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 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...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) retains room for an additional 50 basis points (bps) of rate hikes at its remaining policy meetings, potentially closing the year with a benchmark rate of 5.25 percent, according to Japanese financial giant MUFG Bank Ltd. MUFG Global Markets Research wrote in...
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 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...
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 central bank expects consumer price growth to have slowed to a three-month low in July, driven by cheaper staple foods, even as a weakening currency and elevated energy costs threaten to sustain inflationary pressures. Headline inflation likely settled between 5.6 percent and 6.6 percent in...
Asia-Pacific (APAC) banks, including Philippine lenders, are facing a tighter monetary policy environment amid subdued domestic demand, as regional economies remain vulnerable to a resurgence in inflation driven by El Niño. “APAC banks face weaker domestic demand and tighter policy settings in...
A “triple threat” of crude oil prices topping $80 per barrel, Metro Manila’s ₱85 daily wage hike, and severe El Niño conditions could push third-quarter Philippine inflation back to levels seen during the height of the Middle East crisis and prompt the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to...
Elevated energy costs, weak investment, and softer domestic demand are slowing the Philippines’ recovery from its recent growth slump, according to Singapore-based United Overseas Bank Ltd. (UOB), warranting continued monetary policy tightening by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). In its...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is facing intensifying pressure to aggressively tighten monetary policy, with private-sector economists predicting up to 175 basis points in interest-rate hikes this year as geopolitical conflict and severe weather threaten to upend the inflation outlook. A...
