Analysts see ‘14 GDP at 5.7%-6%; below govt target

Analysts said the Philippine economy in 2014 likely grew at a slower pace than the official target of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent as the agriculture sector remained weak and as fiscal spending remained sluggish.

Despite their shared view that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) recovered in the fourth quarter from a slower pace of 5.3 percent in the previous quarter, analysts still see full-year 2014 GDP ranging from 5.7 percent to 6 percent, slower than the 7.2 percent expansion in 2013.