Economy

Bargain-hunting lifted the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) on Wednesday as buying interest resumed, which also benefited the Philippine peso. The local bourse’s main index rose 0.74 percent to 6,302.50 points, and the broader All Shares by 0.55 percent to 3,398.45 points. Financials led the sectoral gauges in tracking the main index after it rose 1.13 percent, and was trailed …

The Philippines’ unemployment rate shot up again in May, 2026, negating whatever measures the government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been doing to remedy the labor problem.  The government just can’t generate enough jobs for every worker willing to work. Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the number of unemployed Filipinos rose to 2.5 million …

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) downgraded its Philippine economic growth forecast to 3.8 percent this year. In its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) report for July 2026 published last Wednesday night, July 8, the Manila-based multilateral lender sharply cut its 2026 gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection for its host country from 4.4 percent previously. The latest forecast is within the …

Factories all over the country expanded their productive activities last June amid stronger output and new orders, S&P Global said last week. S&P Global Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) inched up to 50.9 in June from 50.8 in May, signaling a second consecutive month of modest improvement in operating conditions across the country’s goods-producing sector. A PMI reading above …

The Philippines is now classified as an upper-middle income country (UMIC) by the World Bank, reflecting the economy’s broad-based expansion. The World Bank’s latest country income classification showed the Philippines posted a record gross national income (GNI) per capita of $4,850. This was higher than the GNI per capita of $4,470 last year, when the Philippines narrowly missed the UMIC …

Once again, the government turned to borrowing to fund its operations.  People are wondering how the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would be able to pay back these loans. The Bureau of Treasury has announced that the outstanding  debt of the national government of the Philippines is at P18.55 trillion as of end of May 2026, indicating a 0.41% …

The Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has said that structural challenges continue to weigh on the country’s competitiveness, particularly high logistics expenses and regulatory bottlenecks. This, as the WTO recognized that the Philippines made progress in lowering trade barriers and attracting investments over the past several years, but sustaining those gains will require deeper reforms to reduce logistics …

Filipino consumers will have the freedom to choose their own electricity supplier as the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has lowered the minimum required consumption to 100 kilowatts (kW) from 500 kW. In a statement, the commission said the lowering of the threshold under the retail competition and open access (RCOA) and the retail aggregation program (RAP) took effect on June …

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has announced that the government of The Netherlands is keen on investing in the Luzon Economic Corridor, the AI and microchips hub planned by the US State Department and the Philippines in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac. The Second Philippines-Netherlands Coordinating Authorities’ Meeting in The Hague, the DTI’s Bureau of International Trade Relations …

The BSP notes Fitch’s assessment and continues to closely monitor risks to credit quality, profitability, liquidity, and capital adequacy. Philippine banks remain well positioned to withstand potential shocks, supported by ample liquidity, adequate capital buffers, and manageable asset quality. While some pressure may emerge in specific borrower segments, risks remain contained, with no evidence of broad-based deterioration. The BSP expects …