The Philippines ended 2024 with a lower net international investment position (IIP) of $65.5-billion net external liability, as foreign investments in the country declined faster than its assets abroad. Preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that the end-December’s net...
Loans issued by foreign currency deposit units (FCDU) of banks increased modestly to $15.8 billion as of end-December 2024 as disbursements exceeded principal repayments, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed. The increase in the last quarter of 2024 was $72.4 million or...
The Philippines would buck the trend of weak growth prospects in emerging markets (EMs) amid the United States' (US) tariffs threat, according to the think tank Capital Economics. "In all, aggregate EM GDP growth is likely to slow in the coming quarters... we think growth will generally fall short...
A weaker peso, caused by United States (US) tariffs lifting the US dollar and the Philippines' wider current account deficit, may delay further interest rate cuts by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), according to Japanese banking giant MUFG Bank Ltd. "We forecast the BSP to cut rates by...
First-quarter sentiment among local business owners revealed reduced confidence in the industry's health, primarily due to a seasonal decline in consumer demand following the holiday period. According to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the overall confidence index (CI) declined to...
The country’s residential real estate market rebounded strongly in the final three months of last year, with nationwide property prices climbing by 6.7 percent, driven by substantial growth in areas outside Metro Manila. Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that the...
Large companies' heavy reliance on bank loans, particularly from major local banks, could amplify vulnerabilities within the Philippine financial sector, according to the 2024 Financial Stability Report (FSR). "Corporates’ heavy reliance on bank funding could amplify credit risks to the financial...
Digital payment transactions via PESONet and InstaPay increased by over 34 percent to ₱1.65 trillion in Febraury from ₱1.23 trillion in the same month last year. This is equivalent to a ₱420 billion increase from February 2024, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data. However,...
Malacañang has called on banks and financial institutions in the country to strengthen their cybersecurity policies following a reported increase in cyberattacks that resulted in P5.8 billion in losses last year. Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro (RTVM) Communications Undersecretary...
US President Donald J. Trump's protectionist policies remain the top risk to Philippine economic prospects this year, according to the think tank Capital Economics. "A key uncertainty over the coming year is whether and to what extent Donald Trump follows through with his threats to impose tariffs...
Amid tariff war-saturated global uncertainty and rising domestic prices, the potential for an inflation surge weighs heavily on the central bank's contemplated April 10 interest rate reduction. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. said in an interview with Bloomberg...
About ₱1.4 billion was the total value of coins the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) collected from its coin deposit machines installed across Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces. According to the central bank, the total coin deposits increased by nearly eight percent, or ₱100 million,...
