Money sent home by overseas Filipinos (OFs) fell to $2.79 billion in February, marking the lowest level in nine months, just before Middle East tensions erupted, which could further reduce remittances. Remittance inflows, which dipped to their lowest since May 2025 at $2.66 billion, reflect a...
Not only the Philippines’ vulnerability to global oil price and supply shocks amid the Middle East war but also domestic political instability has pulled the peso down to record-low levels, according to Singapore-based DBS Bank Ltd. “The Indian rupee, Indonesian rupiah, and Philippine peso have...
International Finance Corp. (IFC), the private-sector lending arm of the World Bank Group (WBG), will invest up to $25 million in a structured debt fund that will finance financial technology (fintech) companies, including those operating in the Philippines. In an April 13 disclosure, IFC said its...
Moody’s Ratings affirmed the long-term deposit ratings of three major Philippine lenders, shifting its outlook on Security Bank Corp. to stable as capital pressures ease following the sharp slowdown in credit expansion. The global debt watcher kept the "Baa2" ratings—consistent with the...
Ty-led Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) has successfully raised ₱35 billion from the issuance of Series F Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) sustainability peso-denominated fixed-rate bonds, its largest peso bond issuance to date and seven times the base offer of ₱5...
With headline inflation accelerating more than expected in March, Frankfurt-based Deutsche Bank AG warned that spillover effects from rising energy costs could soon start to surface across other sectors of the local economy. Deutsche Bank Research noted in its April 10 report that in the...
The collapse of peace talks between the United States (US) and Iran over the weekend could hurt semiconductor manufacturers in Asia, including the Philippines, according to British banking giant Barclays. “A prolonged energy disruption could lead to a tail-risk scenario that hits semiconductor...
The peso is struggling to claw back losses despite the two-week ceasefire between the United States (US) and Iran, remaining an outlier in a regional currency recovery as markets focus on the country’s acute sensitivity to energy prices. While the brief cessation of hostilities sparked a relief...
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is planning to mobilize up to $6 billion by 2030, alongside institutional support for capital market regulators in Southeast Asia, to deepen regional capital markets and strengthen long-term financial resilience against external shocks. The initiative aims to...
The Philippines’ push to secure an ‘A’ sovereign credit rating is facing mounting roadblocks, as global shocks, fiscal pressures, and policy risks converge at a critical juncture for the Marcos Jr. administration. The challenge sharpened after S&P Global Ratings revised the country’s...
State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has been named the top disbursement partner for the Pag-IBIG Fund’s digital payment initiatives, reinforcing the lender’s role in streamlining the financing pipeline for the nation’s housing sector. The Pag-IBIG Fund, officially known as...
The Philippines is among developing economies in Asia-Pacific that continue to lag behind advanced regional peers in artificial intelligence (AI) preparedness, limiting near-term gains due to gaps in infrastructure, skills, and innovation capacity, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)....
