The government will step up efforts to raise the Philippines to upper middle-income status this year —along with improving Filipinos’ quality of life and attracting global investments — after the World Bank classified the country as lower middle-income status.

“Kahit po siguro meron pang mga kondisyon globally sa mga nangyayari ngayon, dodoble pa rin po ang pagsisikap ng pamahalaan para po mas maabot natin ang ninanais na maitawid natin ito sa pagiging upper middle-income status,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.

In a press briefing in Malacañang on Thursday, Castro said the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is confident that the government will be able to achieve its goal of raising the country’s status in 2025.

“Lagi pong positibo ang Pangulo, pati ang economic team, pati ang buong administrasyon. So kakayanin natin yan,” Castro said.

Castro said the government’s economic team will implement new strategies to achieve its goals despite the financial problems occurring globally.

“Kakausapin po natin in particular ang economic team para mabigay natin sa inyo ang detalye patungkol diyan,” Castro said.

Despite the World Bank’s recent classification of the Philippines, Castro noted that the economy has been improving, citing the increase in gross national income (GNI) per capita since 2024.

“Pero muli pag-iibayuhin pa rin ng pamahalaan para po kung ano pa po ang ninanais ng Pangulo para sa ating ekonomiya at para sa taong bayan, pipilitin po natin ito maabot,” Castro said. | PND