Philippine banks face a potential surge in sour loans as escalating tensions in the Middle East threaten to disrupt the domestic economy and weaken the repayment capacity of households, according to S&P Global Ratings. Nikita Anand, S&P Global Ratings director and lead analyst for South and...
Money sent home by overseas Filipinos (OFs) fell to $2.79 billion in February, marking the lowest level in nine months, just before Middle East tensions erupted, which could further reduce remittances. Remittance inflows, which dipped to their lowest since May 2025 at $2.66 billion, reflect a...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is opening the door for banks to seek regulatory relief as the government scrambles to cushion the economy from energy supply shocks and surging fuel costs sparked by escalating Middle East tensions. This announcement, approved under Monetary Board Resolution...
Stagflationary pressures are building in the Philippines as swift and pronounced spillovers from the Middle East conflict prompt the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to slash its growth forecast while anticipating above-target inflation. According to the IMF’s April 2026 World Economic Outlook...
Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the Philippine financial intelligence unit, has entered a new chapter with the appointment of Ronel Buenaventura as its new executive director, succeeding Matthew David. Buenaventura takes the helm of AMLC at a time when the agency continues to deepen...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) saw its full-year net income climb to ₱130.1 billion in 2025, a 10.3 percent increase from the previous year, as the sharp reduction in interest expenses and robust foreign-exchange gains offset a decline in total revenue. According to preliminary, unaudited...
The collapse of peace talks between the United States (US) and Iran over the weekend could hurt semiconductor manufacturers in Asia, including the Philippines, according to British banking giant Barclays. “A prolonged energy disruption could lead to a tail-risk scenario that hits semiconductor...
To bolster the country’s climate resilience, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has proposed a major regulatory shift, slashing the credit risk weight for sustainable housing loans. Under the new draft circular, the risk weight for these eco-friendly financing arrangements will drop to 20...
The local banking system faces a more severe threat from escalating Middle East tensions than in previous economic shocks, as a pivot toward lending to small businesses and consumers creates new pockets of vulnerability, according to Fitch Ratings. Jonathan Cornish, Fitch Ratings managing director...
The peso is struggling to claw back losses despite the two-week ceasefire between the United States (US) and Iran, remaining an outlier in a regional currency recovery as markets focus on the country’s acute sensitivity to energy prices. While the brief cessation of hostilities sparked a relief...
Senator Joel Villanueva on Friday, April 10, welcomed the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas ' (BSP) proposal to depend on principles-based framework for salary-based personal loans as doing so actually puts borrowers ' actual capacity to pay as consideration in their lending decisions. ...
While the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) remains firm on intervening in the foreign exchange (forex) market only when it becomes inflationary, its chief said this threshold has been lowered, citing the central bank’s credibility. BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. told CNBC on Friday, April 10,...
