MANILA, Dec. 1 -- A 5-percent growth for the Philippine economy for 2025 remains a respectable growth vis-a vis its neighboring countries amidst the challenges that were beyond the control of the government, an economic official said Monday.

Growth as of the third quarter of this year averaged at 5 percent, with the quarterly growth since the first quarter at 5.4 percent, 5.5 percent, and 4 percent, respectively.

For the last quarter, a 7-percent growth is needed for the economy to achieve the 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent full year growth target, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a briefing Monday.

Balisacan, however, said this is a challenge given the impact of natural disaster...