The Philippines spent far more of its foreign currency assets than it earned them in September, resulting in an overall balance of payments (BOP) deficit of USD414 million in September.
The World Bank who in September this year recalculated the country's growth path at a slower pace of 5.7 percent in terms of local output expansion, has trimmed its forecast further to 5.6 percent.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stalled the rapid push to bring to life the Maharlika Investment Fund, seeking more time to review the details of the implementing rules and regulations, or IRR, to ensure safeguards are in place.
Asia and Pacific countries like the Philippines are seen collectively pushing local output growth, measured as the gross domestic product (GDP), averaging higher than global output growth at 4.6 percent this year, according to the latest Regional Economic Outlook published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Investment pledges approved by the Board of Investments in the first nine months of this year has more than doubled to P734 billion from the year-earlier period, bolstered by gains from the foreign visits of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a trade and industry official said Tuesday.
The Philippines’ domestic trade volume plunged 38 percent year on year to 10.57 million tons in the second quarter of 2026, as higher logistics costs amid the Middle East conflict likely weighed on commodity movements.
The Department of Agriculture, led by PhilRice, has expanded its Be RICEponsible drive to a year-round call to action, urging Filipinos to avoid rice wastage, buy local produce, and choose healthier rice to strengthen national food security and support farmers.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has expanded the list of qualified investments under the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) to include time deposits, giving Filipinos another accessible option to build long-term retirement savings, per new guidelines issued August 20, 2026.
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) plans to pilot a global-budget payment system that could give hospitals funding upfront, as it expands no-balance-billing options and seeks to cut patients’ out-of-pocket healthcare costs.