Japan, the Philippines' third-largest trading partner, saw its economy contract by 0.2 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, according to revised government data released recently. While the updated figure marks an improvement from the earlier 0.7 percent decline estimate, it highlights a reversal from the 2.2 percent growth logged in 4Q 2024 and marks the first annual contraction in a year.
The country's gross international reserves (GIR) rose slightly to USD105.5 billion as of end-May 2025, up from USD105.3 billion a month earlier, according to preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The increase reflects continued strength in the country’s external sector and supports the BSP’s macroeconomic stability objectives.
Students, faculty, and legal luminaries from top Philippine universities and schools have called on the Senate to immediately open the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. They warned that any delay or dismissal would erode democracy and betray public trust.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) aims to increase the current 3-ton load limit at the San Juanico Bridge to as much as 12 tons in as quickly as six months to help arrest the transport mayhem that has forced Samar authorities to declare a state of emergency in the province.
The Philippine labor market held its ground in April, even as early signs of strain emerged beneath the surface. Unemployment inched up slightly to 4.1 percent, from 4.0 percent a year earlier, yet the economy still managed to add more jobs and keep employment rates above 95 percent—a level considered healthy by most standards.