Ladies and gentlemen, this means that the Philippines has achieved 68 quarters of uninterrupted or sustained economic growth. This brought the average full year economic growth of the Philippines to 5.8% in 2015, among the highest in Asia after India, China and Vietnam.
Our growth would have been better if we did not have to deal with the adverse effects of El Nino, other weather disturbances and adverse external conditions. In fact, analysts describe Philippine economic growth as remarkable, as it is taking place when the global economy is slowing down as a result of financial and geopolitical challenges.