Business World
Philippines hits 6-year high in World Competitiveness Ranking, but still trails Asia-Pacific peers
The Philippines jumped four spots to 47th out of 70 economies with a score of 59.07 out of 100 in the 2026 edition of the World Competitiveness Ranking by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). This was the country’s highest...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines ‘partially ready’ in global education readiness list
The Philippines ranked 85th out of 177 countries in the latest update of the Global Education Futures Readiness Index (GEFRI), scoring 52.64 out of 100. The country’s score was above the global average score of 49.87 but below the East Asia & Pacific...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
April misery index worsens to 26.4%, highest in over three years
The Philippines’ adjusted misery index climbed to over a three-year high of 26.4% in April from 20.8% in March. It was the worst reading since it logged 26.9% in January 2023. The worsening of the index was driven by inflation accelerating to a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
OFW remittances rise 2% in April
CASH REMITTANCES recorded its slowest annual growth in nearly four years in April as weak global economic conditions weighed on overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) ability to send money home. Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed money...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Poll: BSP poised for 25-bp rate hike
STILL ELEVATED INFLATION and the peso’s persistent weakness may prompt the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to tighten for a second straight meeting to stay ahead of the curve and keep inflation expectations anchored, analysts said. A BusinessWorld...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines slips in global peace ranking, scores below Asia-Pacific average
The Philippines fell three places to 102nd out of 163 countries in the 2026 edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) published by the Institute for Economics and Peace. This was the country’s worst placement in two years or since it ranked 103rd in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BoC collects P80.7 billion in May but misses target by 2.1%
THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) collected P80.664 billion in revenues in May but fell short of its target due to lower volumes and the temporary suspension of excise taxes on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene. In a statement on Monday, the agency...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines ranks 68th in new risk and readiness atlas
The Philippines ranked 68th out of 85 countries according to the 2026 edition of Global Atlas of Risk and Readiness (GARR) by Global Citizen Solutions. The country scored 78.83 out of 100, only outperforming Cambodia’s 73.58 score (82nd) in the East...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
1 in 5 working-age Filipinos use generative AI
One in five working-age Filipinos used generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the first quarter of 2026, results of Microsoft AI Economy Institute’s AI Diffusion Index showed. This was above the global average of 17.8% and placed the Philippines at...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines may face new US tariffs
THE PHILIPPINES is facing the prospect of additional US tariffs, after a US Trade Representative (USTR) investigation found it and 59 other economies had not done enough to curb the importation of goods that were made with forced labor. In its report...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NPL ratio hits 8-month high in April
PHILIPPINE LENDERS’ nonperforming loan (NPL) ratio worsened to its highest level in eight months in April as borrowers faced tighter economic conditions amid the Middle East war, latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data showed. The banking...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippine factory activity returns to growth in May
PHILIPPINE FACTORY activity bounced back in May as stronger domestic demand boosted output and new orders, although supply chain disruptions and rising costs linked to the Middle East conflict continued to weigh on manufacturers, S&P Global said on...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Poll: May inflation likely hit 7.9%
PHILIPPINE INFLATION likely hit its fastest pace in over three years as elevated oil prices amid the ongoing Middle East war drove up food costs and kept the peso weak against the dollar, analysts said. The headline print may have accelerated to 7.9%...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Japan firms to boost PHL investments
LONG-TERM INFLATION expectations remain anchored despite persistent price pressures driven by oil shocks stemming from the Middle East war, a study by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Research Academy showed. According to a discussion paper...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Manila climbs two spots in financial center ranking
Manila rose two places to 102nd out of 120 global financial centers in the 39th edition of the biannual Global Financial Centers Index (GFCI) by London-based think tank Z/Yen as part of its Long Finance initiative. Despite the improvement, the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
April budget surplus narrows to P31B
THE NATIONAL Government’s (NG) budget surplus narrowed sharply in April to P31.4 billion amid muted revenue growth as the deadline for filing annual income tax returns was moved to May, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said. In a statement on Tuesday,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FSCC: Financial system under strain
THE PHILIPPINE financial system is facing mounting pressure as vulnerabilities tied to corporate debt and rising household debt amid the Middle East conflict continue to test its resilience, the Financial Stability Coordination Council (FSCC) said. In...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Auto sales slump as oil prices surge
PHILIPPINE CAR SALES declined by 19% in April as rising oil prices linked to the Middle East war continue to dampen consumer demand for gas-powered vehicles, according to a joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines’ labor productivity eases in Q1
Labor productivity in the Philippines picked up by 2.2% year on year to P115,281 in the first three months of 2026. This was slower than the 4.2% growth recorded a year ago, and the 3.1% growth in the fourth quarter of 2025. Labor productivity is...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ADB urges PHL to maximize PPPs
THE PHILIPPINE government should maximize public-private partnerships (PPP) to help narrow the country’s infrastructure gap while easing fiscal pressure from rising debt levels, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said. Despite the government’s...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BoP deficit narrows to $2.1B in April
