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...
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...
De La Salle University (DLSU) economists slashed their 2026 Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 3.11 percent from 3.79 percent previously, warning that the economy is facing mounting pressure from the Middle East conflict, elevated inflation, and lingering domestic...
The peso pierced the ₱61:$1 level on Tuesday, April 28, as the oil-vulnerable local currency continued to weaken amid uncertainties wrought by the prolonged war in the Middle East. As of 1:52 p.m., the peso hit an intraday low of ₱61.08 against the United States (US) dollar after opening...
Philippine economic growth in 2026 would have hit the government’s downgraded target range had the war in the Middle East been short-lived, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). However, the Bangkok-headquartered UNESCAP said a...
The ceasefire-driven rally of Asian currencies, including the Philippine peso, may be short-lived as global oil risks linger, according to Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd. (OCBC). In an April 9 report, OCBC Group Research foreign exchange (FX) strategists Sim Moh Siong and...
If the war in the Middle East prolongs and global oil prices continue to skyrocket, the Philippine peso could breach the ₱61:$1 level in the second quarter of 2026 and even hit as low as ₱62 to ₱64 against the United States (US) dollar. “Our base case forecasts for the US dollar-Philippine...
Singapore-based United Overseas Bank (UOB) expects lower interest rates to lift Philippine economic growth in the near term, despite lingering global challenges that would likely expand the domestic economy below the government’s goal for the year. In its Quarterly Global Outlook report for the...
After performing among the worst of Asian currencies last week, the Philippine peso is still expected by Japanese financial giant MUFG Bank Ltd. to gradually appreciate and return to the ₱56:$1 level next year. “All Asian currencies depreciated against the United States (US) dollar [last] week,...
After experiencing a three-day appreciation streak against the United States (US) dollar, the Philippine peso weakened again by shedding almost half-a-peso on Friday, July 25, despite the fresh market optimism over the latest trade deal with the US. According to the Bankers Association of the...
Even as the Philippine peso depreciated against the United States (US) dollar at a pace that was among the worst among emerging market (EM) currencies last week, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is still expected to cut interest rates this week. Data from the Bankers Association of the...
The Philippine peso is seen likely maintaining its relative strength against the United States (US) dollar for the rest of this year until early next year, as the greenback struggles amid US economic policy uncertainty, according to Japanese financial giant MUFG Bank Ltd. "We maintain our view for...
