Weak and fragmented data systems are threatening to hold back the Philippines’ artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions, prompting the World Bank to call for greater investment in the infrastructure and governance needed to unlock the technology’s economic potential. In its policy note “From...
The Philippine economy could weaken further in 2026 as the prolonged war in the Middle East, governance concerns, and El Niño threaten growth while elevated inflation and borrowing costs cloud the outlook, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) warned. “The country’s...
Global debt watcher Fitch Ratings said the Philippines’ lackluster economic growth, which has hit record lows, is making it harder for the government to narrow its budget deficits, putting economic recovery ahead of fiscal consolidation. Fitch said in an Aug. 20 commentary that the country’s...
The Philippines recorded its lowest poverty rate on record last year, achieving its single-digit target ahead of schedule as sustained economic growth and tamer inflation boosted household incomes. According to full-year data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the country’s...
The Philippines ranked first globally in high-technology exports as a share of total trade, but weak research productivity and university-industry engagement continue to weigh on the country’s innovation performance, according to the National Innovation Council (NIC). In its 2025 progress report,...
A grim word is beginning to circulate in discussions of the Philippine economy: stagflation. Strictly speaking, the country is not there yet. Growth has slowed sharply and inflation remains uncomfortable, but unemployment is not exceptionally high and output continues to expand. A better...
There was a time early in the Marcos administration when the Philippine economy appeared to have recovered its stride. Coming out of the pandemic, growth was vigorous. But the trajectory since then tells a much less reassuring story. By the second quarter of 2026, gross domestic product (GDP)...
The government’s practice of issuing blanket class suspensions during severe weather is threatening long-term economic growth by deepening the existing learning crisis, according to a former state planning chief. Karl Kendrick Chua, who served as socioeconomic planning secretary, cautioned that...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) signaled it remains prepared to adjust monetary policy further as upside risks to inflation accelerate and spillover effects threaten to broaden across the economy. Speaking at a legislative budget briefing on Monday, Aug. 17, BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr....
The Philippines must push through political and economic reforms in the final two years of the Marcos Jr. administration to rebuild confidence and strengthen the economy’s growth potential, according to the country’s chief economist. During the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC)...
Fears that artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to massive job losses in the Philippines’ information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry may be overstated as the sector continues to grow despite the rapid adoption of the technology, the country’s chief economist...
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. said the central bank had projected second-quarter economic growth to pick up faster than the actual reading, but noted that output remains weak. Speaking at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) economic forum...
