Southeast Asia nations, hit particularly hard by US tariffs, prep for talks with Trump

HANOI/BANGKOK (UPDATED) — Southeast Asian nations reeled on Thursday as they were hit with some of President Donald Trump’s heftiest tariffs, which now threaten...

Philippines revises Q4 2024 GDP growth to 5.3%

MANILA - The Philippine statistics agency said annual growth in fourth-quarter economic output has been revised up to 5.3% Full year 2024 gross domestic product...

Trump announces 10% tariff on all imports, with higher rates for some countries

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would impose a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the US and higher...

Manufacturing PMI contracts for 1st time in 19 months

FACTORY ACTIVITY in the Philippines unexpectedly contracted for the first time in 19 months in March, as manufacturers cut output amid uncertainty surrounding US...

NG budget deficit balloons to P171.4 billion in February

THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT’S (NG) budget deficit ballooned to P171.4 billion in February despite double-digit revenue growth, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) reported on Wednesday.

Villar is still top Filipino billionaire with $17-B net worth

TYCOON and former Senate President Manuel B. Villar, Jr. is the richest Filipino, according to Forbes’ latest World’s Billionaires List. With an estimated net worth...

PEZA greenlights P6-billion investment pledges in March

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has approved P6 billion worth of investment pledges in March, bringing the first-quarter approvals to P58.947 billion. In...

Trump to escalate global trade tensions with new reciprocal tariffs on US trading partners

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump was poised to impose sweeping new reciprocal tariffs on global trading partners on Wednesday, upending decades of rules-based...

NG debt hits record P16.63 trillion

THE NATIONAL Government’s (NG) outstanding debt rose to a fresh high of P16.63 trillion as of end-February, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) reported.

Bank lending growth slows in February

BANK LENDING growth slowed in February, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

Real estate lending to require closer monitoring amid rising risks — BSP

LENDING to the real estate sector will need tighter supervision amid emerging risks that could impact the financial system, a Philippine central bank report showed.

Domestic trade in goods jumps by 23% in 2024 as economy picks up

DOMESTIC TRADE in goods grew by 23.1% to P1.31 trillion in 2024, reflecting the uptick in overall economic activity, analysts said. According to the Philippine...