Average rates on treasury bills drifted lower at the auction Monday as demand continued to increase after the central bank confirmed its commitment to further monetary policy easing this year.
The country's balance of payments (BOP) posted a surplus of USD609 million in 2024, a decline from the USD3.7 billion surplus in 2023, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). This, the BSP said, was driven by a widened current account deficit, which grew by 41.4 percent to USD17.5 billion for the year. The deficit stemmed from a larger trade deficit and reduced receipts in services, partially offset by increased income transfers.
Gold, as an asset, isn’t considered a favorable investment by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), as it typically leads to a negative carry due to custodial costs and price volatility.
Foreign direct investments (FDI) flowed inward on a net basis in December 2024, totaling USD110 million, representing a stark 85.2 percent decline from USD743 million from a year earlier. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) traced the drop primarily to increased debt repayments by resident corporations to foreign investors, which caused a shift in FDI composition.
The country’s foreign currency reserves stood strong at $104.8 billion as of the end of August 2026, driven by higher global gold prices and earnings from foreign investments, according to preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Although government withdrawals to pay off foreign debt offset some gains, the overall buffer remains well above global safety standards.
Pork farmgate prices have dropped sharply as domestic hog raisers rush sales ahead of the rainy season to avoid African swine fever (ASF) losses, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported Monday. Higher output from last year’s price surge, not imports, drives the shift—production rose 5.6npercent in Q2 while farmgate prices fell nearly 19 percent year-on-year.
The Philippine government has enough revenues to service its debt even without the proposed ProGRESS tax package, Malacañang said Monday, as the Marcos administration pushes reforms to strengthen fiscal capacity and provide targeted tax relief.