The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is pushing to close a persistent financing gap for micro, small and medium enterprises, with bank loans to the sector reaching more than P580 billion but accounting for only about 6 percent of total business lending.
Treasury bill yields rose across all maturities at Monday’s auction as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ recent rate hike pushed borrowing costs higher and investors braced for the possibility of further monetary tightening.
Philippine inflation eased to a five-month low of 6.1 percent in August, offering some relief after prices accelerated sharply earlier this year, but the reading remained elevated enough to underscore the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ decision to raise interest rates last week.
Treasury bill yields rose across all tenors at Monday’s auction as investors priced in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ recent rate hike and the possibility of further monetary tightening.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Thursday delivered a preemptive 25-basis-point rate hike and left the door open to further tightening as stubborn inflationary pressures threaten to keep prices above the central bank’s target range.
Nearly 1 million Filipinos benefited from the Marcos administration’s Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! program in September, the highest monthly turnout since the affordable rice initiative was launched in May last year, as the government seeks to ease food costs for households struggling to make ends meet.
Business sentiment stayed pessimistic in September 2026, according to the latest Business Expectations Survey released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, although confidence readings for the near‑term and year‑ahead outlook remained positive. The current‑month confidence index improved slightly to ‑8.4 percent from ‑10.9 percent in August, still signaling more firms were downbeat about present conditions.
East West Banking Corporation (EastWest) turned in a ₱5.0‑billion net income for the first nine months of 2026, delivering solid profitability even as broader economic conditions grew more challenging, a performance that signals resilient core operations for investors and market watchers.
The Mary Mediatrix Medical Center (MMMC) has forged a partnership with Inspire Healthcare Singapore and the Singapore Nurses Association (SNA) to advance its Geriatric Unit, as the hospital moves to address the rising healthcare demand from older adults across Southern Luzon.