Economy

Government statisticians reported a 2-percent inflation rate for January, the highest in 11 months,  but many Filipinos who are still reeling from higher prices of goods are not convinced. Such an inflation figure had the fastest pace since February 2025 when we notched 2.1 percent. Still, a huge part of the population aired doubts, pointing out that while the Philippine …

In January, the average price of local regular milled rice fell by 10.28% to P43.29 per kilo from P48.25 per kilo a year ago but inched up by 4.34% from P41.49 in December, according to the PSA.  Well-milled rice was likewise cheaper by 7.55% year on year at P50.05 per kilo from P54.14 but climbed by 3.73% from P48.25 in …

The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said the government is enforcing programs to manage price pressures emerging from the energy sector. It includes improving the Department of Energy’s Net Metering Program by enforcing time-bound local permitting, simplifying utility documentary requirements and expanding consumer incentives.   “The program allows consumers to install eligible renewable energy systems and export surplus …

More and more Filipinos in the labor force are finding it hard to land a job. The number of unemployed Filipinos increased to 2.26 million in December, higher than the 1.63 million logged in December 2024 and the previous month’s count of 2.25 million. For 2025, the jobless rate averaged 4.2%, equivalent to 2.14 million jobless Filipinos. This was higher …

Ten industry divisions performed so badly last year that the country’s manufacturing output decreased. This was according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Preliminary results of the PSA’s Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries showed that the Volume of Production Index (VoPI) for manufacturing posted an annual average decline of 0.02 percent last year, indicating a downtrend from the 0.7 …

It’s scraping bottom for the Philippine economy, but Cabinet officials in and out of Malacañang are still hopeful that the country a high middle-income status before the year ends. In 2025, the economy expanded by 4.4%, much weaker than the 5.7% growth in 2024. This was the weakest notch in five years or when GDP declined by 9.5% in 2020. …

THE Philippines can still hit the goal of becoming a high-income economy despite a run of below-potential growth, Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said on Thursday. This, following the release of disappointing data on how the national economy performed in 2025. “Our aspiration as a country, as reflected in our long-term plan, is to join our neighbors as a developed …

The Energy Regulatory Commission  (ERC) announced this week that it has approved Resolution No. 02, Series of 2026 setting a “Uniform National Lifeline Subsidy and Rate for the implementation of the Lifeline Program nationwide.” The lifeline subsidy is a passed-on charge against regular-paying consumers to shoulder the discounted rates for the electricity consumption of low-income consumers. Under the resolution, the …

The City of Manila recorded a 40 percent increase in new business permit processing alongside robust renewal activity, showing strong local business momentum, Bureau of Permits Director Levi Facundo reported Monday to Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso. As of January 25, 2026, the city processed 384 new business permits, up sharply from 176 during the same January 1–25 …

By DIEGO C. CAGAHASTIAN When President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. met with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona Jr. in Malacañang on Tuesday, the Palace spokeswoman tried to scrape the bottom of the economic cauldron to come up with something worth reporting to the press. Undersecretary Claire Castro of the Presidential Communication Office  had to make do with …