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Q1 N.G. DEBT PAYMENTS DOUBLE TO ₱737.405B
DEBT payments of the government doubled to P737.405 billion in the first quarter of the year, driven by a 4.5-fold increase in amortization. Latest figures from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTR) showed that the government’s debt payments surged by...
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“ POOR ACADEMICS ALARMING; HOW ABOUT CHARACTER?
ALTHOUGH academics are very important, characters should always be there.” This was stressed by Stonyhurst Southville International School–malarayat (SSISM) Campus Principal Donnabelle L. Atienza in an interview with Businessmirror, following the...
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ASEAN SUMMIT BUILDS CRISIS-READY REGION
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pushed for a crisis-ready Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) during the concluded 48th Summit of the regional bloc in Cebu with proactive mechanisms on energy, food, trade, maritime security and migrant worker...
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JOBLESS RATE REFLECTS M.E. WAR’S EARLY IMPACT
THE country’s 5 percent unemployment rate in March may already be reflecting the early impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict on the domestic labor market, with economists warning that employment conditions could deteriorate further in the coming...
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Q1 GROWTH, INFLATION IN APRIL SEEN HIGHER
MOODY’S Analytics said Philippine economy likely picked up in the first quarter and grew by 3.9 percent, but inflation may have also accelerated to 5 percent in April. In its weekly Asia Pacific Economic Preview, Moody’s Analytics said “March-quarter...
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Q1 BORROWINGS UP 35% ON FRONTLOADING TACK
THE national government has already borrowed P1 trillion in just three months, relying on domestic sources as a buffer against global uncertainty, data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed. In the first quarter of 2026, the government’s gross...
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TRICKY BALANCE
The oil price shocks and related impacts of the Middle East conflict have added fuel to the call for increases in workers’ pay; and economists concede there’s no clear view of the right path. WITH prices already elevated and expected to remain so amid...
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‘Cost crunch puts firms, workers on same side’
EMPLOYERS and workers are carrying “legitimate burdens” as rising costs ripple through the economy, some business groups said, underscoring a shared pressure point as Labor Day discussions turn to wages and job stability. Current wage petitions are...
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HIGHER Q1 IMPORT BILL WIDENS TRADE DEFICIT
THE country’s import bill rose by 8.9 percent year-on-year and continued to exceed export receipts, widening the trade deficit in the first quarter. Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the trade gap reached $12.8...
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M.E. CRISIS MAY PUSH Q1 GROWTH BELOW 3%
PHILIPPINE growth may slow further in the first quarter of 2026, as lingering fallout from last year’s corruption scandal and renewed pressures from the Middle East crisis weigh on the economy, the country’s chief economist said. Department of...
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DOE: BAN ON NEW COAL POWER PROJECTS STAYS
ENERGY Secretary Sharon Garin said Monday the ban on new coal-power projects stays. “We have a moratorium on new coal projects. If a permit was issued by 2019, even if you haven’t done it yet, you can complete it. But if you want a new permit, you...
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THINK TANKS SEE MORE RATE HIKES IN JUNE, AUG
RESEARCH institutions are expecting the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to deliver two quarter-point rate hikes at its upcoming policy meetings in June and August, raising the key interest rate to 5 percent amid a “deteriorating” inflation outlook...
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PEZA PUSHES ‘FRICTION-FREE’ EXPANSION IN TRADE LANES
RECENT policy changes removing electronic cargo tracking requirements for qualified exporters are aimed at reducing “friction” in supply chains and improving the country’s trade competitiveness, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) said. This...
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‘ADDRESS RISKS BEHIND FITCH NEGATIVE OUTLOOK’
FOLLOWING Fitch Ratings’ “negative” outlook on the Philippine sovereign, economists said the government must urgently address the risks that prompted the downward revision to safeguard its investment-grade standing. In a rating action commentary,...
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PHL PAYMENTS SOAR ON MATURITY OF GOVT DEBT
THE national government’s debt payments in the first two months of 2026 surged by 258 percent year-on-year due to large bond maturities and a weaker peso. Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTR) showed debt payments ballooned by 258.18...
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ATOMIC SHIFT
THE Iran war’s global energy shock is causing some nations in Asia and Africa to boost nuclear power generation and spurring atomic energy plans in non-nuclear countries on both continents. Asia, where most of the Middle Eastern oil and natural gas...
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BSP MAY YET HOLD OFF ON RATE HIKE–EXPERT
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) still has room to keep the policy rate unchanged at its April 23 policy meeting as demand-side pressures remain contained, according to an economist of Standard Chartered Bank. In a statement on Friday, Standard...
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CRISIS SEEN TEMPERING REMITTANCES GROWTH
FAMILIES of overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) should start managing the remittances of their loved ones wisely as faster inflation and higher fuel prices in host economies could make it difficult for those working abroad to send more money back...
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VAT ON OIL STAYS, FUND EYED IN CRISIS RESPONSE
CONCERNED over the potential impact of a suspension of Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products on government response to the Middle East crisis, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday he is not keen on the proposal made by several groups,...
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2-MO BORROWINGS RISE 60% ON RISKS HEDGING
THE national government’s gross borrowings for the first two months of the year soared by 60 percent year-onyear to raise funds early amid geopolitical risks, including tensions in the Middle East. Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTR)...
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TOURISM TORCH PASSED, FINALLY
AS the new Tourism Secretary, Bernadita “Dita” Angara-mathay faces the incredible task of encouraging more foreign tourists to visit the Philippines, at a time when the Middle East conflict has resulted in higher jet fuel prices—something that will...
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ADB cuts PHL growth forecast for ’26 to 4.4%
THE Philippines’s growth is set to stall at 4.4 percent this year, matching its 2025 pace, as tensions in the Middle East cloud the outlook, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Friday. In its Asian Development Outlook, the multilateral lender cut...
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WAR RISKS CAUSE S&P OUTLOOK DOWNGRADE
INCREASED risks to the Philippines’s external and fiscal position from the Middle East conflict prompted Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings to downgrade its outlook to “stable” from “positive,” as uncertainty remains high. The credit rater on...
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WB CUTS PHL GROWTH OUTLOOK TO JUST 3.7%
THE World Bank sharply downgraded its growth outlook for the Philippines this year, flagging the country’s heavy exposure to the Middle East conflict as a key risk to expansion. In its East Asia and Pacific economic update, the Washingtonbased lender...
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MARCH INFLATION AT 4.1%, HIGH PRICES TO PERSIST
PRICES of basic commodities are expected to remain elevated in the coming months as higher oil prices continue to ripple through the economy, with economists warning this could mirror the surge seen during the Russiaukraine war. On Tuesday, the...
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GROWTH-INFLATION SWAP IN REGION A RISK–AMRO
EVEN as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is seen to adopt a neutral stance this year given that inflation forecast still settles within the central bank’s target band, a regional economic think tank warned that sustained rise in global energy...
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BMI DOWNGRADES PHL FORECAST ON WAR RISKS
PROLONGED geopolitical tensions stemming from the Middle East conflict are expected to weigh more heavily on the Philippines’s economic growth, prompting an international research firm to downgrade its forecast. BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, now...
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RE-ACHING FOR THE MOON?
THE renewable energy (RE) goals of the Philippines will be achieved, possibly earlier than the targets set, despite significant, ongoing setbacks. When the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 was passed, the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) 2011-2030...
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END-FEB N.G. DEBT HITS RECORD HIGH OF ₱18.16T
OUTSTANDING debt of the national government hit a fresh record high of P18.159 trillion as of the end of February 2026, a level that could rise further on a weaker peso and heightened global uncertainty. Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury...
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END-FEB N.G. DEBT HITS RECORD HIGH OF ₱18.16T
OUTSTANDING debt of the national government hit a fresh record high of P18.159 trillion as of the end of February 2026, a level that could rise further on a weaker peso and heightened global uncertainty. Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury...
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EXPERTS TRACKING OIL SHOCKS PASS-THROUGH
FINANCIAL institutions are now keeping an eye on how fast war-driven oil price shocks will transmit into food and transport prices in the Philippines after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) signaled that it cannot raise its key policy rate yet as...
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PHL-CHINA SCS DIALOGUE TACKLES ENERGY AND OIL
THE Philippines and China were at loggerheads over continued clashes in the South China Sea, as senior officials resumed bilateral dialogue in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province on March 27–28. While locked in sovereignty disputes over islands and maritime...
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PHL TOURISM FACES HEADWINDS AS FUEL PRICES SURGE, FLIGHTS CUT
PHILIPPINE tourism stakeholders are bracing for a possible impact on inbound tourists and domestic travelers as the conflict in the Middle East continues to create uncertainties in the cost of airfares and travel packages to their desired...
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PHL TALKING TO CHINA, JAPAN ON ENERGY DEALS
THE Philippines is working on two key fronts in oil diplomacy, with senior officials in separate talks with China and Japan on possible energy cooperation to ensure stable oil supply amid signs the war in the Middle East might persist longer. Senior...
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PESO HITS NEW RECORD LOW AS CRISIS DEEPENS
THE Philippine peso plunged to a new record low of P60.30 against the greenback on Monday as “war rhetoric” by the United States and Iran intensified. Data from the Bankers’ Association of the Philippines (BAP) showed the peso closed at P60.30 per $1...
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INTEREST RATES SEEN RISING ON COSTLY OIL
THE Philippines’s central bank could end up hiking policy rates by as much as 175 basis points if the price of global crude oil lingers at $100 per barrel, Japan-based think tank Nomura’s said in a report. As the conflict in the Middle East enters...
