OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT (NG) gross loans put into it In September, the issuance of dollar bonds pushed up foreign debt, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said.
BTR data showed that total gross loans rose 255.64% to P367.18 billion in September from P103.25 billion in the same month a year ago.
Month-on-month, gross loans more than doubled from P174.03 billion in August.
The majority, or 60% of gross loans in September, came from external sources.
Gross foreign debt rose to P221.98 billion in September from P11.18 billion last year.
External borrowings in September included P140.99 billion in global bonds, P72.65 billion in program loans and P8.35 billion in new project loans.
On the other hand, gross domestic loans rose 57.71% to P145.2 billion in September from P92.07 billion a year earlier.
This consisted of P120 billion in FFixed-rate Treasury bonds (T-bonds) and P25.2 billion in Treasury bills (T-bills).
Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said the increase in loans in September was mainly due to the latest issuance of dollar bonds.
In August, the government raised $2.5 billion from issuing US dollar-denominated global bonds in three tranches. The transaction, that was FThe credit, which was completed in September, was the country’s second attempt this year to enter the international debt market.
The start of the easing cycle from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the US Federal Reserve also supported the spike in domestic borrowing in September, against the backdrop of “favourable” borrowing costs, Mr Ricafort said.
“U.S. and local government bond yields showed a larger decline than the policy rate, resulting in more savings for the government and other borrowers, and making it more attractive to cover immediate financing needs,” Mr. Ricafort said in a statement Viber message.
Since the start of the easing cycle in August, the BSP has cut borrowing costs by a total of 50 basis points (bps), bringing the key policy rate to 6%.
For its part, the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates last month 50 basis points to the 4.75% to 5% range.
Philippine Institute for Development Studies Senior Research Fellow John Paolo R. Rivera said the government had to increase its borrowing in September to finance the broader budget deficit.
“The increase in gross external borrowings may stem from the need to simultaneously reduce budget deficits Fiscal consolidation and improved revenue generation,” he said in a Viber message.
The budget for the first nine months of 2024 is theFThe icit fell by 1.35% to 970.2 billion euros, compared to 983.5 billion euros a year ago.
“External and domestic loans can also be used for unplanned expenses such as disaster relief, rehabilitation costs and sustainable infrastructure investments,” Mr Rivera added.
PERIOD OF NINE MONTHS
Meanwhile, the BTR reported that gross loans rose 31.42% to P2.3 trillion in the January-September period from P1.75 trillion last year.
The majority, or 78.07%, of gross loans in the nine-month period came from domestic sources.
Domestic debt stood at P1.8 trillion at the end of September, up 33.55% from P1.34 trillion in the same period a year ago.
These consisted of P1.02 trillion in fixed-rate T-bonds, P584.86 billion in retail T-bonds and P186.92 billion in T-bills.
Foreign debts in the FThe first nine months rose 24.33% to P504.45 billion from P405.74 billion a year earlier.
This consisted of P256.24 billion in global bonds, P173.15 billion in program loans and P75.06 billion in new project loans.
Further rate cuts are likely to lead to more borrowing in the last three months of 2024, Mr Ricafort said.
“As interest rates globally and locally should continue to decline in the coming months, this would make borrowing more attractive given the need to continuously finance future budget deficits.”
This year’s borrowing plan is set at P2.57 trillion, with P1.92 trillion coming from domestic sources and P646.08 billion from abroad, according to the latest data from the Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz