The country’s gross international reserves (GIR), an indicator of capacity to pay for trade and debt obligations, rose to $99.7 billion as of end-January 2023 from the end-December 2022 level of $96.1 billion.
The Philippines is maintaining its target of 6.4 million international tourist arrivals in 2026, banking on stronger year-end demand and improving travel from key markets to offset rising airfares, higher fuel costs and weakening consumer sentiment.
The National Food Authority (NFA) is struggling to meet the government’s 15-day rice buffer stock requirement as stagnant funding, limited storage and inadequate logistics constrain its ability to buy more palay from Filipino farmers.
The Philippines’ tourism ambitions face a major hurdle as inadequate healthcare in popular destinations and high operating costs discourage investment in medical facilities.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is ready to provide the Philippines with up to USD500 million in emergency financing to help address disasters, including the potential impact of a severe El Niño episode, although the government has yet to request additional assistance.