Pinoy Pie

TAGUIG CITY (MindaNews/8 July 2026)– On paper, the Philippine economy appears to be doing many things right. Economic growth remains among the strongest in Southeast Asia. Inflation has eased considerably from its painful highs. Unemployment is relatively low. More tourists are arriving. More infrastructure is being built. Investors continue to express confidence in the country. Just last week, the World Bank officially reclassified the Philippines as an upper-middle-income economy—a milestone nearly four decades in the making. If you only looked at the statistics, you might conclude that this is an economy gaining momentum. Yet ask an ordinary Filipino family over dinner, and you may hear a very different story. “The grocery bill is still high.” “Electricity is expensive.” “Traffic is getting worse.” “My salary still doesn’t seem enough.” “Why doesn’t it feel like we’re becoming richer?” That question deserves an honest answer. Because both re...