The Philippines was Asia’s consistent top imports performer for the first half of 2016 as the country’s merchandise imports grew by 15.4 percent in June, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). “This performance shows the strength of domestic demand in the country particularly in consumption and investment, as reflected by the latest real GDP growth of 7.0 percent in the second quarter,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia. (Read more at : www.neda.gov.ph)