Jobless rate drops to 5-month low
Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Labor Force Survey showed the jobless rate fell to 3.2% in November, lower than the 3.9% in October and the 3.6% in the same month last year.

Trade deficit narrows in November
The Philippines’ trade deficit in November narrowed to its smallest in three months, as exports and imports both declined, data from the statistics office showed.

Outstanding debt hits fresh high of P16.09T
The National Government’s (NG) outstanding debt rose to a fresh high of P16.09 trillion as of end-November, partly reflecting the impact of the peso depreciation on the value of foreign obligations.

EVs, green tech seen driving nickel, copper demand in 2025
Miners are expected to encounter stronger demand for major Philippine minerals like copper, nickel, and gold in 2025, industry officials said. This outlook points to a recovery in nickel, after nickel ore production fell 12% year on year to 25.7 million dry metric tons (DMT). Value had also dropped 21% to P42.98 billion.

Cabinet to focus on 16 major infra projects
The first full Cabinet meeting of the year tackled the 16 flagship infrastructure projects that need the government’s immediate attention, with the goal of achieving at least partial operations before the government steps down in 2028, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said.

Low penetration slows Philippines’ 5G adoption
The Philippines is lagging its regional counterparts in adopting 5G technology despite increased coverage, according to networking and telecommunications company Ericsson.

Inflation could ease to around 2% this year
Headline inflation could fall to around the 2% range this year amid easing price pressures, analysts said, which would be well below the projection of the BSP.

BSP eyes shift from digital transaction fees to subscription
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is studying the possibility of having consumers pay subscription fees to operators of digital payment platforms instead of charging service fees for each fund transfer to promote financial inclusion by lowering transaction costs.

Fuel efficiency labels, stickers now required on new vehicles – DOE
Makers, importers, distributors, dealers and rebuilders of all public and private vehicles are now required to secure fuel efficiency labels and stickers, the Department of Energy (DOE) said.

Philippines mineral production up 3% in 9 months
The value of the country’s metallic mineral production from January to September last year grew by three percent on an annual basis to over P195 billion, driven by higher gold and copper sales. The country produced P195.92 billion worth of metallic mineral during the nine-month period, more than the P189.89 billion recorded in the same period in 2023, according to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

Right-of-way issues impede 15 flagship infra projects
Right-of-way and site acquisition (ROWSA), funding issues, and informal settler families (ISF) continue to hamper the swift completion of at least 15 flagship infrastructure projects, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Clearance fees for imported sugar alternatives take effect February 1
Imported sugar alternatives and other sugar-based products must secure and pay a clearance fee from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) beginning February before being allowed to be released in the market.

DOTr assures timely completion of projects
The DOTr said it has taken proactive measures to address issues in the implementation of flagship infrastructure projects, ensuring they stay on track for completion.

ERC OKs P101 billion energy investments in 2024
The ERC approved the implementation of energy projects worth P101 billion last year, aimed at improving electric service for nearly 200,000 customers nationwide.

Rice imports hit record high in 2024
Total rice imports last year rose to a new all-time high of almost 4.7 million metric tons (MT) as the country turned to foreign supplies to plug its shortfall in domestic stocks and temper retail prices of the staple.

DTI, DA unite to address high retail rice prices
The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will ink a memorandum of understanding to fast-track efforts in tackling persistently high retail rice prices.

DOE scraps run-of-river hydro from GEA-3
The DOE finally decided to drop the run-of-river (ROR), an energy technology originally included in the third round of green energy auction this year.

Digital lending seen breaching $1 billion this year
The country’s digital lending market is seen to be worth over $1 billion this year, driven by the high demand for online technologies from consumers.