MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine economy shrank by a worse-than-expected 4.2 percent year-on-year during the first quarter, extending the pandemic-induced recession to five straight quarters, the longest since the Marcos-era debt crisis in the 1980s.
The government on Tuesday reported that the first-quarter outturn prolonged the preceding four quarters’ year-on-year declines in gross domestic product (GDP): 0.7 percent in the first quarter of 2020; the record 16.9 percent in the second quarter of 2020 amid the then most stringent COVID-19 lockdown in the region; 11.4 percent in the third quarter; and 8.3 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.
The government targets 6…
Keep on reading: PH recession extended to Q1 2021 amid prolonged pandemic