Manila, Jan. 30 -- The Philippines' 5.6-percent economic growth for the whole of 2024 may be lower than the government's target but still makes the country one of the "fastest-growing" economies in the Asia Pacific region, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Thursday.

Pangandaman issued the statement, as she welcomed the latest Philippine Statistics Authority's (PSA) report which showed that the Philippine economic growth settled at 5.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, bringing the full-year growth to 5.6 percent.

"While our target for 2024 is 6 to 6.5 percent, the results still put the Philippines among the fastest-growing economies in the Asia Pacific region, outpacing many of our ASEAN neighbors, and still propelling our d...