The Philippine economy is headed for a sharper slowdown in 2026 as elevated energy costs, weak public investment and subdued business confidence weigh on domestic demand, the World Bank said, while lowering its growth outlook for next year.
The Philippine government is moving to translate the World Bank’s Public Finance Review into concrete fiscal reforms, with economic officials stressing that better tax collection and spending will matter only if recommendations result in measurable improvements for citizens.
The Philippine government said it will act on recommendations from the World Bank’s latest Public Finance Review, putting a sharper focus on broadening the tax base, improving revenue collection and ensuring that public spending translates into measurable gains for Filipinos.
Accelerating power sector reforms could slash electricity prices, create more than 161,000 jobs and lift about 730,000 Filipinos out of poverty by 2030, with the World Bank arguing that lower energy costs may be one of the country's biggest catalysts for faster and more inclusive economic growth.
The World Bank Group has approved a USD268.6-million, or about P15.6-billion, water and sanitation project for the Philippines that is expected to create up to 46,500 jobs over the next 25 years while improving climate resilience in three island provinces.
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has finished development and improvement works at the Port of Plaridel in Misamis Occidental, boosting maritime connectivity between Northwestern Mindanao and key Visayas destinations such as Siquijor, Bohol, and Cebu.
The National Food Authority (NFA) has significantly increased the price it pays for palay and more than doubled the volume it can buy from individual farmers, a key policy move meant to lift farm earnings and build up government rice reserves as the country faces potential weather challenges from El Niño.
The Department of Agriculture has granted Food Terminal Inc., or FTI, a 25-year usufruct right to use 30 hectares of government land in Tiaong, Quezon, clearing the way for the development of a major new facility designed to boost the country’s food supply chain.
At the GSMA Digital Nation Summit Manila 2026, Globe urged closer cooperation between government and private industry to build a digital economy rooted in trust and resilience.