Philippine manufacturing lost momentum at the end of the first quarter, as rising energy costs and geopolitical tensions weighed on the sector, according to the S&P Global Philippines Manufacturing PMI report released April 1.
Bribery, corruption, and persistent trade barriers at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have been flagged by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in its latest National Trade Estimate (NTE) report released March 31.
Initiatives to expand public-private partnerships (PPP) are set to strengthen the Philippines’ investment climate in 2026, creating a deeper pipeline of private equity (PE) opportunities, according to the Southeast Asia edition of Deloitte’s Private Equity 2026 Almanac.
The country’s financial position with the rest of the world improved modestly at the end of 2025, as the country’s net external liability narrowed to US$50.8 billion, down from US$52.1 billion in the previous quarter.
Taiwanese manufacturers of electric vehicle (EV) buses are exploring plans to establish a production facility in the Philippines, with a potential capital outlay of about USD25 million, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said.