The value and volume of domestic trade in the Philippines declined sharply in the first quarter of 2026 as escalating Middle East tensions toward the end of the quarter heightened prices and contributed to supply shortages, especially of fuel used to transport goods across the country. The latest...
The research arm of German lender Deutsche Bank expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to deliver bigger interest rate hikes than previously anticipated as inflation risks intensify, while also lowering its economic growth forecasts for the Philippines amid mounting external pressures and...
The interagency Financial Stability Coordination Council (FSCC) has flagged rising risks to the Philippine financial system stemming from the prolonged war in the Middle East, increasing corporate vulnerabilities, and growing household debt, although officials said the country’s banking sector...
Philippine economic growth would continue to underperform this year and next as the country faces not only headwinds from a prolonged war in the Middle East but also domestic challenges related to politics and corruption, according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF). The IIF’s latest...
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) warned that economic growth across the region is expected to slow over the next two years as soaring oil prices, supply chain disruptions, and rising food costs linked to the worsening conflict in the Middle East weigh on trade and consumer demand. In...
The Quezon City government extended its condolences and provided assistance to the family of a 53-year-old woman who collapsed while waiting for her Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) payout at Quezon City Hall on Tuesday, May 19. In a statement, the city government said the...
Private employers can now claim a dual tax deduction if they match or exceed the retirement contributions of their employees, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said, as policymakers seek to deepen the domestic capital market and boost corporate participation in the country’s voluntary savings...
Global debt watcher Fitch Ratings expects Philippine banks to face increasing costs as they write off unpaid debts and prepare for future losses while navigating an increasingly uncertain geopolitical and economic environment caused by the Middle East war. This outlook comes even as the Bangko...
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said multilateral development banks (MDBs) are coordinating efforts to help countries manage the economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East through financing support, policy assistance, private-sector instruments, and technical expertise. In a statement...
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...
Escalating tensions in the Middle East and the resulting spike in global oil prices could trigger broader economic disruptions in the Philippines, worsening inflation, weakening the peso, and raising costs across transportation, food, tourism, and other energy-intensive industries, according to...
Seven multilateral development banks (MDBs), including the Manila-based Asian Development Bank and the World Bank Group (WBG), pledged coordinated support measures to help countries manage the economic fallout from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In a joint statement released in Paris,...
