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.
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.
The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is reinforcing its commitment to empowering Filipinos by enhancing accessibility to its services. Through its suite of retail loan products, BPI is helping make vehicle, home, and motorcycle ownership more achievable while offering special anniversary rates, waived fees, and exclusive partner discounts.
AllHome Corp., the retail and wholesale arm of the Villar Group, reported a steep decline in profit for the first half of the year, citing soft demand for construction and furnishing products amid a sluggish real estate market.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled Friday that the U.S. central bank may cut interest rates at its next policy meeting in September, citing growing risks to the labor market and ongoing inflation pressures.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has instructed the Rice Industry Development Office (RIDO), led by Undersecretary Christopher Morales, to closely examine the apparent shift in Filipino rice preferences, as demand for imported rice—particularly Vietnamese varieties—continues to grow.