STEADY INFLOWS from remittances and the services sector despite emerging external pressures helped narrow the Philippines’ balance of payments (BoP) gap to a three-month low in April, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data showed. Based on central...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines holds 79th spot in Global Tax Expenditures Transparency Index
The Philippines’ rank remained at 79th out of 116 countries and jurisdictions in the latest update of the Global Tax Expenditures Transparency Index (GTETI) by Council on Economic Policies (CEP) and the German Institute of Development and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Banks’ NPL ratio improves in March
THE PHILIPPINE BANKING sector’s nonperforming loan (NPL) ratio declined in March, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed, reflecting borrowers’ strong repayment capacity despite the Middle East war. Based on the latest central bank...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Foreign investment pledges up 52.3%
FOREIGN INVESTMENT pledges in the Philippines rose by 52.3% in the first quarter from a low base a year earlier, although commitments fell to their lowest level in four quarters as analysts cited geopolitical uncertainty, elevated costs, and weaker...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Misery index worsens in March, highest in nearly two years
The Philippines’ adjusted misery index soared to a 23-month high of 20.8% in March from 18.7% in February. It was the worst reading in nearly two years since it logged 21.8% in April 2024. The worsening of the index was driven by inflation accelerating...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Can domestic savings cover the country’s increasing investment needs?
The country’s savings rate — defined as gross domestic savings as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) — reached 6.1% in the first three months of the year, amounting to P423 billion. Meanwhile, the investment rate was 20.9% of GDP, or P1.45...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
How does the Philippines compare in governance performance among its peers in the region?
The Philippines ranked 129th out of 208 countries in the 2026 Global Governance Climate Index (GCI) published by the International Labour Organization (ILO). On a scale of 0 to 1, where a higher score indicates strong organizational governance, the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Q2 growth outlook remains weak
PHILIPPINE gross domestic product (GDP) likely remained below the government’s 5-6% growth target in the second quarter as higher oil prices and tighter financial conditions continued to dampen domestic demand, analysts said. This as the Development...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Oil shock drags growth to 5-year low
THE Philippine economy grew by a weaker-than-expected 2.8% in the first quarter, the slowest pace since the pandemic, as the fallout from a corruption scandal and soaring oil prices triggered by the Middle East conflict dampened economic...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PSA: 2.58 million Filipinos jobless in March
THE Philippine unemployment rate in March rose to 5%, as the number of jobless Filipinos jumped to 2.58 million amid the oil crisis, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. Preliminary results from the March 2026 Labor Force Survey released on...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
April inflation heats up to 3-year high
ELEVATED oil prices continued to feed into food and utility costs, pushing annual inflation to a three-year high of 7.2% in April, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Tuesday. Faster-than-expected inflation now puts more pressure on the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Q1 growth likely still weak amid flood mess fallout, rising inflation
PHILIPPINE economic growth likely remained muted in the first quarter, weighed down by the lingering fallout from the flood control scandal and rising costs driven by the oil crisis, analysts said. In a report dated May 1, Nomura Global Markets...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Poll: GDP growth likely slowed in Q1
THE Philippine economy likely lost momentum in the first quarter, weighed down by weak household purchasing power, subdued government spending, fragile business confidence, and rising global energy prices linked to the Middle East conflict, economists...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
April inflation may hit 3-year high
PHILIPPINE INFLATION likely accelerated to as high as 6.4% in April, driven by higher prices of fuel, electricity and food amid the war in the Middle East, as well as a weaker peso, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Tuesday. In its...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Q1 growth may slow amid Iran war
THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY likely slowed in the first quarter as the prolonged Middle East war weighed on activity, with growth expected to fall below recent quarters and miss the government’s full-year target, the Economy chief said. Economy, Planning,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Manila ranks 91st in Global Green Finance Index, lags behind its East and Southeast Asian peers
Manila ranked 91st out of 92 financial centers in the 17th edition of the Global Green Finance Index (GGFI) released by commercial think tank Z/Yen Group as part of its Long Finance initiative. With an overall rating of 512, the Philippine capital...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines logs over 624,000 breached accounts in Q1
The Philippines ranked 22nd out of 250 countries and territories with a total of 624,405 breached accounts in the first three months of the year, according to the latest data from Surfshark’s Global Data Breach Statistics. This was higher by 76.8% from...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippine business sentiment plummets in March
Firms in the country were severely pessimistic due to the conflict in the Middle East, the latest business expectations survey by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed. The confidence index for businesses fell to -24.3% in March from 8.2% in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Year-on-year rental change of select East and Southeast Asian Markets
Manila’s prime office rent was the third cheapest among 24 Asia-Pacific markets in the first quarter, according to the latest Asia-Pacific Office Highlights by real estate consultancy Knight Frank. During the period, Manila’s occupancy cost reached...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PHL rice imports may hit 4.8 MMT
THE PHILIPPINES’ rice imports this year could reach 4.8 million metric tons (MMT), potentially matching or exceeding the elevated level recorded in 2024, as rising input costs and a looming El Niño threaten domestic output, the Department of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
How miserable is the Philippines compared to its neighbors in 2025?
