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 gross international reserves (GIR), an indicator of capacity to pay for trade and maturing debt, saw a significant rise in February, reaching USD106.7 billion, up from USD103.3 billion in January, according to the latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Friday reported a significant increase in the country’s gross international reserves (GIR) for February 2025, reflecting robust external liquidity and enhanced financial stability. Preliminary data shows that the GIR, an indicator of capacity to pay for external obligations, grew to USD106.7 billion by the end of February 2025, up from USD103.3 billion in January 2025, marking a notable month-on-month increase of USD3.4 billion.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Friday reported that the outstanding loans of universal and commercial banks (U/KBs) increased by 12.8 percent year-on-year in January, up from 12.2 percent in December 2024. On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, these loans grew by 1.4 percent. The growth in loans signals robust credit activity, contributing to economic stability amid ongoing financial conditions.
One year after taking over operations of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) is set to roll out a new facial recognition system powered by Collins Aerospace, allowing passengers to check in, drop bags, clear security, and board using only their face.
Unilever Philippines has renewed its partnership with First Gen Corp., the country’s leading renewable energy (RE) producer, to power seven of its production and distribution sites with approximately 10 megawatts of geothermal energy.
The Marcos Jr. administration has expanded its flagship affordable rice initiative to the transport sector, with over 57,000 public transport workers now set to benefit from P20 per kilo rice under the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” program.
Manulife Investment Management is advising investors to adopt a barbell investment strategy in response to the unexpected uptick in the country's inflation rate in August. The strategy, aimed at navigating an increasingly uncertain interest rate environment, involves allocating capital to short-term bonds to benefit from immediate policy rate adjustments, while selectively adding long-term bond exposure if inflation expectations remain anchored.