— The World Bank on Monday maintained its 2026 growth forecast for the Philippines at 3.7% and said the economy’s recovery next year was likely to be slower than previously expected. “Growth is set to decelerate in 2026 on the back of weak investment, constrained consumption and sustainability,” Zafer Mustafaoglu, the World Bank division director for the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei told an economic forum in Manila. The new forecast was slightly below the 4.1% average growth expected for developing economies in East Asia and the Pacific, Mustafaoglu said. The World Bank expects growth to rebound to 5.2% in 2027, below the 5.6% seen in June, and to reach 5.5% in 2028, as public investment gradually recovers and economic conditions improve. The World Bank said the peso’s depreciation had fueled inflation, keeping import costs high and delaying a slowdown in price increases.