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PHL retreats four places in Human Dev’t Index ranking

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE PHILIPPINES fell four spots on the Human Development Index (HDI) rankings, coming in at 117th in the 2023 evaluation, despite posting improving scores, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said.

In a statement, the UNDP said the Philippine score improved to 0.720, up from 0.714 in 2022 and 0.690 in 2019.

The index gauges a country’s health, education and standard of living.

“The Philippines’ HDI value for the year 2023 climbed to 0.720, reflecting an increase of 1.4% from the 2022 level; however, it remains below the average HDI for the East Asia and Pacific region,” the UNDP said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Philippines scored below East Asia and the Pacific’s average of 0.775 and the global average of 0.756.

Among neighboring countries, human development levels were “very high” in Hong Kong (8th), Singapore (13th), and Brunei Darussalam (60th).

The Philippines had a “high” human development level, as did Malaysia (67th), Thailand (76th), Vietnam (93rd), Indonesia (113rd) and Timor-Leste (142nd).

On the other hand, human development was classified as “medium” in Laos (147th), Myanmar (150th), and Cambodia (151st).

“Instead of seeing sustained recovery following the period of exceptional crises of 2020-2021, the report reveals unexpectedly weak progress. Excluding those crisis years, the meagre rise in global human development projected in this year’s report is the smallest increase since 1990,” the UNDP said.

The report also found that while global development is decelerating at an alarming rate, inequalities continue to widen between rich and poor countries.

“As traditional paths to development are squeezed by global pressures, decisive action is needed to move the world away from prolonged stagnation,” it said.

Life expectancy at birth is at 69.8 years in the Philippines, according to the Human Development Index. The expected years of schooling for Filipinos is 12.8, with the mean years of school is 10.

The Philippines also ranked 92nd in the gender inequality index with a score of 0.351, while its gender development score stood at 0.966.

The report also found that half of respondents worldwide think their jobs can be automated.

“An even larger share — six in ten — expect AI to impact their employment positively, creating opportunities in jobs that may not even exist today,” she said.

Around 13% of survey respondents fear artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to job losses while in low- and medium-HDI countries, 70% expect AI to increase their productivity. Two-thirds anticipate using AI in education, health, or work within the next year.

“The choices we make in the coming years will define the legacy of this technological transition for human development,” Pedro Conceição, director of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office, said.

“With the right policies and focus on people, AI can be a crucial bridge to new knowledge, skills, and ideas that can empower everyone from farmers to small business owners.” — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Intra-regional trade seen shielding PHL ports from worst of US tariffs 

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

PHILIPPINE PORTS will not feel the worst of the US tariff disruptions because of healthy intra-regional trade, according to S&P Global Ratings.

“Most of the ports in Asia actually are quite diversified. So yes, trade with the US is a big component, but that is not the only counterpart to deal with. There is a lot of intra-regional trade,” S&P Global Ratings Managing Director Christopher Yip said on the Money Talks with Cathy Yang program on One News on Tuesday. 

According to Mr. Yip, it is too early to assess the impact of the tariffs imposed by US President Donald J. Trump as most shipping lines are still adjusting to these changes.

“Everyone is looking at the uncertainty… the shipping lines are basically still adjusting to that. So some ships are still continuing, the routes have been planned. It will take time for a new equilibrium to be established,” he said.

“It really depends on the negotiations between China and the US. And also what will happen to the 90-day pause for the tariffs for the rest of the countries,” Mr. Yip said.

Mr. Trump has imposed a system of reciprocal tariffs, initially set at about half the tariffs charged by trading partners on incoming US goods. The markets deemed most liberal in accepting US goods have been assigned a “baseline” tariff of 10%.

The reciprocal tariffs imposed in early April have since been suspended for 90 days, with most trading partners being charged the 10% “baseline” tariff.

The Philippines, which had been assigned a 17% baseline tariff, dispatched a negotiating team to Washington last week to seek more favorable terms.

Philippine Ports Authority General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago said last week that it is expecting little to no impact on the shipping industry from the US tariffs.

International Container Terminal Services, Inc. said its global operations are unlikely to be affected by the new US tariffs, though its Mexico unit might be affected disproportionately. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

German medical tech firms see PHL as good fit for telehealth

REUTERS

THE PHILIPPINES is now on the radar of German medical technology companies as trade disruptions push them to develop untapped markets, the German Health Alliance (GHA) said.

