President Marcos’ chief economic manager stated that reducing the current 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) rate could weaken the government’s ability to fund operating expenses, such as personnel wages, as it would result in lower tax collections. Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said in an...
Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Ralph Recto on Tuesday, Oct. 14, said the Philippine economy may experience a temporary slowdown in the latter half of 2025 due to ongoing government reforms meant to ensure proper spending of taxpayers’ money, but he expressed optimism that growth will...
Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Ralph Recto on Tuesday, Oct. 14, said corruption in government infrastructure programs, particularly flood control projects, has hampered the country’s economic growth and affected the government’s ability to meet its revenue targets. During the Senate...
The World Bank has extended a $1.7-million, or over ₱98-million, grant to the Philippines to help prepare for a potential project loan that would support early childhood education in the country. In a Sept. 20 letter to Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto, the World Bank said this financing was...
A 35-year-old man was confirmed to have died after being hit by a stray bullet during the Sept. 21 riot in Recto, Manila, the Police District (MPD) confirmed on Monday, Sept. 29. MPD spokesperson Maj. Philipp Ines identified the fatality as Eric Saber, a construction worker from Tondo, Manila....
Pervasive corruption in the Philippines is preventing the country from realizing its full economic potential, despite President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. making “steady progress” on his reform agenda, according to the think tank Capital Economics. In its Asia Economic Outlook report for the...
A motel was vandalized by several masked rallyists along Recto Avenue in Manila as anti-corruption protests continued in parts of the city on Sunday, Sept. 21. According to authorities, the protesters threw rocks and debris at the glass windows and doors of the motel. Four men allegedly entered the...
The Philippines has been placed on a positive watchlist by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. for potential inclusion in its influential emerging market government bond index, a move that could attract a new wave of foreign investment and lower the nation 's borrowing costs. In a statement on Monday,...
The Philippines will repay until 2053 its latest $400-million (nearly ₱23-billion) loan from the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) that supports the Marcos Jr. administration’s “Walang Gutom” Food Stamp Program. Documents showed that Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto, on behalf of...
Amid the recent flood control scandals preoccupying the Philippine government, Japan has assured that it will continue extending low-cost loans for big-ticket bridge, spillway, and maritime projects. This reaffirmation comes as investigations into anomalous flood control projects are being...
The Philippines will repay its latest $700-million (over ₱39-billion) World Bank loan, which is aimed at strengthening community resilience, until 2053. The latest World Bank documents showed that Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto, on behalf of the Philippine government, signed the loan agreement...
With more than ₱50 billion in revenues being forgone due to the non-imposition of top-up taxes on large multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the Philippines, the Department of Finance (DOF) is eyeing to slap “very large” corporations with such a levy to contain the flight of potential tax...
