By Tony Lopez
The Philippines is not so bad a country after all.
The World Bank published July 2, 2025 its latest tome, the World Bank Development Indicators (WDI), the world’s premier collection of cross-country comparable data on development.
Compared with the development indicators of more than 200 other countries, the Philippines is among the elite 15% of countries, in population and income.
PH 14th biggest in population
The World Bank corrects our 2025 population figure. It’s 116 million, not 120 million as earlier projected by our own Philippine Statistics Authority.
That makes the Philippines the world’s 14th largest country. Being No. 14 in population also makes us the world’s 14th largest consumer market.
Among the ten member nations of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), the Philippines is the second largest in population, 116 million, next only to Indonesia’s 283.488 million; and larger than Vietnam, which has 100.98 million; Thailand, 71.66 million; Myanmar, 54.50 million; Malaysia 35.55 million; Lao PDR 7.77 million; Singapore, 6.03 million; and Brunei, 463,000.
PH Gross National Income: $518 billion
The Philippines is a rich country, with an economy valued at $461.6 billion in nominal GDP and $518 billion in Gross National Income (GNI). The $518 billion is the 28th richest or largest on earth.
Filipinos are middle income. They have a gross income per capita of $4,470. Multiply $4,470 by P57.84—the end of 2024 peso-dollar rate and you get P258,544.80 a year or P21,545.40 a month. Or P718.18 a day.
Every day, each Filipino on average makes P718.18 in income. Divide that by today’s current peso-dollar rate, P56.44 and you get $12.72. Under the latest World Bank measurement of poverty, you are poor if you make only $3 a day. Filipinos make $12.72—4.24 times the $3 a day measure of poverty. Take note, Filipinos are not at all poor. They make 4.24 times the $3 daily income of the poorest of the poor.
GNI measures a nation’s income by including earnings from abroad. The Philippines may have had exports of only $73.22 billion and foreign direct investments of $9 billion in 2024. But only about 15% of the $73.22 billion exports or $10.98 billion are value added (mostly labor). And to draw $8.93 billion FDI, the government has to shell out yearly P200 billion in tax and other incentives. Compare those earnings with the remittances of our 12 million expats abroad—over $38 billion, which is 100% value added. We don’t spend a centavo to earn $38 billion.
Remittances better than FDIs
The $38 billion annual OFW remittance earnings are 12.66% of the projected annual FDI that will flow into ASEAN yearly between 2024 and 2030. In 2023, FDI flow into ASEAN amounted to $230 billion, 17.26% of the global FDI flows of $1.332 trillion. This 2025 in ASEAN, FDI flow should increase by 10% over 2024.
In 2025, according to the ASEAN Secretariat, the ten largest investors in ASEAN accounted for more than 70% of total FDI inflows into the region. They included: the United States, China, and the European Union. FDI flows from the US into ASEAN have more than doubled, driven by investments in finance and manufacturing, particularly in semiconductors and high-tech industries.
FDI from China also surged, with a nearly 10-fold increase in manufacturing FDI, highlighting the growing importance of Chinese enterprises in ASEAN’s industrial landscape, reports the ASEAN secretariat.
Manila veers to the US
But Manila has veered towards the US lately, in terms of trade, FDI, and a security umbrella. Suddenly, the Philippines is of strategic importance to America as Washington, DC pivots to Asia, realizing that the more important geopolitical fight is being staged in Asia—not Europe, not in the Americas.
With rebalancing, the next global war will erupt in Asia—home to three of the world’s four biggest nations in population—India, with 1.450 billion, China, 1.408 billion, and Indonesia, 283.48 million. The US is the third largest, with 340.11 million.
Unfortunately, Donald Trump sometimes does not get his signals right. On July 9, 2025, Trump wrote President Marcos Jr.. “Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal. Starting on Aug. 1, 2025, we will charge the Philippines a Tariff of only 20% on any and all Philippine products sent into the United States, separate from all Sectoral Tariffs. Goods transshipped to evade a higher Tariff will be subject to that higher Tariff,” Trump told our president bluntly, adding:
“Please understand that the 20% number is far less than what is needed to eliminate the Trade Deficit disparity we have with your Country. As you are aware, there will be no Tariff if the Philippines, or companies within your Country, decide to build or manufacture product within the United States and, in fact, we will do everything possible to get approvals quickly, professionally, and routinely in other words, in a matter of weeks.”
Marcos to visit US
Alarmed, President Marcos Jr. (Bongbong Marcos, BBM) has decided to visit the US, July 20 to 22, 2025. Surely, trade and security are top summit agenda items.
President BBM’s special assistant for investments, Frederick Go is quick to note that the 20% US tariff is the second lowest among all of the US’ reciprocal tariffs in Asia, Singapore’s being the lowest, at 10%.
“More importantly than all of these, we remain committed to continuing negotiations with the US in good faith to pursue a bilateral comprehensive economic agreement or, if possible, an FTA (free trade agreement),” clarifies Go.
“So, myself, together with DTI Secretary Cris Roque and Undersecretary Perry Rodolfo and Undersecretary Allan Gepty, will be flying to the US next week – this is actually a scheduled trip to the US even before today’s (July 9) announcement,” Go has disclosed.
Deck Go is keen to project the Philippines as a competitive –and better — place for doing business. After all, we are the world’s 14th largest consumer market, remember?