The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has completed the third run of its flagship economic and financial literacy initiative, bringing the 2026 Economic and Financial Learning Program (EFLP) to Cabanatuan City on August 18 and 19, advancing the central bank’s policy goal of expanding accessible financial knowledge across underserved communities.
The Philippines’ gross international reserves (GIR) fell to USD103.3 billion at the end of July from USD104.7 billion a month earlier, while the country posted a USD1.5-billion balance of payments (BOP) deficit, reflecting continued pressure from external transactions.
Digital payments accounted for nearly two-thirds of retail transactions in the Philippines last year, putting the country within its national target range and underscoring how quickly electronic payments are replacing cash in everyday commerce.
Overseas cash remittances hit a mid-year peak in June 2026, climbing to US$3.04 billion. Marking the highest monthly cash inflow recorded throughout the first half of the year, the performance underscored the robust foreign exchange earnings sent home through the formal banking networks. Seasonally adjusted personal remittances, encompassing both formal bank transfers and informal channels as well as in-kind support, mirrored this upward trajectory over the same period.
Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and San Miguel Corp. are fast-tracking negotiations to consolidate their tollway operations into a single giant infrastructure platform, targeting to finalize the landmark deal within the year.