“Due to the geopolitical situation, Germany is more focused on diversification and trying to enter different markets,” GHA Senior Manager Rajani Sabanantham told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the German-Philippine Conference on Medical Technology and Digital Health.

Ms. Sabanantham is part of the German delegation to the Philippines, which will be in the country until May 9. The delegation comprises German small and medium enterprises making medical technology and digital health products.

“We, the German industry, and the government are open to entering Asian markets. A lot of representatives from the government have participated in delegations to these countries. The Philippines is one of the most interesting countries, and that is one of the reasons why we are here,” she said.

She cited strong demand for medical technology and digital health in the Philippines, as gleaned from the delegation’s hospital visits.

“I heard about a lot of modernization, infrastructure projects, and investments in healthcare in the Philippines, which (makes it), I think, a good time for the German healthcare industry to enter this market,” she said.

“And also because you have a lot of islands, digital solutions, telemedicine, and other digital health solutions will be a great opportunity, especially for our German companies,” she added.

She said very little is known about the Philippine market in Germany, a situation which calls for more exchanges between the two countries.

“One of the most important advantages in collaborating with your country is all the young people are skilled and can speak English. Most of the Asian countries are difficult to enter because of the language barrier,” she said.

On Tuesday, the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) hosted the conference together with the Medical Device Association of the Philippines, the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc., and the Healthcare Technology Association of the Philippines.

“Digital health and medical technology are powerful enablers for healthcare transformation,” GPCCI Deputy Executive Director Charlotte Bandelow said.

“We are proud to provide a platform where German innovation and Philippine healthcare priorities can meet. We arranged around 50 business-to-business meetings to initiate concrete cooperation,” she added.

The companies in the delegation include 3di GmbH, Bavarian Institute for Age- and Dementia-sensitive Architecture, Clinaris GmbH, fracto GERDES GBR, INOSOLVE GmbH, kimetec GmbH, Oehm und Rehbein GmbH, and VISUS Health IT GmbH.

“We see tremendous potential for German companies to contribute to the Philippine healthcare system, particularly in diagnostics, telehealth, and hospital technology,” GPCCI President Marie Antoniette Mariano said.

“This mission reflects Germany’s commitment to building lasting partnerships in sectors with real impact,” she added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Spot market price downtrend expected to continue in May

BW FILE PHOTO

PRICES at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) are expected to continue falling in May due to the ample power supply, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) said.

“Given the trend we are seeing now, we have ample supply, and we see the same level of margin all throughout the month of May. So, we expect the same level of prices that we are experiencing now. Hopefully, even lower,” Isidro E. Cacho, Jr., IEMOP’s head of corporate strategy and communications, said in a virtual briefing on Tuesday.

Mr. Cacho is also hopeful supply will continue to increase in the remainder of the year with the entry of new renewables.

With the upcoming midterm elections, Mr. Cacho said stable spot prices will extend even beyond the polls.

“After the election season, we could still see ample supply generally stable prices,” he said.

For April, the average WESM price system-wide declined 15.3% month on month to P4.52 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) as the supply margin widened.

Available supply improved 8.8% to 21,345 megawatts (MW) while demand grew 7.8% to 14,739 MW.

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest private distribution company, is expecting a potential reduction in the generation and transmission charges for the May electricity billing cycle.

“Initial data shows WESM prices trended lower in the April supply month as power plants that went on outage started to resume operations, boosting capacity in the market,” Meralco Spokesperson Joe R. Zaldarriaga said.

Moreover, Mr. Zaldarriaga said that transmission charges are likely to decline due to lower reserve market prices as well as the completion of the three-month collection of deferred payments to power generators.

In April, the power distributor raised electricity rates by P0.7226 per kWh to P13.0127 per kWh, due to the higher generation charge. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

April rice stocks rise 45.3% month on month

THE national rice inventory rose 45.3% month on month to 2.34 million metric tons (MMT) as of April 1, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.

Year on year, inventory rose 26.2%.

As of April 1, 50.2% of the rice inventory was held by households, 35.1% by the commercial sector, and 14.8% by the National Food Authority (NFA).

Month on month, rice stocks held by the commercial sector, households, and NFA rose 55.5%, 49.8%, and 15.5%, respectively, the PSA said.

