The Philippines is more vulnerable to “stagflationary” shock than any of its Southeast Asian neighbors as surging energy costs and cooling domestic demand squeeze the country’s economy, according to Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. (OCBC) In a research note published last week, OCBC economists...
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...
While Philippine monetary authorities maintained the current policy rate at 4.25 percent in a rare off-cycle meeting, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it would hike key interest rates if second-round effects from war-driven oil supply shocks occur. “Once we see second-round effects from...
President Marcos has cited the futility of spending the country 's foreign reserves to defend the Philippine peso, which recently further weakened, hitting a new record low of P60.30 against the US dollar. In an interview with Bloomberg, Marcos stressed that the dollar 's movement is...
The Philippines has emerged as Southeast Asia’s leading tourism economy, generating nearly US$92 billion and sustaining over 11 million jobs nationwide, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Friday, Jan. 30. DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said the latest World Travel and Tourism Council...
Malacañang has brushed aside recent downgrades by international financial institutions, saying the Philippine economy remains on a stable medium-term path and is expected to rebound gradually starting in 2026 as reforms take hold. Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire...
President Marcos attributed the country’s slower third-quarter economic growth to climate disruptions and global headwinds, assuring that a surge in public spending would help restore momentum before the year ends. Marcos said this as the peso hit a record low of P59.17 to the US dollar on...
BAGUIO CITY – This city registered a 5.8 percent economic growth in 2024 and remains the fastest growing economy among all Cordillera provinces and highly urbanized cities, the Philippine Statistics Authority-Cordillera said. PSA-Cordillera Chief Statistical Specialist Aldrin Federico Bahit Jr....
Public fury over flood control corruption and the toll of recent typhoons appear to have choked consumer confidence, potentially dragging the Philippines’ economic growth to a below-target 5.2 percent in the third quarter of the year. According to the latest edition of the University of Asia and...
