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WESM prices surge 49% in October on tight supply, higher demand
The average price of electricity at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) soared by 49.4 percent in October, reaching ₱4.54 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from ₱3.04/kWh in September, according to the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP).
Unemployment up slightly in September, fewer job seekers
The country’s unemployment rate inched up to 3.8 percent in September 2025 from 3.7 percent a year earlier, equivalent to 1.96 million Filipinos without work, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Thursday. Despite the slight uptick, the number of jobless declined from 2.03 million in August, suggesting some improvement in hiring momentum.
Credit, liquidity conditions stay supportive of economy
Lending by universal and commercial banks (U/KBs) continued to grow in September, alongside faster domestic liquidity expansion, according to preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Food price slowdown keeps inflation steady at 1.7% in October
Philippine headline inflation held steady at 1.7 percent in October 2025, unchanged from September and slower than the 3.0 percent recorded a year earlier, as food and transport costs continued to ease, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.
Economy seen expanding 5.9% in Q3, driven by consumer spending
The economy is expected to have grown by 5.9 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025, faster than the 5.5 percent expansion in the April–June period. The pickup, economists at Moody's Analytics said, is likely fueled by strong household consumption, supported by lower borrowing costs, easing inflation, and steady remittance inflows.
