Philippines

Capital / Liquidity

BSP Reduces Reserve Requirement Ratio for Philippine Banks

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 25/02/2025

The BSP says the RRR cut will promote financial intermediation. The cut is expected to release up to PHP 330 billion into the banking system.

AML / KYC

FATF Removes Philippines from Grey List, Adds Nepal and Laos

By Manesh Samtani | 23/02/2025

The FATF also agreed on standards revisions to support financial inclusion and to issue consultations on payment transparency and proliferation financing schemes.

Market Infrastructure

BSP Approves Revised Framework for External Auditor Selection

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 20/02/2025

The framework allows external auditors to offer services to a wider scope of entities – including digital banks and VASPs.

AML / KYC

BSP Issues Draft Rules Authorising FIs to Freeze Suspicious Funds  

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 06/02/2025

FIs will be able to temporarily hold “disputed funds” while they initiate a process to validate the legitimacy of the transaction.

Enforcement

Australia Identifies 5,000 Potential Victims of Romance Scams

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 01/02/2025

The potential victims were identified from devices found by Philippine authorities at a Manila-based scam compound

Philippine Sovereign Wealth Fund Set to Make First Investment

By Nithya Subramanian | 29/01/2025

The investment presents an opportunity for the government to gain greater influence over the nation’s critical power infrastructure, the President’s office said.

AML / KYC

BSP Issues Draft Rules on Sharing of Financial Account Information

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 23/01/2025

The rules will implement a requirement of the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, which allows financial account information to be shared with enforcement agencies.

AML / KYC

BSP Revises IT Risk Management Rules to Align with New Anti-Scams Law

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 23/01/2025

The BSP said BSFIs must comply with the new regulations by 30 June 2025 and that a shared accountability framework will be adopted.

ESG / Sustainability

PSE Publishes Sustainability Reporting Guidebook for Listed Firms

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 21/01/2025

The guidebook was developed based on the 2015 model guidance issued by the UN-backed Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative.