Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said it was the fifth straight quarter of 7 percent or higher growth since President Benigno Aquino took office in 2010 with promises to reduce poverty and root out endemic corruption in government.
"This solid growth demonstrates the continuing resilience of the economy in the face of global economic challenges and natural calamities," he said in a statement.
Purisima said growth has been supported by investment, which rose by 15.6 percent.
"This, plus a structural current account surplus, well-managed fiscal position and strong governance agenda gives us optimism for the future," he said.
He said a key priority for government is mitigating the effects of climate change by modifying infrastructure location and design as well as drawing up a framework to better deal with the financial costs of its impact. Agriculture also needs to be less disaster-prone through sustainable insurance products, he said without elaborating.
Quoting the World Bank, Purisima said 0.8 percent of gross domestic product is lost to natural calamities in the Philippines. In October, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake caused widespread damaged and killed more than 200 people in central Bohol province and nearby islands, which include popular tourist spots.
Purisima appealed to the global community to craft a risk-sharing mechanism that extends beyond aid and grants.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the government estimates it needs 38.8 billion pesos ($881 million) to continue to provide typhoon relief supplies, restore livelihoods and employment, provide temporary shelter, rehabilitate hospitals and schools and restore electricity and water supply to affected provinces.
He said a more realistic estimate of reconstruction costs, especially housing for hundreds of thousands of families displaced by the typhoon, can only be made once more data come in.
