Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chairman of Ayala Corp., struck a cautiously optimistic tone on the Philippines’ economic outlook, projecting a rebound as near-term risks begin to ease and structural strengths remain intact.
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.
PLDT Inc. and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. have blocked more than 100 websites found streaming or hosting footage of school shootings and other acts of extreme violence, moving to shield users from harmful and disturbing online material.
The Philippines lifted 6.5 million Filipinos out of poverty in just two years, pushing the national poverty rate down to a record-low 9.7 percent in 2025 and allowing the government to hit its single-digit target three years ahead of schedule.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. and his counterparts from the East Asia and Pacific region have pledged to deepen cooperation on shared challenges facing financial systems, advancing key initiatives to bolster consumer safeguards and guide responsible artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across the industry.
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has set Oct. 29 as the deadline for competing bids for the P7-billion redevelopment of Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA), moving the long-awaited project closer to a head-to-head challenge.