The Philippines remains far from stagflation despite high inflation and sluggish economic growth, members of the Marcos Jr. administration’s economic team said, pushing back against Monetary Board Member (MBM) Benjamin E. Diokno’s characterization of the current situation as “stagflation...
ILOILO CITY—Prices of basic goods and services in Western Visayas region continue to rise when the inflation rate was recorded at 7.8 percent in July 2026. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-6) reported that the region’s inflation rate rose by 1.0 percent last month. In comparison, the...
United Overseas Bank (UOB) is calling for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to raise its key interest rate to five percent at its upcoming policy meeting on Aug. 27, forecasting a final quarter-point increase to counter sticky inflation and support weakening peso. The Singapore-based lender...
Frankfurt-based Deutsche Bank expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to deliver another interest rate hike at its upcoming Aug. 27 policy meeting, despite slowing headline inflation and underperforming economic growth. In a commentary, Deutsche Bank projected a quarter-point increase this...
Pressure on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to raise its benchmark interest rate has eased after economic growth slowed to a post-pandemic low in the second quarter of the year, according to the central bank officials. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the central bank’s...
The Philippines faces difficulty bringing inflation back within target as a strengthening El Niño threatens to damage crops and push food prices higher, with the country already posting the highest inflation rate in the region, according to Moody’s Analytics. In an Aug. 7 report, Moody’s...
The Philippine economy faces an uphill battle in the second half of 2026 after posting its weakest post-pandemic growth, with private sector economists warning that faster infrastructure spending, easing inflation, and stronger investor confidence will determine whether the country can meet the...
Filipino consumers face a renewed risk of higher retail prices as manufacturers move to pass escalating production costs onto buyers, according to a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. report obtained by the Manila Bulletin. In the commentary, Goldman Sachs economists Chris Poh and Danny Suwanapruti noted...
Despite lingering upside risks to inflation, China Banking Corp. (Chinabank) expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to conclude its rate-hiking cycle this August, arguing that second-round inflation effects have largely dissipated. The projection follows a third consecutive month of...
The government attributed the easing of inflation in July to lower transport costs, improving supply conditions, and sustained interventions, even as officials vowed to continue measures aimed at stabilizing food prices and shielding vulnerable households from rising living costs. The Philippine...
Economic growth in the second quarter of 2026 may have slowed further to a post-pandemic low as Filipinos pumped the brakes on borrowing and spending, while public expenditure remained lackluster. In a report obtained by the Manila Bulletin, US financial giant Goldman Sachs Group Inc. noted that...
The World Bank urged the Philippines to accelerate power sector reforms to lower electricity costs and reduce its dependence on imported fuel, saying cheaper and more reliable power has become critical to sustaining economic growth, attracting investments, and reducing poverty after the country’s...
