MANILA -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday promised to aggressively grow the Philippines' economy to slash the poverty rate to single digits, but steered clear of controversial topics such as a maritime dispute with China, corruption, human rights, and the legacy of his late dictator father.
In his first State of the Nation Address before a joint session of Congress, Marcos said his administration would aim for a 6.5% to 8% annual gross domestic product growth from 2023 through 2028, forecasting that the poverty rate would fall in that period to 9% from the current 23.7%.
