Strong growth outlook

In 2022, the Philippines registered its highest GDP growth for more than four decades. According to forecasts by the World Bank, this year, the Philippines is on track to be the fastest-growing country of the ten nations comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The country has placed a strategic focus on developing major infrastructure projects, a green economy programme and public-private partnerships to increase foreign direct investments.

“From clean energy to cutting-edge technology, the Philippines is primed and ready to seize emerging opportunities with our partners from around the world,” commented Benjamin Diokno, Minister of Finance of the Philippines.

Alain Kinsch, Consul General a.h. of the Philippines to Luxembourg and President of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange has been working to create closer ties between the two countries: “The Luxembourg financial centre has a lot to offer to both Philippine and Luxembourg market participants. The Philippines has seen strong economic growth in recent years and is open to international cooperation.” Alain Kinsch added: “I am impressed by the level of ambition, innovation and speed with which the Philippine Government is delivering on its infrastructure plan with 197 projects worth USD 155 billion of which 39 will be undertaken through public-private partnerships. This is a great opportunity also for international investors to access sectors such as for example, renewable energy, airports or telecommunications in the Philippines.”

Active sovereign issuer

The relationship between LuxSE and the Philippines dates back to 1992 when the Republic of the Philippines listed its first international bond at the exchange. Today, the sovereign issuer has 36 outstanding bonds listed at LuxSE, through which it has raised the equivalent of EUR 40 billion.

In 2022, the Philippines established its Sustainable Finance Framework providing guidance on green, social or sustainability bonds, loans, and other debt instruments. The framework is aligned with ICMA’s principles, ASEAN sustainability bond standards and the Loan Market Association’s green loan principles. Later that year, the country issued its inaugural USD 500 million sustainability bond, which was listed on LuxSE and displayed on the world’s leading platform for sustainable finance, the Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX). Since then, the Philippines has brought two additional sustainability bonds to LuxSE and LGX, and earlier this month, it published its first sustainability bond allocation and impact report.

“The Luxembourg Stock Exchange has a global reach and we are proud to serve as the preferred listing venue for sovereign issuers across the world. With its sovereign sustainable bond issuances, the Philippines has helped pave the way for sustainable finance in Southeast Asia, and our role is to promote these sustainable investment opportunities to the international investor community,” said Julie Becker, CEO of LuxSE.