Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. said around $50-billion, or ₱3-trillion, worth of Philippine government bonds are eligible for inclusion in JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s emerging-market (EM) index, a move that could attract billions of dollars in additional foreign...
Philippine thrift banks are backing a central bank proposal to impose a ₱1 billion minimum capital requirement on lenders with highly digital business models, even as the industry continues to prioritize traditional brick-and-mortar growth. Chamber of Thrift Banks (CTB) Convention Committee...
Money sent home by overseas Filipinos (OFs) fell to $2.71 billion in May, dropping to its lowest level in a year and signaling that growth may be losing steam amid renewed deployment risks stemming from the Middle East conflict. The latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data released on...
Philippine banks’ and e-wallets’ decision to waive or lower their interbank InstaPay and PESONet transfer fees has already boosted transaction volumes by up to 50 percent, a senior Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) official revealed. BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto E. Tangonan said in a One News...
Elevated energy costs, weak investment, and softer domestic demand are slowing the Philippines’ recovery from its recent growth slump, according to Singapore-based United Overseas Bank Ltd. (UOB), warranting continued monetary policy tightening by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). In its...
Following the rollout of contactless fare payments on Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2), the government is targeting the launch of the same system on LRT-1 to ease payment bottlenecks and address ticket and Beep card shortages. Starting on Monday, July 13, LRT-2 commuters may use Visa or Mastercard...
A resurgence in global energy prices is poised to test the resilience of the peso, though aggressive monetary policy from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will likely insulate the currency from extreme volatility, according to DBS Bank. DBS senior economist Radhika Rao wrote in a commentary...
The central bank warned the public that reproducing local currency carries prison sentences of up to 10 years, moving to protect the integrity of the peso after a legal debate during Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial triggered a wave of viral counterfeiting memes. The Bangko Sentral...
Foreign direct investment (FDI) net inflows into the Philippines dropped 26.5 percent in the first four months of the year, driven by the sharp contraction in foreign investments in debt instruments. Based on the latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data released on Friday, July 10, total net...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to extend its monetary tightening cycle to a peak of 5.5 percent, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., as sticky underlying price pressures overshadow the recent cooldown in headline inflation. While headline inflation decelerated to 6.4 percent...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is facing intensifying pressure to aggressively tighten monetary policy, with private-sector economists predicting up to 175 basis points in interest-rate hikes this year as geopolitical conflict and severe weather threaten to upend the inflation outlook. A...
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) slashed its Philippine economic growth forecast to 3.8 percent this year, which, if realized, would be the country’s slowest post-pandemic expansion amid delayed investments, higher inflation, and risks from climate shocks. In its Asian Development Outlook (ADO)...
