The reversal of the Philippines’ balance of payments (BOP) position to a surplus in June brought down the country’s BOP deficit by 3.5 percent to $5.6 billion in the first six months of 2025. Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that the BOP, which reflects the country’s ...
Citing serious and persistent violations of anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) Monetary Board (MB) has revoked the licenses of three money changer firms. Based on the BSP’s statement released on Wednesday, July 16, the three firms are the Prince...
Philippine thrift banks are bracing for a “very expensive” transition to digitalization as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) prepares to issue new digital centricity guidelines designed to ensure a level playing field between conventional and digital-first banks. On the sidelines of the the...
Cash sent home by Filipinos working and living overseas continued to increase in May on the back of sustained inflows from both land- and sea-based workers, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Money sent through banks by overseas Filipinos (OFs) increased by 2.9 percent to $2.66...
While several big-ticket government projects in the pipeline threaten to widen the Philippines’ current account deficit and put pressure on the trade balance, Germany-based Deutsche Bank said this could ultimately benefit the country’s economic growth and strengthen the peso in the long run....
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is seeking to implement stricter rules on online gambling payment services, including a ban on lending features and redirect links on payment platforms, to curb the social and financial risks linked to gambling. “It is imperative to ensure that digital...
With the Philippine peso emerging as an outperformer among Asian currencies following the United States’ (US) tariff hike, Japanese financial giant MUFG has maintained its forecast that the local currency will continue to strengthen in the fourth quarter of 2025 through next year. Last Friday,...
The Philippine banking system’s total assets climbed by 6.4 percent to ₱27.26 trillion as of end-May from ₱25.62 trillion a year ago, driven mainly by sustained double-digit growth in bank lending and continued expansion in deposits. Preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)...
After previously mandating tighter risk management procedures for banks, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has directed all regulated financial institutions to refrain from discriminating against persons of concern, such as refugees and asylum seekers, during customer due diligence. According...
The Philippine banking system’s gross non-performing loan (NPL) ratio slightly eased to 3.38 percent in May, as continued double-digit growth in bank lending expanded the loan base and, along with the central bank’s cumulative 1.25-percent policy rate cut, helped reduce borrowing costs and...
Net inflows of brick-and-mortar foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Philippines increased to $610 million in April, the highest in three months, driven by larger investments in the manufacturing sector from Japan. Net FDI inflows climbed by 7.1 percent from $570 million in April last year,...
While loans from big banks or universal and commercial banks, excluding investments in the central bank’s reverse repurchase (RRP), expanded at a slightly faster rate of 11.3 percent from April’s 11.2 percent, it remains relatively slower than March’s 11.8-percent expansion rate. In a...
