ECCP at Work

Business groups press PBBM and lawmakers to act on 22 reforms in 20th Congress
Philippine business groups and members of the Joint Foreign Chambers are urging President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and the lawmakers in the country to prioritize acting on 22 reforms revolving around sectors of energy, trade and logistics, data transmission, and natural resource management, among others in the 20th Congress.

Fiscal gap breaches limit, at ₱765.5 billion in H1
The government’s fiscal gap expanded to P765.5 billion in the first semester, above the P760.7-billion ceiling, as spending surged ahead of revenue growth.

ADB, AMRO turn bearish on Philippine economy
The ADB and the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) have trimmed growth forecasts for the Philippines for this year and the next due to slower global growth and heightened trade uncertainties from the imposition of reciprocal tariffs by the United States.

Philippine exporters to face ‘hard climb’ with 19% US tariff
A US Tariff of 19% on Philippine goods will likely undermine the competitiveness of local exporters compared with those in neighboring Southeast Asian countries, analysts said.

Balisacan says PHL well-placed to leverage AI
The Philippines can leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to improve jobs and boost economic growth, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development said.

2024 healthcare spending rises to 5.9% of GDP
Health spending as a proportion of the economy rose to 5.9% in 2024 as overall spending rose to its highest level in three years, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday.

Government vows to protect agricultural, manufacturing
The Philippine government vows to protect the country’s major agricultural and manufacturing industries and to work with stakeholders in finalizing details of the reciprocal trade agreement with the US.

Digital bank deposits hit P100B for the first time
The Philippine banking system’s total deposits rose by 5.4% year on year to over P20 trillion as of the first quarter, the latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed, as digital bank deposits surpassed the P100-billion mark for the first time.

TIEZA books P192-million investment commitments as of July
The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) said it has secured P192.3 million worth of investments so far this year.

PH poised for slowest post-COVID growth amid tariff onslaught
The Philippine economy may be headed for one of its slowest growth years since the pandemic, as headwinds from the US tariff storm gather strength.

SEC considers tiered public float for IPOs
SEC Chairperson Francisco Ed. Lim said the current 20% minimum public float requirement for companies planning to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) is a “one-size-fits-all” situation that could be addressed by a tiered system depending on the company’s market capitalization.

Trump sets 19% tariff on PHL goods
US President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday announced he was imposing a new 19% tariff rate for goods from the Philippines, following a meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. at the White House.

Cebu BRT partial launch targeted for September
The Department of Transportation (DoTr) said the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is expected to operate partially by September, with the capacity to serve about 70,000 commuters.

GSIS keen to prove ‘integrity’ of investment decision-making
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) hopes to demonstrate the soundness of its investment process in the course of an investigation into its purchase of a stake in Alternergy Holdings Corp., its suspended president said.