President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says the Philippines’ recent upgrade to upper-middle income status is a “vote of confidence” in the country and a validation of economic policies pursued during his administration. In remarks reported by Rappler and Philstar, Marcos frames the change as a milestone following nearly four decades in the lower-middle income category since 1987. He links the shift to the effectiveness of policy actions taken over roughly the past four years, describing the new income classification as an acknowledgment of the country’s economic direction and potential. The reports characterize the upgrade as a status change that reflects improved economic performance relative to previous benchmarks used for income grouping. Both outlets present Marcos’s statement as the administration’s response to the classification update, emphasizing that it marks an end to a long period of being categorized as lower middle income. The coverage does not provide detailed figures or additional context about the specific criteria used for the income upgrade.