Despite a sharp rise in April inflation and mounting external risks, the Philippines remains “on the right track,” according to Asian Development Bank chief economist Albert Park, who spoke to CNBC during the lender’s annual meeting in Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
Philippine inflation surged to a three-year high in April, exceeding expectations and strengthening the case for further monetary tightening, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The Philippines’ agricultural trade deficit widened sharply in March as import growth continued to outpace exports, highlighting persistent supply constraints despite rising overall trade, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The Philippines’ manufacturing sector slipped into contraction in April, its first downturn since November, as weakening demand and rising costs weighed on output, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The Philippines is moving to deepen cooperation with Israel on critical minerals processing and artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to climb higher in the global technology value chain.