THE head of Citi's local unit is optimistic about the Philippines' economic prospects, forecasting a growth rebound to pre-pandemic levels this year.

'We remain optimistic as regards a further enhancement in economic activity in 2022 helped by a lower alert level, herd immunization and booster shots, and I am confident that the GDP (gross domestic product) growth for the year will be close to 7 percent,' said Aftab Ahmed, Citi Philippines country head and Citi country officer, during a virtual forum hosted by The Manila Times on Tuesday.