The political telenovela continues at the Senate with the emergence of a new crying lady, a public confession of sibling love manifested through culinary gifts, and most recently, the staging of a dramatic walkout. Yes Virginia, the Senate is currently in severe institutional turmoil. These...
The central bank and insurance regulators are pushing for the bundling of parametric insurance with traditional credit lines, aiming to unlock vital financing for sectors most exposed to worsening climate risks. By tying automated weather-indexed payouts directly to bank loans, regulators hope to...
The Philippines’ debt as a share of economic output is expected to remain elevated above 60 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year as the government ramps up borrowings to support its response to the national energy emergency amid the prolonged war in the Middle East. Based on the...
The national government’s (NG) usual April budget surplus shrank by more than half this year after the annual income tax returns (AITRs) filing and payment deadline was extended by one month due to the national energy emergency, although revenues were partly supported by millions of pesos in...
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. has urged banks to continue strengthening governance, transparency, and internal controls, saying these safeguards become most critical during periods of economic and financial uncertainty. Speaking during the inaugural Corporate...
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...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has amended the exposure limits for unit investment trust funds (UITFs), allowing funds invested in exchange-traded equities to take on larger exposure to a single entity or issuer under certain conditions. Under the BSP’s Circular No. 1234 signed by BSP...
The inflation-targeting Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to continue raising interest rates to contain surging inflation despite the risk of slower economic growth. In a May 22 report, Japanese financial giant MUFG Bank Ltd. said the Philippines is facing one of the most severe...
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 children of late Superstar and National Artist Nora Aunor commemorated what would have been her 73rd birthday in separate gatherings, recently. On May 21, Nora’s adopted children, Lotlot, Matet, Kiko, and Kenneth de Leon visited the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City to honor their late...
Let’s get away from the telenovela drama of the Senate with its shifting power dynamics and lingering public doubt and growing dismay—as well as the choppy trend in the cost of crude oil per barrel in the international market and its trickle-down negative effects on our way of life. Not that it...
