Open for business, closed to mediaThis one is for Ripley’s Believe It or Not. I texted the above to Finance Secretary Frederick Go, a former business reporter in his teenage days, and a property mogul by the time he joined the BBM government. Like during the post-forum presscon, a newsman wondered why achieving a five percent GDP growth rate is very good, given global standards. The World Bank’s January 2026 World Economic Forecasts reports East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) possibly posted 4.6 percent economic or GDP growth in 2025. Says DOF Secretary Go, the chief of BBM’s economic team: “We will host leaders, ministers, CEOs, investors, innovators, and media from across the region and beyond.

Source: Philippine Star January 16, 2026 16:40 UTC