The Missing Middle: addressing income inequality is the next challenge for the Philippines as it approaches UMIC status

The Philippines is firmly on track to achieve the status of an upper-middle-income country in the next few years, after notching up high rates of economic growth and improved development outcomes over the past decade. This achievement—a strategic objective of the Philippine government—is a major milestone for a country that in the past often struggled to compete with its high-performing neighbors in East Asia.

How to establish a nationwide social protection program: Five lessons from the Philippines

Working in development is often difficult, as even the best-planned projects can have different outcomes than expected. In this IEG Project Lessons series, we take a close look back at the World Bank Group’s projects to assess what has worked, what didn’t, and why, to better inform future projects and investments.