Let us now examine the record of the Benigno Aquino III Administration (2011 to 2016) in fiscal management. This administration anchored its economic agenda on inclusive growth driven by good governance and anti-corruption reforms. The central premise was that restoring credibility in public...
The Philippine economy, long a darling of emerging market growth, is shifting into a defensive war footing. As Brent crude flirts with atmospheric heights and the Middle East conflict continues to choke the Strait of Hormuz—the world’s most vital energy artery—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr....
It comes as a bit of a surprise that Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba—China’s largest private company—names Southeast Asia, rather than China, as the world’s next global economic juggernaut. Ma recently returned to Alibaba following years of Chinese government crackdowns on major tech firms that...
As the Executive Director of the Makati Business Club, Rafael Ongpin (oldest son of the late Jaime V. Ongpin, one of the staunchest CEOs responsible for the fall of the martial law regime in 1986) remarked in an interview, President BBM deserves some credit for the ongoing drive against corruption,...
Truly, it’s agonizing to see, hear, and read the trail of destruction across the country—from the regions of Visayas to Luzon—left by the super typhoons Tino and Uwan. Reconstruction is expected to reach billions, if not trillions, of pesos. It’s as if we ain’t seen nothing yet, as...
Philippine economic expansion slowed sharply to four percent in the third quarter of 2025, as floods, corruption scandals, and weather disruptions heavily weighed on growth. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Friday, Nov. 7, showed that the third-quarter gross domestic product...
DMCI Mining is only one of the Philippine conglomerates that are bullish about mining in Palawan, despite the negative perceptions of some stakeholders in the Province about the industry. It plans to begin operations at the Long Point nickel mine in Palawan within 2025, through Berong Nickel Corp,...
The country’s chief economist expressed a less optimistic outlook for third-quarter growth, noting that both domestic—including the flood control corruption scandal—and external economic conditions may have influenced the possibly dismal performance. “I am not as optimistic as I used to, or...
Some economists are sounding the alarm that the Philippines is rapidly de-industrializing, basing their observation on the decreasing share of manufacturing as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). It is true that manufacturing is not growing as fast as some service sectors like IT-BPM,...
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...
Sy-led SM Investments Corporation, one of the Philippines’ largest conglomerates, sees new growth in its logistics and renewable energy units even as its core real estate, retail, and banking businesses continue to thrive with the country’s economy. “But, really, all of our businesses have...
Head of the Philippines’ largest bank believes the country’s economy will be shielded from the direct fallout of new United States (US) tariffs, but warned of a larger, global danger that could ripple back to the country through remittances. Speaking with Channel News Asia (CNA), BDO Unibank...
