The World Bank warned that the Philippines’ broad-based economic slowdown in the first quarter of 2026 could spill over into weaker household incomes and higher food prices as the country grapples with an escalating energy price shock triggered by tensions in the Middle East. In its latest...
De La Salle University (DLSU) economists slashed their 2026 Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 3.11 percent from 3.79 percent previously, warning that the economy is facing mounting pressure from the Middle East conflict, elevated inflation, and lingering domestic...
Even as the Philippines is seen posting its weakest post-global financial crisis (GFC) growth, think tank Oxford Economics still stands firm on its assumption that local monetary authorities will emerge among the “active hawks” on monetary policy, with jumbo rate hikes looming. Louise Loo, Asia...
While the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is seen raising key borrowing costs by up to 100 basis points (bps) more should inflation worsen, MUFG Bank Ltd. warned that such hawkish adjustments may not be enough to prop up the underperforming peso. According to the Japanese financial giant, the...
British banking giant HSBC is now leaning toward back-to-back jumbo interest rate hikes that could lift policy rates to six percent, as signs of de-escalation in Middle East tensions remain muted—potentially forcing the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to add another layer to its...
An off-cycle policy meeting by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) could signal to investors that the central bank is falling behind the inflation curve, potentially triggering further market volatility, according to a former senior policymaker. Diwa Guinigundo, a former BSP deputy governor who...
Samarkand, UZBEKISTAN — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said central banks should be cautious about raising interest rates too quickly in response to supply shock-driven inflation, even as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is now widely expected to tighten monetary policy further after April...
Local monetary authorities face the growing challenge to stabilize surging consumer prices as the initial pass-through of global oil inflation threatens to push the headline rate into double digits by the fourth quarter of the year. The mounting risk that inflation expectations could become...
Singapore-based DBS Bank Ltd. sees the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) potentially calling another off-cycle policy meeting in May, where an interest rate hike may now be on the table, as war-driven pressures continue to weigh on the peso and raise the risk of elevated consumer prices staying...
A group identifying itself as “Concerned Health Workers” has filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) against Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Glen Matthew Baggao, accusing him of conflict of interest and procurement-related violations involving government-funded...
United Kingdom (UK)-based think tank Pantheon Macroeconomics said the Philippine economy remains too fragile to quickly pass through surging energy prices into demand-side pressures, suggesting that the latest interest rate hike is likely a one-off move. As such, the benchmark rate at 4.5 percent...
The peso tumbled to a fresh record low on Tuesday, April 28, breaching the 61-level as a resurgent United States (US) dollar and the broad exodus from emerging-market assets overwhelmed the central bank’s recent efforts to shore up the currency through tighter monetary policy. The peso plunged to...
