International Finance Corp. (IFC) has approved its planned investments in two private equity (PE) funds that are eyeing investments in the Philippines and the broader Southeast Asian region. In disclosures last May 7 and April 24, respectively, the World Bank Group’s (WBG) private-sector lending...
International Finance Corp. (IFC) is preparing a fresh investment in the Philippines’ growing digital infrastructure sector, backing a local company planning to expand data center capacity outside Metro Manila. Manila Bulletin reported earlier that the World Bank Group’s (WBG) private-sector...
During intense deliberations that preceded the 2005 enactment of the Expanded Value Added Tax (E-VAT) Law, which also covered oil and electricity, lawmakers defended the measure as a treasury-tightening mechanism; an unpopular but calculated imposition designed to raise massive revenues so it could...
International Finance Corp. (IFC) is preparing a fresh investment in the Philippines’ growing digital infrastructure sector, backing a local company planning to expand data center capacity outside Metro Manila. The World Bank Group’s (WBG) private-sector lending arm disclosed last May 8 that it...
The World Bank has canceled part of the loans for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) while as project scope was pared down with only five months left before its financing closes. A May 8 restructuring paper seen by Manila Bulletin showed that the Washington-based multilateral lender, effective Jan....
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Philippine government have launched a technical cooperation project aimed at strengthening sustainable finance and climate-related transparency frameworks in the country. In a statement on Saturday, May 9, JICA Philippines said that it signed...
President Marcos’ chief economic manager brushed off concerns over the country’s fiscal position, assuring markets that the government remains financially stable and still has room to borrow further if needed to cushion the economy from energy shocks. This comes against the backdrop of...
Public debt in the Philippines moved closer to the 60-percent level at the end of the first quarter of 2026, as the government continued to ramp up borrowings while the private sector remained cautious amid risks stemming from the war in the Middle East. The latest Global Debt Monitor of the...
The Department of Finance (DOF) is moving to overhaul the country’s real estate taxation, targeting 2028 for the full rollout of a market value-based property valuation system. In a statement, the DOF said the initiative aims to replace the long-standing and currently suspended zonal value...
The Philippines faces mounting economic and financial risks from climate change, with projected losses reaching as much as 13 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2040 unless the country urgently scales up climate financing and aligns adaptation and mitigation efforts, according to state-run...
International Finance Corp. (IFC), the World Bank Group’s (WBG) private-sector lending arm, has officially invested in Philippine microfinance institution CreditAccess Philippines Financing Co. Inc. (OnePuhunan). IFC disclosed last April 23 that its up to $60-million investment was infused into...
The Philippines and the United States (US) have moved to accelerate the 2026 development agenda for the Luzon Economic Corridor, signaling a deepening of trilateral ties to transform Manila’s industrial heartland into a premier investment destination. Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go met with...
