The Philippines faces a markedly weaker growth trajectory after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its 2026 expansion forecast to 4.1 percent, citing intensifying global shocks and a softer domestic backdrop.
Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the looming effects of El Niño are emerging as twin headwinds to Philippine growth, with remittances and inflation pressures forming a potentially volatile mix.
Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan cautioned lawmakers that a prolonged Middle East conflict could trigger a severe economic shock in the Philippines, with surging oil prices threatening to reverse gains in poverty reduction.
Treasury bill yields continued to ease at Monday’s auction as investors positioned for a possible shift toward monetary easing by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) amid weakening economic momentum.
Philippine equities held their footing above the 6,000 level as caution continued to dominate trading, with analysts balancing global headwinds against pockets of domestic resilience.
The Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC) and the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute (PERPI) have signed a three-year agreement to work together on studies aimed at making the country’s electricity market run better. The deal establishes a formal partnership for research, policy guidance and information sharing.
Amid more complex and linked online risks, the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has urged all sectors to work together to boost defenses against digital fraud. The call was made during its CyberProtect Conference held July 30 at Fairmont Makati with the theme “Defend as One: Building a United Front Towards Consumer Protection.”
The Department of Energy (DOE) has established a new Joint Task Force alongside the Energy Regulatory Commission, the National Electrification Administration, and electric cooperatives to help remove system loss charges and related value-added tax from power bills. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin emphasized the administration's stance that consumers should only pay for the electricity they actually consume, rather than bearing the cost of losses they did not cause.
The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), in marking its 175th year as lender, rolled out a new feature making the opening of a bank account easier for all Filipinos. The improvement comes from a formal partnership with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), marked by the signing of a subscription agreement that adopts the National ID Authentication Services (NIDAS) for the BPI app.