The Philippines’ outstanding national government debt ballooned to a record P18.49 trillion as of end-March 2026, as a sharp depreciation of the peso against the US dollar significantly increased the local currency value of the country’s foreign obligations.
The Philippines and Japan have started discussions to update their agricultural cooperation agreement ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s upcoming state visit to Japan later this month.
The Philippine labor market showed modest improvement in March, with unemployment easing slightly, though broader indicators suggest lingering pressures on job quality and workforce participation.
Agriculture and fisheries output in the first quarter of 2026 edged lower from a year earlier, as declines in crops and fisheries offset solid gains in livestock and poultry, underscoring uneven recovery across the sector.
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.