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)....
Net inflows of brick-and-mortar foreign direct investments (FDI) in the Philippines fell to $443 million in January from $729 million a year ago, as rising geopolitical risks weighed on investor sentiment at the start of the year. This marks the lowest level in four months since the $316 million...
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...
Previously capping loan terms at five years at most, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has moved to amend this rule, proposing a principles-based approach where loan length will be based on a comprehensive assessment of a borrower’s creditworthiness. Under a draft circular, which is...
The ceasefire-driven rally of Asian currencies, including the Philippine peso, may be short-lived as global oil risks linger, according to Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd. (OCBC). In an April 9 report, OCBC Group Research foreign exchange (FX) strategists Sim Moh Siong and...
The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) is urging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to deepen regional financial connectivity, positioning stronger and more integrated capital markets as a critical buffer against external shocks like the war in the Middle East. In a speech...
The jump in the March inflation rate has set the stage for a potential 50-basis-point (bp) rate hike by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) during the second quarter, according to global investment banking giant Goldman Sachs. In an April 7 report obtained by Manila Bulletin, Goldman Sachs...
The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a multi-partner fund aimed at financing critical project preparation for cross-border energy and transmission infrastructure in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), marking the first initiative of its kind in the region. The...
The World Bank approved another $600-million loan for the Philippines last Good Friday, April 3—this time to fund efforts to improve the country’s education system. In a statement published on Monday, April 6, the Washington-based multilateral lender said over 21 million K-10 students and...
