The Philippine economy is expected to keep a steady growth even during the election year with rising consumer demand as main driver for its progress.  

This was the assessment by BDO Unibank chief investment officer for trust and investments group Frederico Rafael D. Ocampo, who spoke before the delegates of the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) Asia Conference Manila 2015 held at the Makati Shangri-La. HPAIR, Harvard's largest annual student connection in Asia, brought together 500 delegates from 45 countries to a discussion of the most important economic, political, and social issues relevant to the Asia-Pacific region.
 
"The Philippine economy remains resilient. Consumer demand is a consistent driver of the economy, supported by BPO and OFW growth," Ocampo shared. "While the growth of BPO in the country creates relatively high-paying jobs, opportunities are likewise seen in the tourism, entertainment, and technology industries," he added.

BDO Capital & Investment Corp. president Eduardo V. Francisco, in another panel discussion, echoed Ocampo's view of the Philippine economic expansion saying, "Investors see the upside in the Philippines because of consistency in the country's growth".  Asked by a student delegate about where best to invest in the Philippines, he said, "Infrastructure. Here, the need is more."

The HPAIR Asia Conference 2015, themed "Confronting Asia's Development Challenges through Innovation," is hosted by De La Salle University in partnership with BDO Unibank, Inc.  As compared to previous conferences, the forum in Manila was more focused on development issues and Southeast Asia.  

"We tackled issues such as sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and healthcare disparities.  Our main takeaway message was that young leaders need to have a heightened sense of urgency around these most crucial development issues," said Artur Meller, Executive Director, HPAIR Asia Conference 2015.