The Philippines is set to secure another $1-billion loan from the World Bank in June, this time for an energy project follow-through and coupled with a $20-million grant, making the package the largest single financing commitment extended to the country by the Washington-based multilateral lender....
The United States (US) government’s Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) has earmarked a $60-million grant for the Philippines focused on the energy sector. Documents discussed during the US aid agency’s economic advisory council meeting last month, which were made public last week, showed that the...
Social Security System (SSS) is preparing to launch an energy sustainability loan program in September to help qualified members finance residential solar panel systems amid elevated electricity costs. In a statement on Friday, May 22, SSS President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Robert Joseph...
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...
The Philippines rolled out one of the most extensive policy responses in Asia-Pacific to cushion the impact of global oil price and supply shocks, even as the country recorded among the steepest increases in fuel prices in the region, according to the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB). An...
The Philippine economy is facing its most severe test from the ongoing oil crisis, with economists warning that surging fuel costs and supply disruptions are exposing deep structural vulnerabilities and could derail growth prospects this year. In separate reports released on Friday, April 10,...
The interagency Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) has allowed registered business enterprises (RBEs) in economic zones and freeports to temporarily adopt work-from-home (WFH) arrangements of up to 90 percent of their workforce, following the declaration of a national energy emergency. In a...
The Philippines’ energy rationing measures, including a shortened four-day workweek for some government offices, are disproportionately hitting low-income households, raising risks of stagflation and potential social unrest, according to think tank Oxford Economics. In a report on Thursday, April...
The Marcos Jr. administration’s chief economic manager assured on Tuesday, April 7, that the Philippine government has enough resources to tackle the oil crisis head-on, given an improving fiscal position with rising revenues coupled with prudent spending on public goods and services. “Our...
The Philippines is facing an inflationary shock that could spill over to slower economic growth, potential job losses, and more capital market outflows amid a prolonged Middle East conflict, according to the World Bank. The global oil price and supply shock wrought by the war in Iran would “raise...
Multilateral lenders including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank Group (WBG) are moving to provide immediate financing and coordinated support to countries reeling from the economic fallout of the Middle East war. In a statement on...
The World Bank Group (WBG) said it is stepping up support for emerging market (EM) economies like the Philippines, as the ongoing Middle East conflict drives up commodity prices and disrupts global logistics, posing new risks to growth and food security. In a statement on Thursday, March 26, the...
