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.
Foreign investment approvals plunged 82 percent in the first quarter to a total P27.99 billion compared to P155.26 billion in the same period last year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The Philippine labor market showed a slight increase in unemployment in March, with the jobless rate rising to 3.9 percent from 3.8 percent in February, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Philippine agriculture started the economy on a stronger footing in the first quarter, growing 1.9 percent, with better weather conditions and intensified government interventions helping the sector recover from a full-year contraction in 2024.
The Philippine trade deficit widened further to USD4.13 billion in March, as export growth failed to keep pace with the double digit expansion in imports, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Wednesday.
Philippine financial markets could face choppy trading ahead as investors weigh technical resistance levels in equities against fresh pressure on the peso from global risks, including elevated oil prices.
The Philippines is accelerating negotiations for several free trade agreements (FTAs), with officials aiming to conclude key deals by mid-2026 to widen market access for local exporters.
The Philippine government is inviting foreign investors to take over a high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) nickel processing facility in Palawan that could cease operations by 2027, as officials move to preserve the country’s role in the global battery minerals supply chain.