The economy grew by 6.5 percent in the second quarter of the year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday. "The gross domestic product or GDP grew year-on-year by 6.5 percent" National Statistician Lisa Grace S. Bersales said in a press briefing in Quezon City. The second quarter output was slightly faster compared with 6.4 percent in the first quarter, but slower compared with 7.1 percent in the second quarter of 2016 ? an election year. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia expected the second-quarter GDP to have outperformed the first quarter results. ? VDS, GMA News