MANILA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' outstanding external debt declined by 1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with the previous quarter, said the country's central bank.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data released Friday showed that the country's external debt fell to 147.65 billion U.S. dollars in December 2025 from 149.09 billion dollars in September 2025.
Net valuation adjustments, reflecting lower U.S. dollar valuations of borrowings denominated in other currencies, reduced the debt stock by 659.38 million dollars, the BSP said.
These developments partly offset the impact of net availments totaling 1.44 billion dollars recorded during the quarter, the BSP said.
The external debt as a percentage of the gross domestic product, a key indicator of debt manageability, slightly improved to 30.3 percent from 30.9 percent in the previous quarter, the BSP added. ■