Stocks held by NFA warehouses rose 733.6% year on year, it added.

The NFA has been touting its increased reserves, which hit 10.1 million bags of palay and 1.2 million bags of milled rice in late April.

The volumes were the highest since 2020 and sufficient to cover 10 days’ consumption.

The government has stepped up efforts to lower prices of the food staple ahead of the midterm elections.

On May 1, a P20-per-kilo rice program subsidized by both the local and national governments rolled out in Cebu.

The Department of Agriculture has since suspended the pilot program to comply with the May 2-12 ban on the distribution of government aid during election season.

The PSA last week reported that at the national level, regular milled rice averaged P44.44 per kilo at retail during the April 15-17 monitoring period.

This was lower than its average retail price on April 1-5 of P44.92 per kilo and P46.02 on March 15-17.

Meanwhile, the PSA said in a separate report that palay production rose 0.3% year on year to 4.70 MMT in the three months to March.

Central Luzon accounted for 17.2% or 808.60 thousand MT of total palay production during the period. This was followed by the Cagayan Valley with 640.43 thousand MT (13.6%) and the Western Visayas with 549.51 thousand MT (11.7%).

The three regions accounted for 42.5% of national palay production during the quarter.

The palay harvest area in the three months to March fell 2.3% year on year to 1.15 million hectares. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

PHL wholesale price growth picks up

PRICE GROWTH in wholesale goods accelerated to a 15-month high in March, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in a report.

Citing preliminary data, the PSA said the general wholesale price index (GWPI) rose 3.6% year on year, against 2.5% a year earlier and 2.9% in February.

The March reading was the strongest in 15 months, or since the 4.3% registered in December 2023.

In the first quarter, the GWPI averaged 3.1%, against the year-earlier 3%.

The PSA said the uptrend was driven by the index of chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats, which accelerated to 12.4% in March from 10.1% in February.

Also accelerating were sub-indices for crude materials, inedible except fuels (77.9% from 60.6%), beverages and tobacco (3.4% from 2.9%), food (2.9% from 2.3%), and manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials (1.3% from 0.9%).

Miscellaneous manufactured material prices did not change year on year in March.

Meanwhile, the PSA noted slower growth in prices of machinery transport and equipment at 1.3% from 1.6% in February, and mineral fuels, lubricants, and related materials, which declined 1.9% after a 0.3% dip in the previous month.

GWPI growth was mixed by major island group.

Luzon’s wholesale price growth accelerated to 3.9% from the 3.2% logged in February. The national average was 3.6%, the strongest reading in 15 months since the 4.2% posted in December 2023.

Wholesale price growth in the Visayas slowed to 0.8% from 1% a month earlier, the weakest reading since the 0.4% growth rate in September 2021.

Meanwhile, Mindanao GWPI picked up by 0.8%, against the 0.7% in February, the strongest reading since the 1.1% posted in December. 

For the rest of the year, Reinielle Matt M. Erece, economist at Oikonomia Advisory and Research, expects the GWPI to continue on this track as “rate cuts are expected, which may increase demand for goods and even business expansion.”

The low inflation rates seen in the first quarter, which averaged 2.2%, were well below the 3.2% forecast by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for the period. — Matthew Miguel L. Castillo

Trump tariff impact on PHL seen mainly in weakening of investor confidence

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, April 2, 2025. — REUTERS

THE TRUMP tariffs will impact the Philippines mainly via the weakening of investor confidence as potential investors weigh a retreat behind US tariff walls, S&P Global Ratings said.

“(The Philippines) has one of the lower initial reciprocal tariff rates of 17%, and does not have a very large bilateral trade surplus with the US, as a substantial portion of its exports is in services. Nevertheless, growth is still likely to be affected, and we have penciled in a decline of 0.3 percentage points compared to the pre-tariff forecast for this year,” S&P Global Ratings Asia Sovereign & International Public Finance Ratings Director Rain Yin said at a webinar on Tuesday.

“We see weaker confidence, weaker investment, and the weaker environment in the region affecting the economy more broadly,” S&P Global Ratings Asia-Pacific Senior Economist Vishrut Rana added.

S&P Global expects the Philippine economy to expand 6% this year, at the lower end of the government’s 6-8% target and accelerating from the revised 5.7% forecast for 2024.

