Tho country's foreign debt total USD118.8 billion as of end-September 2023, up by USD915 million (or 0.8 percent) from USD117.9 billion as of end-June 2023, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.
Secretary Frederick Go, Presidential Adviser on Investment and Economic Affairs, said the catch-up, which also includes attracting foreign investments and investing in infrastructure, targets to realize the country’s untapped export potential of $49 billion.
The National Economic and Development Authority Board, the country’s highest economic policymaking body, on Thursday decided to keep tariff rates on imported rice, corn and pork at reduced levels to address supply and price challenges, including the threat of El Nino and the African swine fever.
Teresita Sy Coson, BDO chairperson, late on Wednesday said the Philippines should do well as a country next year even though it faces a number of challenges.
Finance Secretary and Social Security Commission Chairman Frederick D. Go praised the Social Security System (SSS) for launching its Emergency Loan Program (ELP), saying it will help members get faster and easier access to financial support during disasters.
Ischaemic heart diseases, cancer, and strokes are still the deadliest threats in the Philippines. From January to June 2025, 53,985 deaths—nearly one in five—were due to heart disease alone, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The Philippine baby boom has hit the snooze button. Parenthood, once almost automatic, is now treated like a major purchase—priced, budgeted, and often postponed. Diapers and infant formula increasingly feel less like essentials and more like luxury items with designer tags. Timing, finances, and ambition are all carefully calculated before committing to the ultimate life investment.
The Philippines’ tourism rebound is still stuck in economy class, slowed by the weak return of China and South Korea—once the twin engines of foreign arrivals. Latest Department of Tourism (DOT) data show 5.606 million international visitors as of December 20, with arrivals from January to November slipping 2.16 percent year on year to 5.35 million.