It is with pleasure that we present to you Stratbase ADR Institute’s Economic Snapshots for the first quarter of 2021.

This report informs us of the state of economic affairs at the beginning of the year and provides a snapshot of economic events and developments that transpired in the first three months of 2021.

It consists of four sections, namely: (1) Updates on Economic Indicators, which includes Economic growth, External Trade Performance, Foreign Direct Investments, Remittances, Employment, and Inflation; (2) Fiscal Performance, which comprises Revenue Collection and Debt-to-GDP ratio; (3) Economic Surveys on the Index of Economic Freedom and on Expected Change, Adult Joblessness, and Quality of Life by the Social Weather Stations; and (4) Insights.

In the discussion of economic developments, the Philippines will have bleak prospects for economic recovery which can be cushioned and reversed by the administration. However, the administration has failed to deliver progressive results and demonstrate its limited capacities in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and to jumpstart the economy.