Your Morning Fix

• The Asian Development Bank expects to lower its 2026 Philippine growth forecast from 5.3% as the Middle East war and fallout from last year’s flood‑control corruption scandal weigh on inflation, remittances, tourism, investment, and overall economic confidence.
• National government debt service climbed to PHP 2.1 trillion in 2025, up 4.1% from 2024 and exceeding the PHP 2.05‑trillion full‑year program, underscoring increasing fiscal pressures.
• The Philippines’ current account deficit narrowed to USD 16.29 billion in 2025, equivalent to –3.3% of GDP, as stronger exports and remittances reduced the gap from the previous year’s USD 18.57-billion shortfall.
• US stocks fell on Friday, ending a down week as volatile oil prices, driven by concerns over how the war in Iran might disrupt global supply, weighed on all three major indexes.
• Japan will begin releasing oil from its reserves on Monday to ease the impact of the US-Israeli war on Iran, as rising fuel prices and supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz push Tokyo to tap a record 80 million barrels, equal to about 45 days of national supply.