MariBank Philippines Inc. has officially secured a digital banking license from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), replacing the rural banking license under which it previously operated. The license upgrade was formalized through Circular Letter No. 2026-035, under which the Monetary Board (MB)...
Commercial lenders in the Philippines are now legally required to reimburse victims of unauthorized financial transactions following the expiration of a grace period to deploy mandated fraud management systems—shifting the burden of security failures squarely onto financial institutions. One year...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) signed an information-sharing agreement to curb cybercrime and seal operational loopholes exploited by financial scammers. BSP General Counsel Roberto Figueroa said the agreement establishes operational protocols for...
Consumer price movements may not stabilize soon due to twin threats that could keep inflation elevated, according to New York-based economic think tank GlobalSource Partners Inc. GlobalSource economist Diwa Guinigundo warned that the Philippines is battling two simultaneous price shocks: the...
SwiftPay, the enterprise payments unit of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-regulated (BSP) Swift Technology Ventures Inc., launched a real-time fraud detection platform to help local lenders comply with stricter digital security mandates amid rising financial scams. The platform, called SwiftGuard,...
The central bank is scrutinizing the pilot program by state-run Land Bank of the Philippines to eliminate convenience fees on digital payments to government agencies, assessing whether market dynamics alone will compel private commercial lenders to follow suit. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)...
To improve the quality, completeness, and timeliness of national economic data, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) have entered into a data-sharing agreement. Spearheaded by Finance Secretary Frederick...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) ordered domestic lenders to bolster oversight of accounts connected to casino junket operators, warning that financial flows tied to the high-stakes gaming sector pose elevated money laundering risks. In a July 21 memorandum, BSP Deputy Governor Lyn Javier...
A nearly two-year-high balance of payments (BOP) surplus in June significantly trimmed the Philippines’ cumulative external payments gap, bringing the first-half 2026 deficit down to $3.88 billion—nearly half the shortfall recorded in the first five months. This rebound was driven by a...
It is no consolation to be told that inflation is easing to less than seven percent in July of 2026. Even six percent is still three times the two percent or less annual inflation target that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)Bank should be aiming for. What is more concerning is that food...
Banknote withdrawals from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) slowed to single-digit growth last year from 12.5 percent in 2024, reflecting a possible shift toward digital channels for larger-value transactions as well as softer economic activity. “You could think of several reasons for that....
Salary increases in the Philippines are expected to remain moderate through next year as employers balance rising inflation, cost pressures, and the need to retain critical talent, according to global advisory, broking and solutions company Willis Towers Watson plc (WTW). In its latest Asia-Pacific...
