How can 2017 mess up our lives? Let’s count the ways!
Risk consultancy Steve Vickers & Associates (SVA) says that gloomy things are ahead for the Philippines (and the rest of Southeast Asia) this year.
According to the Hongkong-based firm, “The hardball polictics of President Rodrigo Duterte, the vulnerability of the economy to US actions in response to the president’s “pivot to China,” and longstanding concerns about instability in the south all pose threats to the Philippines in 2017.”
The report notes that President Rodrigo Duterte’s unprecedented approach to fighting crime and corruption may provoke an assasination or even a coup d’état.
Also, the firm says that the policies US President elect Donald Trump may reinforce Duterte’s “pivot” towards China this year. The Duterte government may revoke “millitary accords with Washington.”
Highlighting the terrorist attack in Davao in Sept 2016, SVA says that “fears of Islamists coming to Mindanao are growing.”
On the bright side, the report notes that “the president’s unpredictability has not yet derailed the economy.” Crediting foreign direct investment and government spending on infrastructure, SVA says that growth may reach as much as 6.3% this year.
Read the full report here.
