Barclays: The Central Bank of the Philippines may raise interest rates twice in 2026

```htmlGolden Ten Data reported on March 24 that economists at Barclays Bank wrote in a report that the Central Bank of the Philippines may raise interest rates twice this year, instead of cutting rates. Policymakers are concerned about pre-existing economic issues, which existed before the outbreak of the Middle East conflict. However, if the conflict eases in the short term, the Central Bank of the Philippines may cut rates. Barclays' current baseline forecast is for the Central Bank of the Philippines to raise rates by 25 basis points in both April and June. If global crude oil prices stabilize, it is expected that there will be three cuts of 25 basis points in 2027. Barclays had previously expected the Central Bank of the Philippines to cut rates by 25 basis points in both April and June 2026.```