Crypto curiosity is running hot in the Philippines. Nearly everyone has heard of it, more than half are thinking about investing this year, and yet many Filipinos still freeze at the starting line—intrigued, but unsure where to begin. The problem isn’t interest. It’s confidence.

Higher US tariffs and stubbornly high production costs are tightening the vise on Philippine garment exporters, even as shipments are estimated to have topped USD1 billion in 2025.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index has kicked off 2026 with a swagger, finally muscling its way out of the long-suffocating 5,800–6,100 range.