Manufacturing sector slumps in March

Philippine factory growth contracted for the first time since August 2023—also the steepest decline in nearly four years—due to the worsening health of domestic manufacturing since the start of the year.

- By DERCO ROSAL

“Following 18 successive months of growth, the Filipino manufacturing sector slipped back into contraction at the end of the first quarter of 2025,” S&P Global said in its latest purchasing managers’ index (PMI) report, released Wednesday, April 2.

According to S&P Global’s report, the Philippines’ PMI fell below the neutral 50 mark in March, marking the first time in one year and seven months.