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A broader look at today’s business Monday, March 31, 2025 Vol. 20 No. 170
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RATE CUT SEEN LIKELY ON SLOWER INFLATION n
By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
T
HE country’s inflation print could ease to 2 percent in March, reinforcing expectations that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will reduce key policy rates in its April 10 meeting, according to ANZ Research. In the Australia-based think tank’s weekly report, Head of Asia Research Khoon Goh said inflation could fall to 2 percent in March from 2.1 percent in February. “We think an improving outlook for inflation will be supportive of a rate cut by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas [BSP] at its next policy meeting on 10 April,” Goh said. ANZ Research’s forecast is at the lower bound of the See “Rate,” A2
Books have the ability to entertain and to bring one to another world. With such
power, it would be natural to assume that books are beloved and sought after everywhere they can be read. Sadly, in the Philippines, surveys reveal that the reverse is the case. In a Special Women’s Month issue, the Philippines Graphic asks the question: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BIG BUSINESS AND BOOKS COMBINE TO PROMOTE READING? Book Nook pioneer Shereen T. Sy, in an exclusive Q&A with the Graphic, shares her thoughts, views, and the unique experience of having nine women and three men from the corporate world join her in the dream of realizing two virtual libraries—the first of its kind in the Philippines—right inside a mall.
MYANMAR QUAKE’S REACH: HIGH-RISE COLLAPSES IN BANGKOK Rescuers search for victims at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a strong earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, early Saturday, March 29, 2025. The 7.7 magnitude quake, which struck Myanmar on Friday, caused widespread devastation, with the death toll soaring to 1,644 in the country and at least 17 in Thailand. In Bangkok, 10 people were killed when the building near the Chatuchak market crumbled, while 83 remain missing. As search efforts continue, Myanmar’s opposition National Unity Government has declared a partial ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid, highlighting the intersection of natural disaster and the nation’s ongoing civil conflict. AP/WASON WANICHAKORN
BRAZIL WANTS TO INCREASE ‘GDP to expand by 5.9% on AGRI GOODS EXPORTS TO PHL strong consumer spending’ By Ada Pelonia
B
@adapelonia
RAZIL is keen on expanding the basket of agricultural goods it exports to the Philippines, particularly plant-based products. Luis Rua, secretary of trade and international relations of Brazil’s ministry of agriculture and livestock, said he met with his local counterpart to discuss potential access to the Philippine market for apples, peanuts, and onions. “We’re here to show that we can also be a good partner apart from meat, which is our [top] export to
the Philippines,” Rua told reporters on the sidelines of a recent food expo in Pasay City. “We want to expand the range of products that we can offer to the Philippines,” he added. Currently, Rua said both governments are in discussion over a technical agreement that will iron out sanitary issues and market access for onion shipments into the Philippines. He hinted at the possibility that the technical agreement may be finalized this year. “That’s our idea—to very quickly solve all the technical issues, and then we can export more products See “Brazil,” A2
By Bless Aubrey Ogerio
T
HE Philippine economy is expected to grow by 5.9 percent in 2025, driven mainly by strong domestic consumption, according to Citi. Amol Gupte, Citi’s head for South Asia, said last Friday that inflation is expected to remain “manageable” at 2.6 percent, which could spur consumption. “Our belief is that the Philippines this year will get very close to 6 percent, 5.9 percent to 6 percent,” Gupte said during a media briefing in Makati City. “Inflation, we think, will remain
well controlled at about 2.6 percent. It’s come much below many people’s expectations, which is a good thing.” Economic managers have been targeting to grow GDP by 6 percent to 8 percent this year. For growth to hit 7 percent or higher, Gupte said the Philippines would have to hasten its industrial development. Recent data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed a 0.8 percent year-onyear growth in the Producer Price Index (PPI) for manufacturing, up from 0.1 percent in See “GDP,” A2
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 57.5330 n JAPAN 0.3810 n UK 74.5455 n HK 7.3997 n CHINA 7.9225 n SINGAPORE 42.9543 n AUSTRALIA 36.2458 n EU 62.1299 n KOREA 0.0394 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.3393 Source: BSP (March 28, 2025)