benjamin e diokno : message for the 2021 pds awards message by mr benjamin e diokno, governor of bangko sentral ng pilipinas ( bsp, the central bank of the philippines ), for the 2021 pds awards, manila, 25 march 2021. * * * to the women and men behind the philippine dealing system holdings corporation, my heartfelt greetings and congratulations for organizing this 2021 pds awards. your theme for this year ’ s awards, “ strength in adversity, ” is very timely and relevant. the ongoing global health and economic crisis has spared no one. we are now being tested to the core. yet the struggles we face have allowed us to discover a strength that would enable us to rise above everything, to think of better ways and more effective solutions, and to help those who need our help the most. today ’ s awardees have achieved all these and more. the bangko sentral ng pilipinas salutes their outstanding performance, leadership, and innovation, especially during this very trying time. mabuhay kayong lahat! the bsp is likewise extending its gratitude to the pds group for the services you have rendered despite the pandemic. your collective selflessness has formed part of the foundation that continues to uphold the economy while it runs on a limited capacity. we are not out of the woods yet. the future remains clouded with uncertainty. but we are not discouraged. we remain focused and committed nurture the economy back to its growth trajectory in the face of the current crisis. let me share some insights on the philippine economic outlook for 2021 and the bsp ’ s policy actions to support the national government ’ s whole - of - nation approach in addressing the current crisis. multilateral agencies such as the international monetary fund, the world bank, and the asian development bank expect the philippine economy to expand by 5. 9 to 6. 6 percent this year. these are broadly in line with the national government ’ s forecasts of 6. 5 to 7. 5 percent for 2021. meanwhile, some foreign analysts have rosier estimates for the year, with growth projections ranging from 6. 1 percent to as high as 9. 6 percent. this shared optimism is based on the philippines ’ macroeconomic fundamentals, which have remained broadly intact, despite the pandemic. these fundamentals include improving quarterly gdp outturn, better business and consumer outlook, ample liquidity in the system, a sound and stable banking

felipe m medalla : south luzon in focus - why the regional matters in the national speech by mr felipe m medalla, governor of bangko sentral ng pilipinas ( bsp, the central bank of the philippines ), at the 4th regional macroeconomic conference series, south luzon, 9 january 2023. * * * partners from the banking community and business community, colleagues, friends in the media, ladies, and gentlemen, magandang araw po sa inyong lahat. i am pleased to welcome everyone to the regional macroeconomic conference series ( rmcs ) for south luzon. this marks our fourth rmcs, building on the conference series in central visayas, davao and soccksargen, and most recently, north and central luzon. when i was a monetary board member, i made it a point to attend many of these rmcs to gain a better understanding of regional developments. today's presentations will discuss recent economic and general banking system developments, with a special focus on south luzon. i understand that these are your top concerns based on the survey we ran last november. while the central bank is among the more credible institutions when it comes to taking a macroeconomic view - focusing on aggregated data like gdp [ gross domestic product ], price index, and capital formation at the national level - one must never forget to look at regional - level data. for instance, the issue of elevated food prices is actually more pronounced in some regions than in others. moreover, developments at the regional level also inform the way we carry out our first and second pillars - price stability and financial stability. it would be remiss for the central bank to overlook such nuances and differences across regions to inform its policies. your inputs will help guide the bsp's policymaking since you have first - hand knowledge and experience of what is happening on the ground. this synergy that we seek to reinforce is the essence of rmcs. numbers can only tell us so much. you in the regions help provide the context behind these figures. your stories complete the picture. that said, i hope that today's sessions will equip us with the right tools to make better decisions and more targeted actions for the benefit of all filipinos. maraming salamat at mabuhay po tayong lahat! [ thank you very much ] 1 / 1 bis - central bankers'speeches