The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) ended 2025 on the red, reversing its rise for the last three sessions, but the Philippine peso finished sideways against the United States dollar. it was reported by the state-owned Philippine News Agency (PNA). The local bourse’s main index shed 0.21 percent to 6,052.92 points, but the broader All Shares rose 0.25 percent to …
Read More »Banking & Finance
PalawanPay backs UP Fighting Maroons
PalawanPay renewed its commitment to the UP Fighting Maroons, highlighting partnership and shared purpose in their pursuit of excellence. PalawanPay, the e-wallet arm of the Palawan Group of Companies, proudly renewed its commitment to the UP Fighting Maroons, reinforcing its role as a steadfast partner in the team’s continued journey toward victory and growth. This renewed alliance reflects PalawanPay’s deep …
Read More »Information drive on FX market underway
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) wants the public to know more about the foreign exchange market (FX), especially investors and financial business stakeholders. This is the rationale for the BSP’s current move to engage in a nationwide information drive for a more investor-friendly FX environment. BSP Director Jodeth Niña R. Yeung has been conducting lectures in key regional centers including …
Read More »House OKs amendments to bank secrecy law
The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill amending the country’s bank secrecy law, which was passed several decades ago. The new measure allows the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to look into the accounts of bank officers and employees involved in illegal financial activities. House Bill 6707 aims to fight tax evasion, money laundering, and other …
Read More »Security Bank ramps up CSR projects
Security Bank is scaling up efforts to help the communities it serves. The bank is committed to provide tangible support for livelihoods, education, culture, and the environment. From agriculture to disaster response, Security Bank’s initiatives reached communities often left at the margins of growth. In Aklan, the Bank supported 40 solo parents and smallholder farmers by providing cacao seedlings, poultry …
Read More »Visa partners with LANDBANK on gov’t digital payments
Visa, a global leader in digital payments, has signed a strategic agreement with LANDBANK, a policy bank driving inclusive and sustainable development and among the country’s largest banks in terms of assets. This will expand digital payment acceptance across key government channels, enabling fast and secure digital transactions for various government services and supporting the government’s vision of a cash-lite …
Read More »BSP cuts interest rates for 5th time
By Diego C. Cagahastian The Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), decided to prune the nation’s interest rates by 25 basis points at its meeting last December 11. It was the MB’s last meeting for the year, and marked the fifth consecutive time that the rate was decreased. This time around, the Board lowered …
Read More »Banks shun loans to small businesses
The government, specifically the Senate and the House of Representatives, passes financial laws mandating banks to support agriculture, small businesses and rural cooperatives by giving them loans. In the case of the agriculture sector, a certain percentage of the banks’ loan allocations should be given to the farmers. But this is seldom observed, with banks giving priority to condominium developers …
Read More »SEC sets 6% cap on loans below 10K
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken up the cudgels for small borrowers, especially those who have been victimized by predatory lenders online. The SEC issued an order putting a cap of 6 percent per month or 0.2 percent a day as nominal interest rate that lending firms can charge on loans worth P10,000 and below. The corporate regulatory …
Read More »PH saddled with high interest payments
The country is paying more for interest on debts, specifically P723.2 billion from January to October this year, accounting for 37.4 percent of debt service. The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said debt payments increased during the first ten months of the year, driven by a double-digit jump in interest payments to domestic and foreign lenders. The government’s debt payments …
Read More »
The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business