However, Ms. Yin said the outlook remains positive driven because of the Philippines’ “strong growth trajectory, narrowing current account deficits and fiscal consolidation,” adding that its credit ratings could be raised within the next two years.

“However, if downside risks are very significant and derail our expectations on those constructive trends, then the outlook can possibly go unstable,” she noted.

“Therefore, the key question for us is really about when domestic consumption and investments recover. This will likely determine how much fiscal support the government will roll out and for how long they decide to roll out this fiscal support. If we expect the domestic recovery to be slow, then the need for stimulative fiscal policies in the next few years will increasingly weigh on the sovereign ratings.”

The Philippines is one of three countries in the region with a positive outlook as this group is deemed least affected by the tariffs, the others being Mongolia and India.

“Nevertheless, the situation does carry a lot of downside risk. And the conditions that make it conducive for us to take a positive outlook might not materialize if downside risks intensify. So if we do not believe that the rating upgrade is likely within the next one or two years, then we’ll be looking very carefully whether the positive outlooks continue to make sense,” Ms. Yin said. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

US chip firms being pitched on expanding PHL footprint

REUTERS

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it is in talks with US semiconductor multinationals to expand their presence in the Philippines.

“We spoke with Texas Instruments on how they can really grow their business in the Philippines,” Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Tuesday.

Ms. Roque said she also met with executives from the US Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) to pitch them on operating in the Philippines.

“Semiconductors are the number one export of the Philippines to the US. Every time we talk to them, it is about expansion… what they need, and what to focus on to keep them in the country,” she said. 

The DTI also discussed trade issues and other industry concerns with SIA, Ms. Roque said, adding that her department continues to pursue plans to play a role in the chip value chain.

Last week, Ms. Roque visited the US for tariff negotiations, and took part in a business forum organized by the US Chamber of Commerce, the US-ASEAN Business Council and SIA. 

Electronics were the top commodity export of the Philippines last year, accounting for 53.4% of total exports.

In 2024, the Philippines exported $39.1 billion worth of electronic products, down 6.7%. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

NU, UST dispute the last finals ticket in UAAP men’s volleyball

UST GOLDEN SPIKERS — UAAP/NEO GARCIA

Game on Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
2 p.m. — UST vs NU
(men’s Final Four knockout)

IT’S win or go home for four-peat National University (NU) and University of Santo Tomas (UST) as they dispute the last finals ticket in the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball knockout on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Game time is at 2 p.m. with the UST Golden Spikers looking to complete an improbable feat of eliminating the NU Bulldogs after a stunning Game 1 win to neutralize a twice-to-win disadvantage.

A win by Santo Tomas would deny NU a five-peat with an early semifinals exit and arrange a best-of-three finale showdown against No. 1 seed Far Eastern University, which drubbed de La Salle University in one attempt, 24-26, 25-23, 25-19, 25-20.

“We just lived to fight another day,” said coach Odjie Mamon, looking to seal the deal amid an expected strong retaliation from the four-peat champion.

Momentum it is for the UST Golden Spikers, led by reigning MVP Josh Ybañez and Gboy de Vega, after scoring a 26-24, 27-25, 19-25, 25-18 win in the series opener to force a winner-take-all Game 2.

That proved as a stark contrast in their last four meetings all won by the NU Bulldogs, including a sweep in the Season 86 finals to clinch their fourth straight title.

Expect the NU Bulldogs, under the tutelage of Dante Alinsurin, to fight back with all their might to protect their dynasty with Leo Aringo, Leo Ordiales, Peng Taguibolos and Jade Disquitado leading the way. — John Bryan Ulanday

Road Warriors brace for tough Gin Kings clash

Games on Wednesday
(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
5 p.m. — Blackwater vs Rain or Shine
7:30 p.m. — Ginebra vs NLEX

CAN streaking NLEX continue its smooth ride in the PBA Philippine Cup?

That’s certainly the objective of the NLEX Road Warriors — winner of their last three games after dropping their conference debut against San Miguel — especially with a trio of heavyweights up on their plate in the next nine days.

First up is Barangay Ginebra (2-1), which puts them to a tough test tonight at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The 7:30 p.m. duel with the back-to-back-seeking Gin Kings ushers in a tough stretch that will see coach Jong Uichico’s troops waging battles with unbeaten leader Magnolia (5-0) on May 11 and defending champion Meralco (2-3) on May 16.

