Survey shows Philippine central bank likely to keep interest rates unchanged.

A survey conducted by the media of 14 economists shows that 10 of them expect the Philippine central bank to maintain its policy rate at 4.25% on Thursday. Kausani Basak of ANZ Research Department stated in a report that the Philippine central bank may adopt a wait-and-see strategy in the face of uncertain geopolitical situations in the Middle East. Four of the economists surveyed predict that the Philippine central bank will raise the interest rate to 4.50%. Aris Dacanay of HSBC stated in a report that in the face of stagflation risks, the Philippine central bank may hike rates. He mentioned that the oil price shocks are putting pressure on the country's growth prospects, and raising rates will help contain the spill-over effects on inflation.