Yields on treasury bills continued their downward trend at Monday’s auction, driven by expectations of further monetary policy easing amid signs of cooling inflation.
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Rice prices continued to ease in early May, indicating a potential further slowdown in inflation after headline inflation decelerated in April to its slowest pace since November 2019.
Treasury bill yields fell across all tenors at Monday’s auction, as the sharp deceleration in April inflation heightened expectations of potential monetary policy easing.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) forecasts that inflation in April will stay subdued, likely settling between 1.3 percent and 2.1 percent, continuing the downward trend seen in previous months. This outlook suggests easing price pressures for both households and businesses amid favorable supply conditions and global commodity trends.
Inflation in the Philippines could ease further in April, following a drop to 1.8 percent in March—the slowest pace since May 2020—if rice prices continue to decline in the latter half of the month.
Chinese scholars' assertions over Batanes are fueling fresh concerns that Beijing may be laying the groundwork for future territorial claims, even without making an official declaration. SeaLight director Ray Powell said the narrative coincides with China Coast Guard patrols that have pushed east of Taiwan and into the Philippine Sea since June 1, expanding operations beyond the disputed West Philippine Sea and the first island chain. He warned that Batanes and the Bashi Channel hold strategic value in any Taiwan contingency. Former Surigao del Norte representative Robert “Ace” Barbers described the development as a “creeping invasion” and urged Filipinos not to amplify Beijing’s messaging.
Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya joined diplomats, government officials, and maritime experts yesterday to mark a decade since a landmark legal ruling on the South China Sea.
Ambassador Endo attended the special symposium on July 10, which was hosted by the Stratbase ADR Institute for Strategic and International Studies. The event allowed leaders and analysts to discuss the current state of regional waters exactly ten years after an international tribunal issued its decision in the case between the Philippines and China.
When Hidilyn Diaz won the Philippines' first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo in 2021, most of the country's newest weightlifting sensations were still in grade school, some not even teenagers. Five years later, they are no longer just watching their hero. They are following her footsteps, one lift at a time.