PH debt climbing further to over P19T

Hitting a fresh high, the na- tional government’s debt is expected to exceed P19 trillion by the end of 2026, nearly 10-percent higher than the projected end-2025 level of P17.36 trillion.

- Derco Rosal

According to the Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing (BESF) document for fiscal year (FY) 2026 published on Wednesday, Aug. 13, the national government’s total debt will pile up by P1.71 trillion or 9.8 percent to P19.06 trillion by next year.

The domestic debt stock is expected to increase by 10.3 percent to P13.28 trillion by the end of 2026 from P12.04 trillion by end2025. Meanwhile, outstanding foreign borrowings are projected to grow by 8.9 percent to P5.78 trillion from P5.31 trillion.

Overall, 69.7 percent of next year’s outstanding debt will be sourced domestically, while 30.3 percent will come from foreign lenders.