The Philippines’ trade deficit could widen further in the coming months as export growth loses momentum while imports continue to surge, increasing the economy’s vulnerability to external shocks, Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd. (OCBC) warned. “Looking ahead, the divergence...
The country’s total rice inventory expanded in May as private-sector holdings buffered declines in government-run warehouses and household reserves, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed on Friday, June 5. Data from the PSA showed that total rice stocks rose 2.2 percent to...
British banking giant Barclays now expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to deliver just one more interest rate hike this month before eventually returning to monetary policy easing, after inflation in May slowed more than anticipated. In a report obtained by Manila Bulletin,...
The inflation rate in May eased slightly to 6.8 percent from the more-than-three-year high of 7.2 percent recorded in April, although it remained well above the government’s two- to four-percent target range for manageable annual price increases. Last month’s headline rate nonetheless surged...
Factory output growth accelerated in April despite the prolonged war in the Middle East, as stronger production in petroleum, electronics, and food manufacturing helped offset external headwinds. The latest preliminary results of the monthly integrated survey of selected industries (MISSI) ...
I am always flattered when I meet people well-established in their respective professions (those in their 40s to 60s) who tell me that they learned their basic economics from the textbooks I wrote in the 1970s and 1980s for both high school and college students, especially in private schools. The...
Factory-gate price growth slowed slightly in April from a three-year high reached the previous month, although manufacturing costs remained elevated amid lingering energy-related pressures stemming from the prolonged war in the Middle East. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on...
Tourism contributed 8.1 percent to the Philippine economy in 2025, although the industry’s direct contribution to economic output slightly declined from a year ago, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The PSA reported on Thursday, May 28, that tourism direct gross value added...
The Philippines is expected to remain a major supplier of caregivers, nurses, and domestic workers to aging economies in the Asia-Pacific region, although state-run policy think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) warned that Filipina migrant workers continue to face precarious...
The value and volume of domestic trade in the Philippines declined sharply in the first quarter of 2026 as escalating Middle East tensions toward the end of the quarter heightened prices and contributed to supply shortages, especially of fuel used to transport goods across the country. The latest...
Electricity subsidies remain necessary to help vulnerable households and remote communities access power, but the Philippine government needs to improve targeting mechanisms to reduce leakages and ensure long-term sustainability, according to experts at a recent webinar organized by state-run...
The Philippines’ swine population contracted by 1.5 percent in the first quarter to reach its lowest level since 1994, as the local hog sector continues to reel from the impact of African swine fever (ASF). Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the...
