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Thursday, December 11, 2025 Vol. 21 No. 64
P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK
By Justine Xyrah Garcia
OLIDAY hiring barely offered a seasonal nudge as October’s jobs data showed the labor market straining to absorb new entrants amid a cooling economy. On Wednesday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the labor force expanded by 1.04 million year-onyear, reaching 51.16 million, as more individuals either entered or returned to the job market. (See:https://businessmirror. com.ph/2025/12/10/jobless-
filipinos-rise-to-2-54-m-in-october-psa/). However, employment increased by only 463,000 over the same period—leaving an estimated 576,000 new entrants without work. This mismatch pushed unemployment higher at a time when See “Jobless,” A2
ADB EYES PACKAGE TO HELP PHL WITH CHAIRING OF ASEAN By Andrea E. San Juan
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@andreasanjuan
HE Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it is planning a comprehensive package of support to help the Philippines deliver regional outcomes for the country’s chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2026. In a statement on Wednesday, ADB President Masato Kanda said: “ADB is committed to support the Philippines in elevating Asean’s ambition to become more competitive, resilient, and
sustainable.” The multilateral development bank said Kanda met with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacañang Palace on Wednesday where they discussed the importance of strong cooperation and the bank’s support for the country’s chairship of ASEAN in 2026. “I was pleased that our proposals were welcomed by President Marcos and we look forward to working together on the success of Asean 2026,” Kanda said. According to ADB, the comprehensive package of support
SEASON OF CHEER, STRUGGLE IN THE SHADOWS A worker waits among Santa Claus figures and Christmas décor in Dapitan, Manila—a poignant symbol of holiday optimism amid economic headwinds. With GDP growth slowing to 4 percent in Q3 2025 and the Central Bank eyeing a possible rate cut, many Filipinos may be bracing for a season of caution rather than cheer. NONIE REYES
See “ASEAN,” A7
Dim outlook, jitters pull down Sept FDIs By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
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BM, DOT SEAL PARTNERSHIP FOR ASEAN TOURISM FORUM BusinessMirror and
the Department of Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Makati City on Wednesday, formalizing the publication’s role as a media partner for the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) Philippines 2026, to be held in Cebu City next year. Leading the signing ceremony were (from left) witness Trixzy Leigh Bonotan, BusinessMirror Editorial Coordinator; T. Anthony Cabangon, BusinessMirror Publisher; Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco; and DOT Undersecretary Shahlimar Hofer Tamano, Chief of Staff for Tourism Regulation, Coordination and Resource. ROY DOMINGO
@reine_alberto
OREIGN direct investment (FDI) into the Philippines fell to $320 million in September 2025, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), due to low investor confidence and lingering global uncertainty. This was the country’s weakest monthly FDI inflow since April 2020, when lockdowns at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic dragged investments down to $314 million. Preliminary BSP data showed that FDI inflows contracted by 25.8 percent year-on-year to $320 million in September 2025 from $432 million.
From January to September 2025, FDI inflows also dropped by 22.21 percent to $5.537 billion from $7.118 billion in the same period last year. “FDI seeks opportunities with the best expected rate of return. At the moment, the Philippines pales in comparison to other countries in Asean,” Former Socioeconomic and Planning Secretary Dante B. Canlas told BusinessMirror. This is evident as local manufacturing is declining, the property sector is overinvested and special investment incentives are not that attractive, Canlas said. Senior research fellow John Paolo R. Rivera at state-run Philippine Institute for Development Studies said the sharp pullback in
FDIs reflects “glocal” pressures, but noted that domestic developments weighed heavier. These problems at home are the corruption scandal that stalled government spending, weakerthan-expected GDP growth, and the resulting dip in investor confidence, Rivera said. “These created hesitation among foreign firms, especially those assessing long-term projects in manufacturing, infrastructure, and services,” Rivera said. The volatility of the Philippine peso, as well as delays in project approvals also added to the cautious sentiment. “The decline signals that investors are waiting for clearer governance signals, more stable policy
execution, and stronger economic momentum before committing fresh capital,” he added. Still, most investments during the first nine months came from Japan, the United States, and Singapore, with manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and real estate attracting the bulk of equity capital placements. The modest improvement in FDIs in September came mainly from a 378.2-percent surge in nonresidents’ net equity placements other than reinvestment of earnings. Nonresidents’ net investments in debt instruments, meanwhile, sank by 40.53 percent year-on-year to $201 million in September 2025 from $338 million. See “FDIs,” A7
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 59.1390 n JAPAN 0.3770 n UK 78.6490 n HK 7.5994 n CHINA 8.3727 n SINGAPORE 45.5968 n AUSTRALIA 39.2683 n EU 68.7668 n KOREA 0.0402 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.7607 Source: BSP (December 10, 2025)