ECCP at Work

Philippines’ gross savings jump by 9.4% in 2025 as income grows

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed gross national savings, the difference between gross national disposable income (GNDI) and the combined household and government final consumption, reached P8.4 trillion at current prices last year, up from P7.68 trillion in 2024.

Fitch: Philippine banks face higher bad loan risks

Philippine banks may see higher bad loans and weaker earnings in the near term as slower economic growth, high energy prices and rapid growth in unsecured consumer lending raise asset quality risks, Fitch Ratings said.

Total car sales slow, but xEVs accelerate

Total vehicle sales declined by 12 percent from January to May, but electrified vehicles (xEVs) continued to buck the trend, surging by 134 percent.

AMLC flags tax crimes as money laundering threat

Tax crimes have been flagged as one of the Philippines’ highest money laundering threats, with authorities warning that proceeds from tax evasion may be coursed through banks, shell companies, real estate and other formal channels.

PH’s first nuclear power plant may only come online by 2038

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s dream of having the first nuclear-generated electricity may not arrive until 2038, much later than his target of 2032.

Palace bent on hiking infraspend to lift growth

The Marcos administration will double down on its strategy of increasing government spending in the second half of the year with hopes of boosting economic growth, which continues to slow down due to persistent economic effects of the Middle East crisis, unfinished infrastructure projects, and “political noise.”

ADB mulls $1.3-M fund for SE Asia digital transition

According to ADB, the technical assistance (TA) would be extended to six Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Under the framework, the region’s digital economy is expected to double to $2 trillion by 2030

Philippine growth to lag Asia-Pacific peers — S&P

The Philippines risks becoming one of Asia-Pacific’s growth laggards this year, with economic expansion seen slowing to 4.1% amid oil shocks from the Middle East conflict and the lingering effects of last year’s corruption controversy, S&P Global said.

Marcos Cabinet officials told to speed up 2026 programs 

The Marcos Cabinet has started reviewing agency spending to determine which programs should be accelerated, amended, or prioritized in the second half of the year.

Visayas grid under yellow alert for 5 hours Thursday

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), in an advisory, said Units 1 and 2 of Therma Visayas, Inc., and Unit 3 of the Panay Energy Development Corp. remain unavailable, resulting in the transmission grid’s limited operating margin against its contingency requirement.

Budget deficit narrows in first 5 months as revenue collections rise

In its cash operations report released Thursday, the BTr said the budget gap eased to PHP522.5 billion from January to May, compared to PHP523.9 billion in the same period last year. Government revenues increased by 6.17 percent to PHP2.07 trillion from PHP1.95 trillion a year earlier.

72 agencies to join National Single Window by 2028 

A total of 72 trade-related and other government agencies are set to be onboarded to the National Single Window–Integrated Trade Facilitation Platform (NSW-ITFP) to improve the ease of doing business in the country, the Department of Finance (DOF) said Tuesday.

DOE lays groundwork for nuclear power bidding

The Department of Energy is laying the groundwork for the country’s first nuclear power projects, proposing a competitive tender that would set the pricing, delivery schedule, and possible government support arrangements for nuclear-generated electricity beginning in 2038.

BTr borrows P45B as long-term yields ease

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) raised P45 billion from reissued Treasury bonds on Tuesday, fully awarding both the seven-year and 10-year tenors as investors accepted lower rates than in the previous auction despite lingering inflation and geopolitical concerns

BSP lets banks set aside paper losses from capital count

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is allowing banks and quasi-banks to temporarily set aside certain paper losses on peso government securities when computing their regulatory capital, giving financial institutions room to absorb market swings caused by the Middle East conflict.

Government to borrow P1.12 trillion from domestic market

The Marcos administration will borrow as much as P1.12 trillion from the local debt market in the third quarter, leaning heavily on domestic financing amid global uncertainties.

DA rides on ube virality, sets aside ₱2.6M into farm areas

The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced it has invested nearly P2.6 million to expand ube production in key growing areas in the Visayas as the root crop recently gained popularity in the international scene and as demand is peaking way beyond supply.

Preventable illnesses cost PH billions, experts say

Nearly 30% of hospital admissions in the Philippines could be avoided through stronger primary healthcare systems, potentially saving billions of pesos in public health spending and sparing Filipino families from unnecessary medical costs, experts said during the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) 2026 Healthcare Forum.

EU, European biz leaders back Bacolod’s sustainability, investment roadmap

Bacolod City’s bid to become a circular, resilient, and inclusive city by 2030 gained a boost after representatives from the European Union (EU) and the European business community expressed interest in forging partnerships that would support sustainability initiatives and green investments.