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ACID TEST FOR ASEAN: A CRISIS IN TAIWAN
THE war in the Middle East has once again laid bare the fragility of global crisis-response systems. From Israel to Gaza, governments scrambled to evacuate their nationals as rockets fell and air routes narrowed. Thailand alone repatriated nearly...
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Philippines convenes to save its mangroves
AMID the rising threats to the coastal communities throughout the archipelago from intensified storms, rising sea levels, shifting coastlines, and infrastructure developments that challenge science based conservation initiatives, hundreds of stakefrom...
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CRISIS WEAKENS PESO TO NEW RECORD LOW
THE Philippine peso slumped to a new all-time low as it breached the 60-to-the-dollar level on Thursday due to escalating tensions in the Middle East which fueled the strength of the dollar as investors pour their assets into the “safe haven”...
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BSP EYES ‘PERSISTENCE, SEVERITY’ OF PRICE JOLTS
THE “severity” and “persistence” of oil price shocks will shape the central bank’s monetary policy decisions in the next few quarters, according to an official of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Zeno Ronald R. Abenoja, BSP Deputy Governor for...
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INTEREST SWELLS DEBT SERVICE TO RECORD ₱2.1T
THE government paid a record P2.103 trillion to service its debt in 2025, driven by a surge in interest payments even as principal amortization slightly declined, according to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTR). Treasury data showed the government’s...
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A LONG-OVERDUE FIX FOR METRO MANILA COMMUTES
FOR many workers in Metro Manila, long and unpredictable commutes continue to take a toll on productivity and daily life. But transport officials and industry leaders say expanding transit-oriented developments (TODS) and intermodal hubs could help...
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Asean ministers call for immediate halt to hostilities after emergency meeting
ASEAN must bolster coordination and informationsharing among foreign ministries as their embassies and consulates work to evacuate nationals trapped by escalating missile strikes involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. This priority was...
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‘HIGH OIL PRICES COULD TRIGGER 4% INFLATION’
INFLATION could hit 4 percent as early as March if the price of Dubai crude oil persists above $100 per barrel, according to a bank economist. “Initially, when this war was starting last week, we were looking at close to 4 percent inflation for...
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‘PREPARE FOR WORST,’ DOE COUNSELS PUBLIC
PREPARE for the worst but hope for the best. A day after oil firms started implementing the highest, largest single-week increase, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said Tuesday that the worst is not yet over. “For me, I would expect the worst because...
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PESO DOWN TO RECORD LOW AS OIL PRICES SOAR
THE Philippine peso has plunged to a new record low of P59.50 against the dollar on Monday, after global crude oil prices surged past the $100 per barrel level amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Data from the Bankers’ Association of the...
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PUBLIC BRACES FOR OIL PRICE IMPACT SHOCKS
CONSUMERS should brace for spiraling fuel prices this week and possibly higher power rates that could be reflected in their succeeding electric bills. on initial estimates provided by Rino Abad, DOE (Department of Energy)-oil Industry Management...
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PERFECT STORM
THE Philippines is bracing for a perfect storm of crises as the escalating war in the Middle East threatens to trigger a mass repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) and a crippling energy price surge. With 2.4 million Filipinos living and...
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BSP TRACKS OIL, DOLLAR AS PESO BREACHES ₧59:$1
IF the price of oil shoots up to $100 per barrel and the dollar continues to strengthen, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it may consider a hike in interest rates. BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. said this in a televised interview on Friday...
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NG DEBT BREACHES ₱18T ON FRONTLOADED LOANS
THE national government’s outstanding debt breached the P18-trillion mark in January, having frontloaded its borrowings in the first month of the year to shield itself from rising global interest rates. The Bureau of the Treasury (BTR) reported on...
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‘SPECIAL POWER’ TO FIX FUEL EXCISE TAX SOUGHT
AS the government braces for the economic impact of the volatile Middle East situation, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced he is considering asking Congress for “special powers” to temporarily adjust fuel excise taxes and implementing targeted...
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LOCAL OIL SUPPLY ‘OKAY,’ BUT PRICE SPIKES SEEN
OIL firms on Monday assured the Department of Energy (DOE) that they have secured their inventory supplies, with sufficient stocks to last for two months. However, local pump prices are expected to surge amid ongoing attacks by the US and Israel on...
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‘MIDEAST WAR DISRUPTS TRADE, ENERGY MARKETS’
THE Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) warned on Sunday that the aftermath of the weekend’s attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran— and Iran’s countermoves like attacks on Middle East countries hosting US bases and...
