The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has downgraded its growth forecast for the Philippine economy for this year and in 2026, contrasting with its upward revisions for the rest of developing Asia. The Manila-based regional lender cited reduced public infrastructure spending following investigations into controversial flood-control projects as a key drag on economic momentum.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country reached US$320 million in September 2025, with Japan remaining the largest investor and manufacturing as the top recipient sector, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said on Wednesday.
The labor market strengthened in October as more Filipinos streamed into the workforce, even as unemployment rose from last year’s lows, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed Wednesday.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has cleared the expansion of the Aboitiz-backed West Cebu Industrial Park–Special Economic Zone (WCIP-SEZ), approving the addition of seven new land parcels that widen the zone’s footprint in Balamban, Cebu.