For Robert Bolick, a key part of NLEX’ success so far are the improved ball movement and player activity off the ball in a new approach they’re all fully buying in.

The Gin Kings are still trying to get their footing coming off a draining seven-game series against TNT in the Commissioner’s Cup finals.

“It’s been a tough conference for us so far, just having less preparation time (between conferences),” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.

“We wanted to give the guys a mental and physical break when they came back from the finals and extend that as much as we could without walking in and playing. So we did everything to try to get ready. It was kind of like in a ‘hurry-up motion’ and so it’s a struggle for us mentally. But we snapped out of it a little bit in our last game (131-106 rout over NorthPort last Wednesday).”

Meanwhile, Rain or Shine (2-2) expects to have back on board Beau Belga (vertigo) and Caelan Tiongson (back spasms) as it shoots for a bounceback at 5 p.m. against Blackwater (1-3).

The Elasto Painters badly missed the two frontliners in their 97-107 defeat to Converge with the FiberXers totally dominating the boards, 62-40, and inside scoring, 56-38, behind Twin Towers Justin Arana (18-17) and Justine Baltazar (13-22).

Notes: The PBA named reigning Philippine Cup kingpin Meralco as the country’s representative to the Basketball Champions League Asia set June 9 to 15. Accordingly, commissioner Willie Marcial said the league will adjust the Bolts’ schedule in the ongoing Philippine Cup to accommodate this international campaign. The All-Filipino eliminations will run until June 15 with the playoffs eyed for a June 18 start. — Olmin Leyba

Farm Fresh revamps coaching staff; Cignal acquires Guino-o, Arce

FARM FRESH is revamping its coaching staff with hopes of changing its fortunes in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League seasons.

After quietly bringing in veteran internationalist Fabio Menta as consultant early this year, the Foxies have recently tapped two more Italians like the former in Alessandro Lodi as coach and Carlo Buzzichelli as in charge of strength and conditioning not just at Farm Fresh but also at sister team ZUS Coffee.

Mr. Lodi replaced Benson Bocboc, who coached the franchise to a 10th-place finish last All-Filipino Conference.

“The arrival of coach Alessandro Lodi as Farm Fresh’s new head coach and coach Carlo Buzzichelli as Strong Group’s new strength and conditioning head marks a new chapter for our teams,” said Farm Fresh manager Kiara Cruz. “With coach Fabio Menta already on board as our volleyball consultant, we’ve seen improvements across all SGA teams — from the pros to the collegiate level.”

“Now, with the additions of coach Alessandro (Lodi) and coach Carlo (Buzzichelli), we’re not just maintaining momentum — we’re becoming stronger,” she added.

Meanwhile, Cignal continued its own revamp as it acquired outside spiker Heather Guino-o and middle blocker Ethan Arce, which came a few days after tapping veteran Tine Tiamzon.

“Team Awesome is thrilled to welcome Heather Guino-o, a reliable scorer and steady presence on the wing, as she’s ready to make a significant impact with the Cignal HD Spikers in the next conference,” said the squad in a statement posted in social media.

“From one red squad to another, Ethan Arce brings strength, grit, and passion to the Cignal HD Spikers as we set our sights even higher for the next conference,” it added. — Joey Villar

Lady Knights beat Lady Stags in straight sets, lead NCAA volleyball

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

FOR Colegio de San Juan de Letran to legitimately challenge for the NCAA Season 100 women’s volleyball title, it would need to play with nerves of steel on a consistent basis.

The Letran Lady Knights showed some flashes of it against the San Sebastian College-Recoletos Lady Stags on Tuesday, but it was enough to pull off a 25-21, 25-22, 25-23 victory that kept the former unflappable at the helm at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

Vanessa Sarie, a rookie prize find from Bicol, was at the heart of it all as she came through with a match-best 17 points as the Letran Lady Knights snared their sixth win in a row and 12th overall against two defeats.

It was also a triumph that kept Letran at No. 1 and on course of making a return trip to the Final Four where they hope to continue to advance to the finals where they get a shot at a first women’s crown since winning it all 27 years ago.

After seizing the second frame to go 2-0 set up, the Letran Lady Knights took a 19-12 edge and looked headed to cruising to another win. — Joey Villar

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