PHL gov’t debts slightly up in end-February ’17

Data released by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) Wednesday showed that issuance of debt securities by the government partly caused the uptick in the liabilities, which is also higher than year-ago’s Php 5.94 trillion. (Photo: Doun/ Flickr)

MANILA–The Philippine government’s outstanding liabilities rose 1.5 percent to Php 6.21 trillion in February 2017 from the previous month’s Php 6.11 trillion.

Data released by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) Wednesday showed that issuance of debt securities by the government partly caused the uptick in the liabilities, which is also higher than year-ago’s Php 5.94 trillion.

Domestic loans accounted the bulk of the debt, amounting to Php 3.99 trillion, higher than the Php 3.95 trillion last January and the Php 3.85 trillion in end-February last year.

BTr’s issuance of government securities (GS), which are state’s staple fund sources such as Treasury bonds (T-bond)and Treasury bills (T-bills), contributed much in the rise of domestic debts.

BTr data show that from Php 3.85 trillion in end-February 2016, government debt, as a result of issuance of GS, rose to Php 3.95 trillion in January 2017 and to Php 3.98 trillion the following month.

Liabilities from overseas creditors amounted to Php 2.22 trillion as of last February, higher than month-ago’s Php 2.16 trillion and year-ago’s Php 2.1 trillion.

Direct loans, in particular, rose by 4.6 percent to Php 851.57 billion from the Php 844.94 billion in the previous month and the Php 796.2 billion in end-February last year.

Debt accumulated through the availment of debt securities issued overseas reached Php 1.37 trillion as of the second month this year, up from the Php 1.31 trillion last January and the Php 1.29 trillion in end-February 2016.

Debt on account of US dollar bond or notes amounted to Php 1.196 trillion to date, 2.3 percent higher than the Php 1.096 trillion same period in 2016.

Debt on account of Japanese yen bonds rose 5.7 percent to Php 44.75 billion from year-ago’s Php 42.22 billion.

Liabilities on account of the government’s issuance of peso-denominated global bonds amounted to Php 129.679 billion, flat from the year-ago level.

The figures were based on a Php 47.568 peso-dollar rate in February 2016, Php 49.757 last January and Php 50.255 last February.

Deprecation of the peso, due to the impact of volatilities overseas on account of expectations of more hikes in the Federal Reserve rates and swings in the prices of oil, among others, also contributed to the increase in government’s outstanding debt.