Signs of stagflation are surfacing in the Philippine economy as it enters the second quarter of 2026, with private sector economists warning of a precarious mix of stalled growth and surging consumer prices. The country’s economic output likely posted only a tepid recovery from the previous...
Businesses have turned more pessimistic about the global economic outlook amid the ongoing United States (US)/Israel war with Iran, according to think tank Oxford Economics. In an April 30 report, Oxford Economics head of macro scenarios Jamie Thompson said the conflict in the Middle East is...
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...
The Philippine economy faces a potential “second wave” of inflation and a sharp slowdown in growth if geopolitical volatility in the Middle East persists, according to HSBC. In a briefing on Tuesday, April 28, Aris Dacanay, HSBC senior Asean economist, warned that a prolonged blockade of the...
While Asian currencies have been on a modest decline since Middle East tensions flared up, Japanese financial giant MUFG Bank Ltd. said the Philippine peso was the biggest loser among regional currencies, given the domestic economy’s high exposure to imported oil. Separately, think tank Capital...
British banking giant Barclays has maintained its “underweight” rating on Philippine sovereign debt, following Fitch Ratings’ decision to downgrade the country’s credit outlook to ‘negative’ amid mounting fiscal and growth concerns. In an April 20 report obtained by Manila Bulletin,...
Fitch Solutions unit BMI expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to keep policy rates unchanged at its meeting on Thursday, April 23, as higher consumer prices weigh on household consumption and could further slow economic growth. This forecast comes on the back of March inflation data, which...
Philippine economic growth in 2026 would have hit the government’s downgraded target range had the war in the Middle East been short-lived, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). However, the Bangkok-headquartered UNESCAP said a...
I may have to eat humble pie if the Philippine peso weakens to ₱60 to the United States (US) dollar or above for a prolonged period in 2026. I have been cocksure that “the Philippine peso will not be a ‘senior citizen’ any time this year.” I had predicted the exchange rate would remain at...
Stalling public investments, compounded by vulnerability to the escalating impacts of the ongoing global energy shock, prompted global debt watcher Fitch Ratings to downgrade its outlook on the Philippines’ investment-grade status from ‘stable’ to ‘negative.’ This shift in outlook places...
British banking giant Barclays expects Philippine economic growth this year to fall to a new post-pandemic low, even as easing tensions in the Middle East may help limit further downside risks to the outlook. An April 17 report obtained by Manila Bulletin showed Barclays’ latest forecast of just...
Private sector economists are split over whether the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will raise interest rates this week, as the need to anchor inflation expectations and defend the peso battles concerns over the fragile economic recovery. Of 10 economists surveyed, five expect a 25-basis-point...
