This is a brief rundown of what is being reported today in the Philippines and about the Philippines in the international press.
It endeavours to highlight the narratives currently shaping the country’s economic, financial, and business news landscape.
Ed’s note: I’m always looking for new sources with unique insights. If you have anything to share, reach out: mark.barnes@the-shiv.com
Tourist arrivals Jan – Aug
The Manila Standard is reporting that international visitor arrivals rose 3.7 percent year-on-year to 4.11 million in the first eight months of 2026.
China was the fastest-growing major market, with arrivals surging 69.15 percent to 310,088 following the introduction of visa-free entry arrangements.
The United States, however, remained the largest source market with 818,318 visitors. View source→
*For comparison, Vietnam recorded just under 14m tourist arrivals to end-July.
Biofuel feedstock sourcing
The Manila Standard is reporting that the government is exploring cheaper bioethanol feedstocks as it considers raising the ethanol content of gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent.
Domestic bioethanol currently costs about twice as much as imports, while annual production remains below the country’s capacity of more than 500 million litres, the article says. View source→
PSEI rebounds
Philstar is reporting that the Philippine Stock Exchange index rebounded 2.31 percent on September 1 to 6,093.89, ending four consecutive sessions of losses.
The article cites Regina Capital’s Luis Limlingan as attributing the recovery to bargain hunting in blue-chip stocks and improved sentiment following stronger August manufacturing data. View source→
Interest rate policy warning
The Inquirer is reporting that GlobalSource Partners analyst Diwa Guinigundo has warned the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas against ending its monetary tightening cycle prematurely.
Guinigundo said the peso’s fall to around 62 per US dollar suggests markets remain unconvinced about the central bank’s commitment to controlling inflation. View source→
GDP growth forecast
The Inquirer is reporting that University of Asia and the Pacific economists expect Philippine economic growth to recover above 4 percent in the fourth quarter, driven by infrastructure spending.
The government has allocated PHP 579.74 billion (US$9.3 billion) for infrastructure and other capital spending in the second half after first-half infrastructure spending fell 40 percent, the article says. View source→
Foreign debt servicing
Business World Online is reporting that the Philippines’ foreign debt service bill rose 4.8 percent year-on-year to US$6.21 billion in the first five months of 2026.
Principal repayments increased 13.6 percent to US$3.01 billion, while interest payments fell 2.3 percent to US$3.2 billion. View source→
Moody’s data centre thoughts
Business World Online is reporting that Moody’s Ratings has cited unstable electricity supply as preventing the Philippines from developing its data centre industry to the scale achieved by regional competitors.
Moody’s Ratings said expansion will depend heavily on new generation capacity, financing, and how quickly data centre projects can move into construction.
The Philippine government expects data centre capacity to reach 1.5 gigawatts by 2028, the article notes View source→
Peso new record low
The Manila Bulletin is reporting that the Philippine peso fell to a new record low of 62.4 per US dollar on September 1.
UnionBank Chief Economist Ruben Carlo Asuncion, cited by the publication, attributed the weakness to a stronger US dollar, higher US yields, rising oil prices and renewed Middle East tensions. View source→
Jollibee to list in HK
The Manila Bulletin is reporting that Jollibee Foods Corporation plans to list in Hong Kong instead of the US.
Chairman Tony Tan Caktiong said Hong Kong better matches Jollibee International’s Asian footprint, brand recognition, and long-term growth ambitions. View source→
Yesterday’s news
In yesterday’s news: PMI jump, MUFG peso analysis, Data concerns minimum wage impacts, Peso volatility management analysis, Foreign portfolio investment data, Geothermal exploration gov’t funding, LPG price increase expectations, Deutsche Bank interest rate expectations, and Cross-border digital tax collection. View source→