The Philippines ranked 131st out of 178 countries in the 2025 edition of the Hanke’s Annual Misery Index (HAMI) by Johns Hopkins University economics professor Steve H. Hanke. The HAMI is the sum of the unemployment rate multiplied by two, the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Vehicle sales fall in March as high oil prices dent demand
NEW VEHICLE SALES declined by 10.4% in March as soaring pump prices dented demand for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, according to a joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines retains ‘partly free’ status in global freedom report
The Philippines maintained its “partly free” status with an overall score of 58 out of 100 in the 2026 edition of the annual Freedom in the World report by US nonprofit organization Freedom House. The report assesses the condition of political rights...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
IMF: PHL faces ‘difficult situation’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Philippines is facing a difficult situation as its heavy reliance on oil imports tests its economic resilience amid the ongoing energy crisis from the Middle East war, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said. At a press...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Misery index inches down in February
The Philippines’ adjusted misery index fell to 18.7% in February from 20.3% in January. This is the lowest reading in two months or since the 13.8% posted in December 2025. The drop reflected the easing of the country’s unemployment rate at 5.1% and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines lands at 17th in global opportunity ranking
The Philippines ranked 17th out of 188* countries and territories in the 2026 edition of the CS Global Partners’ Opportunity Index. By measuring a country’s indicators of economic potential, the index evaluates its opportunity level as a destination...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines falls in FDI Confidence Index
The Philippines slipped two places to 18th out of 25 emerging markets in the latest edition of Kearney’s FDI Confidence Index. With an index score of 1.4635, the country remained to be among the least attractive markets for foreign direct investment...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines inches up in global state and governance ranking
The Philippines rose one spot to 58th out of 137 countries in the Status Index and also climbed a notch to 82nd in the Governance Index in the latest edition of the biennial Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI). Despite the improvement in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Banks’ bad loan ratio hits 6-month high in Feb.
THE PHILIPPINE BANKING sector’s gross nonperforming loan (NPL) ratio rose to a sixmonth high in February, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed. Domestic banks’ gross NPL ratio increased to 3.33% as of endFebruary from...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Infrastructure spending slumps in December
INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING slumped by an annual 28% in December as tighter controls remained in place amid the corruption scandal, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said. Latest data from the DBM showed that spending on infrastructure and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Oil shock brings inflation to 4.1%
FASTER PRICE INCREASES in fuel, electricity and food including rice, drove Philippine inflation past the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) target for the first time in nearly two years, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported. The consumer...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Iran conflict raises Philippines’ risk in Economic Crime and Geopolitics Index
The Philippines’ Economic Crime and Geopolitics Index (ECGI) score climbed to 72.6 in April, placing it firmly in the high-risk category — second only to Myanmar in Southeast Asia — as the Iran conflict escalated. The index, published by the South Asia...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Poll: March inflation picked up to 3.8%
SHARP OIL PRICE increases driven by supply disruptions from the Middle East war, along with pricier rice, may have pushed Philippine inflation to its fastest pace in nearly two years, analysts said. A BusinessWorld poll of 18 analysts yielded a median...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Manila slips in smart cities’ ranking, still the worst in the region
The Philippine capital slid seven places to 132nd out of 148 cities assessed in the 2026 edition of the Smart City Index by Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD). This was Manila’s worst ranking since the report...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Peso hits new low P60.69 vs dollar
THE PESO slid to an all-time low against the US dollar on Monday as soaring oil prices raise concerns over inflation and an economic slowdown. The local unit declined by 14 centavos to close at P60.69 against the greenback from its previous record-low...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines’ Academic Freedom Index score drops to over 40-year low
The Philippines’ score dropped to an over four-decade low of 0.589 (out of 1, where 1 is best) in the 2026 update of the Academic Freedom Index. The report, released by the researchers from Germany’s Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BSP holds rates in off-cycle meeting
THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) kept its policy rate unchanged at 4.25% during a surprise off-cycle meeting on Thursday, as it sought to calm markets amid growing concerns over the impact of the Middle East war on the economy. In a statement,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Marcos: PHL oil secure past 45 days
