russia.

Historically speaking, the number of Philippine visitors welcomed by Vietnam was 49,266 in 2022, 153,168 in 2023, 265,947 in 2024 and 482,173 in 2025. At 522,000 as of the end of September, the number of Philippine visitors arriving in Vietnam could reach around 700,000 by the end of this year.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…

Vietnam welcomed 17.7 million international visitors in the first nine months of 2026, up 14.5% year-on-year, bucking a decline in arrivals across several Southeast Asian destinations.

Mainland China remained Vietnam’s largest source market, with 3.95 million visitors, accounting for about 22.3% of the total. South Korea ranked second with approximately 3.05 million visitors, or 17.3%.

Russia ranked third with 1.1 million, followed by Taiwan (964,000) and the U.S. (746,000), according to the General Statistics Office.

The rest of the top 10 were Cambodia (688,000), Japan (674,000), India (670,000), the Philippines (522,000) and Australia (485,000).

In September, foreign visitors declined by 11.3% from August but rose by 16.5% year-on-year to 1.77 million.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Considering the strong interest of Filipinos to visit Vietnam, do you think it is possible for Vietnam to attract at least one million visitors from the Philippines next year if not this year? Do you think more Filipinos will realize the great value they could get by visiting Vietnam?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Food and Beverage Vendors Plus New Details for Sip & Stroll: An Early Christmas Bazaar Revealed

Very recently, the Alabang Hills Village Association (AHVA) revealed new details as well as a list of approved food-and-drinks vendors for their upcoming Sip & Stroll: An Early Christmas Bazaar which will happen on November 21 and 22, 2026, at the Phase 2 park grounds. For each day, the bazaar will start from 10AM until 8PM.

For the upcoming bazaar, there will be over forty-five dry goods vendors participating. This ensures that customers will see a wide variety of products for sale ranging from clothing to houseware, toys, accessories, shoes and more. There will be a lot of items that customers can acquire for Christmas gift-giving.

With regards to the food and vendors approved by the AHVA, the list is as follows in the image below.

In addition, the AHVA confirmed that there will be acoustic performers and DJs who will provide entertainment in the afternoon of each day of the bazaar. There will also be game booths for additional enjoyment.

The Phase 2 park grounds is the main venue of Sip & Stroll: An Early Christmas Bazaar, and both the covered basketball court and the pickleball court (formerly the badminton court) will be used too. For the non-residents who have private vehicles (without Alabang Hills Village stickers) and intend to attend the bazaar, be ready to leave your ID card at the village gate and tell them were you are headed. Once inside, it is a must that you should follow their rules and speed limits at all times. Be aware that finding available parking spaces can be a bit of a challenge, and be respectful to the nearby homes.

If you have inquiries for Sip & Stroll: An Early Christmas Bazaar, send your email to [email protected]

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673