3 July 2008 – MBC Research expects the headline inflation rate in June could have risen to more than a 9-year high of 10.5%, or even a 14-year high of 11.0%, from the 9.6% recorded in May. Read more

Quarterly Economic Review

MBC Research forecasts 6.6%–6.8% GDP growth in Q4 2007

30 January 2008 – MBC Research estimates the country's GDP growth to have picked up to between 6.6% to 6.8% in the last quarter of 2007, up from 5.5% in the last quarter of 2006. Read more

3 August 2007 – MBC Research forecasts that the headline inflation rate in July will remain at 2.2%–2.4% from 2.3% in June. Read more

30 May 2007 – MBC’s Research and Information Group forecasts a GDP growth rate of 5.6%–6.0% in the first quarter, compared to 5.7% a year ago. The National Economic and Development Authority has projected a 5.3%–6.1% growth for the same period, but the consensus among analysts is a growth rate of 5.6%–5.8%. Read more

30 March 2007 – MBC Research expects a 2.3%–2.6% headline inflation rate in March, slowing further from the 50-month-low 2.6% rate recorded in February, due to the continued impact of a strong peso on the movement of consumer prices. Read more

5 March 2007 – MBC Research expects inflation to have decelerated for the eleventh straight month, reaching a 46-month low of 2.8%–3.1% in February on the back of a strengthening domestic currency against the U.S. dollar. Read more

January 2007 Inflation Forecast
MBC Research expects 4.0%–4.3% inflation in January

30 January 2007 – MBC Research estimates the headline inflation in January to have dropped to 4.0%–4.3% due to the recent fuel price rollbacks and the reduction in electricity bills driven by a strong peso-dollar rate. In comparison, monetary authorities expect headline inflation to have fallen within the 3.9%–4.6% range. Read more

28 June 2006 – MBC Research estimates June inflation to have reached 6.8%–7.2% from 6.9% in May given the four rounds of fuel price hikes in June totaling P2.00 per liter, coupled with the rising costs associated with the start of a new school year. Also, the rainy season could have affected prices of food items. Read more

Quarterly Economic Review
MBC Research projects 5.1% Q1 GDP growth

28 May 2005 – With agriculture posting below 0.6% growth in the first quarter from 8.1% a year ago, GDP growth could have slowed down to at least 5.1% in the first quarter from 6.5% a year ago. Crop production shrunk 3.1% from a growth of 5.8% a year ago on account of losses brought about by last year’s typhoons and an ongoing dry spell. Read more

MBC Research expects 8.6–8.8% inflation in May

27 May 2005 – MBC Research expects inflation to accelerate to 8.6–8.8% in May from 8.5% in April. On a month-on-month basis, however, inflation is projected to slow down to 0.3–0.5% from 0.6%.  Read more

Moderate growth outlook for 2005

31 January 2005 - The business community’s outlook on the Philippine economy is somewhat tempered for 2005, notwithstanding the strong economic growth in 2004.

Almost 40 percent of senior business executives polled in the Makati Business Club’s January 2005 Executive Outlook Survey believe that the country’s GDP growth rate will slow down this year. At the same time, over a third of respondents project the economy’s growth will remain the same as last year. Only 23% expect the economy to grow faster than last year. The country’s domestic economy grew 6.1% in 2004 from 4.7% in 2003. Read more