Manila, May 8 -- The Philippine economy continued to grow in the first quarter of the year, surpassing other major economies in the region.

In a briefing on Thursday, National Statistician Dennis Mapa said Philippine economic growth slightly picked up to 5.4 percent in the first quarter of the year from 5.3 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.

While growth slowed from the 5.9 percent expansion in the first quarter of 2024, the gross domestic product (GDP) expansion during the period surpassed other major economies in the region.

"We ranked second among our Asian peers that have already released their first quarter figures, trailing Vietnam at 6.9 percent, but tying it up with China, 5.4 percent, while outpacing Indonesia 4.9 per...