AFTER THE PHILIPPINE central bank raised its key interest rates on June 18 for the second time this year, economists are pondering whether the the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) would sanction more interest rate increases amid continuing |inflationary pressures and peso depreciation.

MONETARY planners in the Philippines are keeping a careful watch on potential “second round” effects of the Duterte administration’s tax hikes that were implemented last month in a bid to keep prices of goods and services from rising more than they should, the country’s central bank chief said.