BSP approves $5 billion in foreign loans to fund roads, flood control projects
By Derco Rosal
At A Glance
- To finance road and flood control projects, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has approved a total of $4.89 billion worth foreign borrowings in the second quarter of 2025, higher by more than a quarter from $3.90 billion in the same period last year.
To finance road and flood control projects, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has approved a total of $4.89 billion worth foreign borrowings in the second quarter of 2025, higher by more than a quarter from $3.90 billion in the same period last year.
According to the BSP, the approved government borrowings to be sourced externally have medium-term and long-term maturities. By value, it was higher by $990 million than last year’s approved foreign debt.
Of the total approved borrowings, eight project loans amounting to $4.14 billion accounted for 84.7 billion, while three program loans amounting to $750 million accounted for the remaining 15.3 percent.
“The loans are meant to fund projects and programs on road and rail transport, flood control management, climate resilience, health services, and civil service modernization,” the BSP said in a statement released on Monday, Aug. 4.
For the first half of the year, the approved foreign debt of the government stood at $11.18 billion.
Meanwhile, the full-year 2024 figure stood at $13.68 billion.
Under the law, all foreign borrowing proposals by the national government, government agencies, and government financial institutions as well as loans to be guaranteed by the national government require prior approval of the BSP’s Monetary Board (MB).
“This is in line with the BSP’s tasks of ensuring that the country’s foreign debt remains manageable,” the BSP said.