Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Try GOLD - Free
DOF: Fiscal deficit 'manageable'
The Freeman
|August 20, 2025
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said on Monday, August 18, that the country's fiscal deficit remains at "manageable" levels, with the first half of the year recording P765.5 billion.
-
Recto made the statement while presenting the Department of Finance's (DOF) report on the country's current economic situation and the macroeconomic assumptions underpinning the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) to the House of Representatives.
He said that the deficit is still within the midyear target, with the deficit-to-GDP ratio at 5.7%, while the government's full-year target is 5.5%.
Recto compared this to neighboring countries. Malaysia is running a budget deficit of 4.5% of GDP, while Indonesia's deficit stands at 1.8%.
By contrast, Singapore posts a modest surplus of 0.4%, indicating it collects slightly more revenue than it spends, and Vietnam has the highest surplus at 10.4%.
P4.52-T projected revenue for 2025
Against this regional backdrop, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto cited the DOF's Fiscal Policy and Monitoring Group, saying that the Philippine government is expected to generate more revenue each year.
Revenue for 2025 is projected at P4.520 trillion, a 2.29% increase from 2024's P4.419 trillion.
This story is from the August 20, 2025 edition of The Freeman.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Freeman
The Freeman
Center-right senator elected as president
Bolivians on Sunday elected a pro-business center-right senator as their new president, ending two decades of socialist rule that left the South American nation deep in economic crisis.
2 mins
October 21, 2025
The Freeman
Diesel prices to drop P0.70 per liter
After nearly two months of consecutive hikes, diesel prices will drop by P0.70 per liter starting Tuesday, October 21. Kerosene prices are also set to decrease, while gasoline prices are expected to see a slight increase.
1 mins
October 21, 2025
The Freeman
No reason for let-up
Netizens couldn't help but react to a recent post by a “school” that the media might be on the take to take attention away from the corruption involving flood-control projects.
1 mins
October 21, 2025
The Freeman
NDRRMC calls for infra audit following quakes
Following a series of earthquakes across the country including in Cebu recently, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) chairman and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has ordered a nationwide push for infrastructure audits, retrofitting of critical facilities, and intensified earthquake preparedness in coordination with Local Government Units (LGUs).
1 mins
October 21, 2025
The Freeman
Storm leaves 7 dead, 2 missing
Seven people were reported dead following the onslaught of Tropical Storm Ramil (international name: Fengshan).
1 min
October 21, 2025
The Freeman
Go vows to streamline real estate agents’ registration
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has pledged stronger support for the professionalization of the Philippine real estate industry, vowing to push Senate Bill 1292 or the “Real Estate Salesperson Registration Speed Act of 2025”— a measure aimed at simplifying the accreditation process for sales agents across the country.
2 mins
October 21, 2025
The Freeman
A political earthquake called Kiko Barzaga
Much like an intensity 10 earthquake, this impertinent and irreverent young guy is rocking the boat. He is openly challenging the gods. He is like the child Jesus debating with the Pharisees, scribes, and teachers of the law right there in the Temple. He is driving away the corrupt moneychangers transforming his father’s house into a den of thieves.
3 mins
October 21, 2025
The Freeman
China’s Communist Party begins major eco meetings
China’s ruling Communist Party kicked off four days of closed-door meetings on Monday involving high-ranking officials in discussions on long-term economic planning, state media reported.
1 min
October 21, 2025
The Freeman
DSWD opens donation center for Cebu earthquake victims
In response to the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu Province, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 has established a donation hub to receive relief goods and other forms of support for affected communities in northern Cebu.
2 mins
October 21, 2025
The Freeman
Pinamungajan mayor slams gov's claims vs toilet project
She questioned why is it that, as of October, the project remains unfinished, noting that the mayor himself admitted in an earlier interview that the comfort room was only “75 percent completed.”
1 mins
October 21, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size