British banking giant Barclays expects Philippine economic growth this year to fall to a new post-pandemic low, even as easing tensions in the Middle East may help limit further downside risks to the outlook. An April 17 report obtained by Manila Bulletin showed Barclays’ latest forecast of just...
Philippine economic recovery from the flood-control corruption fallout last year is seen as being derailed by escalating geopolitical risks from the Middle East conflict, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which slashed its 2026 growth forecast to below target. Citing uncertainties tied...
British banking giant Barclays sees the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) holding key interest rates steady at this month’s policy meeting before possibly hiking in June, in a bid to support the already weak economic growth outlook even prior to the war in the Middle East. “With the ceasefire...
If the war in the Middle East prolongs and global oil prices continue to skyrocket, the Philippine peso could breach the ₱61:$1 level in the second quarter of 2026 and even hit as low as ₱62 to ₱64 against the United States (US) dollar. “Our base case forecasts for the US dollar-Philippine...
Multilateral lenders including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank Group (WBG) are moving to provide immediate financing and coordinated support to countries reeling from the economic fallout of the Middle East war. In a statement on...
Singapore-based United Overseas Bank Ltd. (UOB) expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to keep key interest rates unchanged this year, despite rising risks to growth and inflation from the ongoing war in the Middle East. “Amid persistent uncertainty over the Middle East conflict, we expect...
The global oil shock triggered by escalating conflict in the Middle East is hitting the Philippines’ poorest households the hardest, as surging fuel costs spill over into food prices and erode purchasing power. A March 26 position paper by state-run policy think tank Philippine Institute for...
Pervasive corruption in the Philippines is preventing the country from realizing its full economic potential, despite President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. making “steady progress” on his reform agenda, according to the think tank Capital Economics. In its Asia Economic Outlook report for the...
Two global banking giants have flagged political and fiscal challenges posing near-term risks to the Philippine economy, especially in the aftermath of a corruption scandal involving massive public spending on ineffective flood control projects in recent years. While “there is a strong pipeline...
Singapore-based United Overseas Bank (UOB) expects lower interest rates to lift Philippine economic growth in the near term, despite lingering global challenges that would likely expand the domestic economy below the government’s goal for the year. In its Quarterly Global Outlook report for the...
Investment banking giant Goldman Sachs expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to cut key interest rates by 25 basis points (bps) on Thursday, Aug. 28, amid low domestic inflation and slower economic growth. In an Aug. 22 report obtained by Manila Bulletin, Goldman Sachs Economics Research...
Germany-based Deutsche Bank said a quarter-point rate cut on Thursday would help support Philippine economic activity, following the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) revised forecast that the negative output gap will persist until 2027. “We see the BSP lowering its policy rate by 25 bps...