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said the Philippines has secured enough fuel supply to last beyond 45 days despite disruptions caused by war in the Middle East, as the government scrambles to line up alternative sources and ensure existing contracts...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines improves in women’s health ranking but still lags among its peers in the region
The Philippines improved two places to 107th out of 144 countries and territories in the latest edition of The Hologic Global Women’s Health Index by global medical technology company Hologic, Inc. Out of a possible 100, where higher scores are better,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Filipino young adults face mental health crisis more than older adults
The Philippines’ average Mind Health Quotient (MHQ) for young adults aged 18-34 rose to 59 while adults (ages 55 and above) have an average MHQ of 110 in the latest edition of the Global Mind Health Report, formerly the Mental State of the World...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines ranks 3rd most impacted by terrorism in Asia-Pacific
The Philippines improved* by two places to 23rd out of 163 countries in the latest edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Despite its rank improvement,* the country scored 4.719, above the Asia-Pacific’s...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Peso hits new low of P60.1 per dollar
THE PHILIPPINE PESO sank to a fresh record low on Thursday, breaching the P60-per-dollar mark and heightening inflation risks from more expensive imports. The local currency closed at a new record low of P60.10 a dollar — 58 centavos weaker than its...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BSP tracks Mideast war impact on PHL
THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it is closely monitoring the impact of the escalating Middle East war on inflation and the broader economy as it prepares for its April 23 policy meeting. “Ahead of the monetary-policy meeting on April 23,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Misery index worsens to 20.3% in January, highest in nearly 2 years
The Philippines’ adjusted misery index soared to an 18-month high of 20.3% in January from 13.8% in December 2025. The latest figure marked the fastest reading in almost two years or since the 20.7% in July 2024. Philippine inflation accelerating to an...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Philippines rises in Index of Economic Freedom
The Philippines improved to 77th out of 176 countries in the 2026 edition of the Index of Economic Freedom by The Heritage Foundation. The index scores and ranks a country based on its freedoms in various internal and external aspects. This year, the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BDO retains lead; U/KBs’ assets grow 8.54% in Q4
In the latest BusinessWorld’s quarterly banking report, the combined assets of 44 universal and commercial banks (U/KBs) in the country grew by 8.54% year on year to P28.92 trillion in the October to December period. BDO Unibank, Inc., retained its...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Oil shock may prompt BSP rate hike
OIL PRICE SHOCKS may prompt the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to hike its policy rate as early as its next meeting in April amid the risk of inflation breaching the central bank’s target band in March, an economist said. Security Bank Chief...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FDI net inflows fall to 5-year low in 2025
Annual foreign direct investments net inflow (FDI, in $ million)
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Oil shock to bring inflation above 4%
THE IRAN war could trim 0.2-0.3% from the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year, as the oil shock could drive inflation to above 4% this year, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Peso, stocks sink as oil prices surge
THE PHILIPPINE PESO plunged to a new record low against the dollar on Monday while the main stock benchmark recorded its steepest single-day drop since 2020 as global oil prices spiked, threatening to drive up inflation as the war in the Middle East...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Inflation quickens to 13-month high
PHILIPPINE INFLATION accelerated to a 13-month high in February as rising costs for rice, fuel, electricity and other utilities added pressure on household budgets, the Philippine Statistics Authority said on Thursday. The consumer price index (CPI)...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
How does the Philippines compare with its neighbors in mining attractiveness?
The Philippines’ mining investment attractiveness ranking fell last year as it plunged 49 places to 65th out of 68 jurisdictions in the 2025 Annual Survey of Mining Companies by Fraser Institute. This put the Philippines as the fourth worst mining...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Budget gap exceeds ceiling in 2025
THE NATIONAL Government’s (NG) budget deficit breached its 2025 ceiling after the main tax agencies missed their collection targets and state spending slowed amid a corruption scandal, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said. Data from the Treasury...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Factory activity surges in February
PHILIPPINE FACTORY activity in February expanded at its fastest pace in eight years amid an increase in production and new orders as well as a “surge in business confidence,” S&P Global said on Monday. However, the US-Iran conflict may cause a spike...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Poll: Inflation likely picked up in Feb.
PHILIPPINE INFLATION may have hit its fastest pace in over a year as price pressures from higher costs of electricity, oil and rice pushed up the headline print in February, analysts said. The consumer price index (CPI) likely settled at 2.4% in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)