Thony Lesaca

Banking and finance reporter for @mnlstandardph.

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Thursday raised its inflation forecasts for the next two years, signaling readiness for further monetary tightening.

https://t.co/QRL03R5ROg

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

Philippine building constructions fell 6.8 percent in April compared with the previous year, although the total value of projects increased, government data showed on Thursday.

https://t.co/1i5uJ2Iav3

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has extended the maximum repayment period for salary-based general-purpose consumption loans to seven years from three years to give borrowers more flexibility in managing their debts.

https://t.co/bvkrGLdKou

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The Philippines’ outstanding external debt slipped 0.2 percent to $147.35 billion in the first quarter of 2026 from $147.65 billion in the previous quarter on lower non-resident holdings of domestic debt securities.

https://t.co/L88WWMTfON

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

Philippine inflation likely remained above 7 percent in May 2026, exceeding the government’s 2 percent to 4 percent target range on high food costs and a weaker currency, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Saturday.

https://t.co/zfjRs3hWnI

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The Philippines and Japan signed an updated tax treaty to boost investments and deepen economic cooperation during Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Japan, the Department of Finance said.

https://t.co/f8tB9F7e2W

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

Philippine business sentiment turned more pessimistic in April 2026 as concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East dragged down confidence, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said.

https://t.co/AaJ4zam7hg

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The Bureau of Internal Revenue said Thursday it filed criminal complaints against four delinquent taxpayers for allegedly failing to pay a combined P58.5 million in taxes, penalties and surcharges dating back to 2017.

https://t.co/Zph4Hf3ae0

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The Bureau of Internal Revenue said Tuesday that jackpot prizes from casinos and other gambling activities are considered winnings and are subject to final withholding tax.

https://t.co/1mxZ1exBqf

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The government’s budget utilization rate slipped to 91.3 percent as of April 2026 from 92 percent a year ago, leaving P154.92 billion in unused cash allocations for the four-month period, Department of Budget and Management data showed.

https://t.co/orjFHuTxO2

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The Philippine gross domestic product will likely face soft growth until infrastructure spending resumes later in 2026, weighed down by an unresolved flood control scandal and a Middle East-driven oil shock.

https://t.co/wXeeAQJhpR

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has recalibrated the investment rules for Unit Investment Trust Funds, allowing them higher exposure to single issuers under specified conditions to support the development of the local capital market.
https://t.co/oen5Gh54v9

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

HSBC launched a $4-billion sustainability and transition credit facility to support clean energy and low-carbon companies in mainland China, identifying the Philippines as a key investment hub.
https://t.co/Xxn0ewDYzD

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The ASEAN Islamic finance industry surpassed the $1-trillion mark in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring its growing importance in regional and global markets, Fitch Ratings said.
https://t.co/9UNzMQOKBc

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The Philippines recorded a balance of payments (BOP) deficit of $2.12 billion in April 2026, which widened the cumulative shortfall in the first four months of the year to $7.41 billion.
https://t.co/WXkr4zgePt

[Manila Standard @mnlstandardph]

#MSBusiness│The Philippine banking industry’s bad loan ratio eased to 3.29 percent in March 2026 as borrowers turned more cautious amid economic uncertainties arising from the Middle East conflict, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data showed.

Read more: https://t.co/Pj5QW4xa0R

[Manila Standard @mnlstandardph]

#MSBusiness│Government infrastructure spending and capital outlays fell 48 percent to P59.1 billion in March 2026 from P113.5 billion a year ago on weaker disbursements from the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Read more: https://t.co/ISzeU8LwPG

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

The Philippine insurance industry’s penetration rate rose to 2.03 percent in the first quarter of 2026 from 1.89 percent a year ago on sustained growth in assets, premium collections and benefit payments, data from the regulator showed.
https://t.co/mjuZncHPev

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

Budgetary support to Philippine government-owned and controlled corporations rose 18.83 percent to P26.843 billion in the first quarter of 2026 from P22.589 billion a year ago, Bureau of the Treasury data showed.
https://t.co/WzhAXHmWaV

[Thony Lesaca @trlreports]

Digital and tokenized assets are expected to become core market infrastructure in Asia as corporates and institutions anticipate wider adoption of digital finance technologies over the next five years, according to an HSBC survey released Monday.
https://t.co/gD9egiw5D4