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Philippine diplomacy by the numbers
SPEECHES fade. Press releases are forgotten. Summit photo-ops capture only a single moment in time. If you want to understand a nation’s true geopolitical priorities, look past the rhetoric and follow the ink. The real language of foreign policy is...
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PAG-IBIG members’ returns up again; MP2 rate is 7.12%
WITH unprecedented dividend payouts in 2025, Home Development Mutual Fund, commonly known as PAG-IBIG Fund, raised higher returns for its members, as yields for the Regular Savings and MP2 Savings increased. During the Chairman’s Report 2025 on...
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‘WORLD OIL PRICES POSE RISK TO LOCAL INFLATION’
ALTHOUGH the Philippines is geographically far from geopolitical tensions abroad, rising global oil prices are emerging as a key upside risk to domestic inflation. National Statistician Dennis Claire S. Mapa said the sustained increase in pump prices...
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EXPERTS: OTHER GOVT OFFICES MUST HELP BSP
EDSA AT 40: REMEMBERING THE REVOLUTION People from all walks of life gathered on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, to mark the 40th anniversary of the People Power Revolution—the peaceful uprising that toppled the Marcos dictatorship and restored...
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‘OFW REMITTANCES MAY HIT RECORD HIGH ANEW’
DIVERSIFIED remittance sources and stable overseas employment across sectors may drive remittances to a new record high this year despite macroeconomic uncertainties, according to Maybank. “We expect full-year 2026 OFW Remittances to grow by 2.8...
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GEOPOLITICAL RISKS ARE HIGH ON EXPERTS’ RADAR
ANALYSTS are now closely watching the developments between the United States and Iran, as further escalation could result in higher oil prices and potentially trigger an uptick in the prices of commodities in the Philippines, a netimporting...
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BSP EASING CYCLE SEEN ENDING ON COSTLY OIL
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) may soon hit the brakes on monetary easing as it braces for evolving inflation dynamics, which includes potential oil price spikes, according to some analysts. “We expect the April rate cut that we forecast to...
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DECLINING CONFIDENCE SPURS 25-BPS RATE CUT
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) admitted that it has become “less certain” of the direction of the economy in the next quarter given the sliding confidence which dragged the pace of growth of the Philippine economy last year. The BSP Monetary...
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PHL EYES H2 FORAY IN GLOBAL BOND MARKET
THE Philippines is eyeing another foray into the global bond market in the second semester, according to National Treasurer Sharon P. Almanza. After the Bureau of the Treasury’s auction of 10-year fixed-rate treasury notes, Almanza told reporters that...
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BANKS SEEN TO FOCUS ON INFRA, CONSUMPTION
PHILIPPINE banks will likely focus on targeted lending to priority sectors like infrastructure and consumption this year as they transition from “pure growth mode” to a more disciplined and sustainable footing, according to an economist. Jonathan...
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PROPOSED REMITTANCE TAX IN U.S. CITED AS RISK
REMITTANCES remain a “key stabilizer” for the Philippine economy, but the main risk ahead is the proposed remittance tax in the United States, the Philippines’s top source of cash remittances. “The main risk ahead is the proposed US remittance tax—it...
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‘SUPPLY SHOCKS DULL RATE TWEAKS’ IMPACT’
RECURRENT food and oil price shocks are weakening the effectiveness of interest rate transmission, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said, as it urged the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to strengthen its monetary...
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THE LAST ADVANTAGE
“BE more human.” As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes how people work, communicate, create, and make decisions, experts say “human connection, emotional depth, and responsible authenticity” are becoming more critical than ever. While AI...
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BIR BENT ON MEETING ₱3.58-T REVENUE GOAL
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is banking on sustained economic growth, expanded digitalization and taxes on digital services to meet its ambitious P3.579-trillion collection target this year. “We will do our best. It’s very challenging, but we...
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OECD: VAT EXEMPTIONS, TAX HOLIDAYS MUST GO
THE Philippines could generate more revenues by gradually removing major value-added tax (VAT) exemptions, phasing out income tax holidays and adopting an emissions trading system (ETS), according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and...
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INFLATION WILL HOVER AROUND 3% IN 2026, ’27
THE country’s headline inflation could hit a little above 3 percent in the second half of 2026 as the central bank expects oil prices to pick up. “We project that it [inflation] will hover around 3 percent over the next two years. Three percent is our...
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CAUTION RULES: FDI DIPS 22% TO $7.1B IN JAN-NOV
FOREIGN investors wary of governance and corruption issues may have chosen caution over pouring their capital into the Philippines, with foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the country continuing to plunge in the 11-month period in...
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‘GRADUAL 50-BPS RATE CUTS LIKELY THIS YEAR’
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) may deliver “gradual” 50-basis-point policy rate cuts in 2026 as inflation is expected to settle within the central bank’s target range with “manageable” price pressures, according to Maybank. “Recent inflation...
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