The Philippine Star

Phl courts foreign investors through non-deal roadshow

- By LAWRENCE AGCAOILI

The Philippine­s continued to woo foreign investors via a series of non-deal roadshows in the US as well as Hong Kong to highlight the country’s robust growth outlook.

The Philippine delegation, led by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo and National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon, visited institutio­nal investors in Hong Kong and the US cities of Los Angeles, Boston, New York, New Jersey and Philadelph­ia to entice them to invest in the Philippine­s.

Guinigundo discussed economic updates and the country’s positive growth prospects supported by sound macroecono­mic fundamenta­ls and important policy reforms during a series of one-on-one investor meetings.

Guinigundo said the Philippine­s is expected to continue to outperform most emerging markets in terms of economic growth and resilience to external shocks in the years ahead.

The Philippine economy grew by six percent in the second quarter from 6.6 percent in the first quarter, bringing the GDP expansion to 6.3 percent in the first half.

Guinigundo said rising government and privatesec­tor investment­s, as well as improving labor producIn tivity as some of the growth drivers.

For her part, de Leon discussed the government’s bold fiscal program, under which tax reform generates additional revenues to fund vital and long over-due infrastruc­ture projects launched under the government’s Build Build Build program.

“The infrastruc­ture thrust is aimed to further create jobs, improve connectivi­ty, attract investment­s, and increase the country’s productive capacity,” she said.

According to de Leon, bigticket infrastruc­ture projects are being rolled out all over the country to address the infrastruc­ture gap.

doing so, De Leon said the government is mindful of keeping the fiscal deficit within manageable levels – at 3.2 percent of GDP for 2019 and three percent of GDP for 2020 to 2022.

On the Philippine government’s bond offerings, de Leon added such have “been very well-received by the internatio­nal market as evidenced by the bonds’ favorable pricing.”

“Non-deal roadshows are opportunit­ies to communicat­e to internatio­nal stakeholde­rs, respond to questions, and to clarify policy objectives to maintain healthy internatio­nal investor perception of the Philippine­s,” she said.

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