After previously mandating tighter risk management procedures for banks, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has directed all regulated financial institutions to refrain from discriminating against persons of concern, such as refugees and asylum seekers, during customer due diligence. According...
The Philippine banking system’s gross non-performing loan (NPL) ratio slightly eased to 3.38 percent in May, as continued double-digit growth in bank lending expanded the loan base and, along with the central bank’s cumulative 1.25-percent policy rate cut, helped reduce borrowing costs and...
Net inflows of brick-and-mortar foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Philippines increased to $610 million in April, the highest in three months, driven by larger investments in the manufacturing sector from Japan. Net FDI inflows climbed by 7.1 percent from $570 million in April last year,...
While loans from big banks or universal and commercial banks, excluding investments in the central bank’s reverse repurchase (RRP), expanded at a slightly faster rate of 11.3 percent from April’s 11.2 percent, it remains relatively slower than March’s 11.8-percent expansion rate. In a...
The Philippines’ gross international reserves (GIR) or United States (US) dollar stock increased to $105.3 billion as of end-June from the previous month’s $105.2 billion, according to the data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). This level increased slightly by $100 million from...
Filipino consumers have become more trusting of digital payment methods, as data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that the value of people’s transactions climbed to more than half of total monthly retail transactions in 2024. According to the central bank’s 2024 report on the...
The inter-agency Financial Stability Coordination Council (FSCC) reassured that Philippine banks maintain robust capitalization and ample liquidity buffers, navigating through global and local challenges. The BSP said in a statement released on Monday, July 7, that during the FSCC’s meeting for...
Germany-based Deutsche Bank stated that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) cumulative 1.25-percent interest rate reductions have been unable to lift lending growth, as lower borrowing costs were not enough to outweigh persistent economic uncertainty. This follows BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is considering two more cuts to key borrowing costs, driven by easing inflation and an economic slowdown attributed to consumer and business uncertainty. Two cuts are “possible,” BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of the 32nd BSP...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) push for personal equity and retirement accounts (PERA) is expected to promote the wider adoption of open finance in the Philippines, according to the Tokyo-based think tank Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). “The BSP remains committed to advancing...
As manufacturers experience only mild producer price inflation, central banks in emerging markets (EMs), including the Philippines, are expected to cut interest rates some more in the near term. “Encouragingly, the price components of the PMIs [purchasing managers’ indices] fell again in June....
Foreign currency-denominated bank loans in the country posted a slight decrease in the first three months of the year, driven by weakened demand for both short and long-term borrowing from residents and non-residents alike. According to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), foreign...
