The Bureau of the Treasury fully awarded P50 billion worth of Treasury bills on Monday after robust investor demand drove borrowing costs lower across all tenors, signaling growing confidence that inflationary pressures may be easing despite lingering risks from energy prices.
Sluggish economic growth and stubborn inflation are expected to keep the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in a policy bind later in August, as fresh data are likely to show the economy remained soft in the second quarter while price pressures persisted.
Treasury bill yields ended mixed at Monday's auction as easing headline inflation pulled down rates on shorter-dated securities, while persistent inflation risks and geopolitical uncertainty kept upward pressure on one-year debt.
Philippine shares are expected to trade cautiously in the coming weeks as the second-quarter earnings season begins, shifting investors' focus from recent market gains to whether corporate profits can withstand persistent inflation, the prospect of further monetary tightening, and rising geopolitical risks.
Inflation eased for a second straight month in June, offering consumers and businesses some relief from elevated prices, but a pickup in underlying price pressures could keep the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on course for another interest rate increase.
The Philippines will use its ASEAN chairmanship to push for stronger regional safeguards against energy supply disruptions and faster cross-border power connectivity as Southeast Asian energy ministers meet in Manila this week.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that around 300,000 farmers, fisherfolk, and agricultural haulers will receive ₱3 billion in fuel subsidies starting this month, aiding the sector amid El Niño impacts and persistently high fuel costs.
Therma Visayas told lawmakers that it sources coal from Indonesia and uses the Indonesian Coal Index in its power supply agreements, as a House inquiry into electricity reliability in the Visayas turned attention to both supply security and pricing transparency.
The Department of Agriculture is bolstering full-scale preparations for an intense El Niño, applying hard-won experience to safeguard farm output, secure food supplies, and protect farmers and fisherfolk from harm.