Philippine story of resilience still ‘relevant’ to investors, says PSE chair
The Philippines remains a compelling destination for investors despite global uncertainties, according to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) chair Jose Pardo, who pointed to the country’s resilient economy and expanding industries as key strengths.
“The Philippine story is not written on a trading screen alone,” Pardo said in his welcome remarks at the InvestPH conference. “It is written in the fields, the communities and the enterprises waiting to be discovered.”
This is on the heels of renewed market slump that has wiped out all gains eked out earlier by the local stock market this year.
With the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, the surge in global oil prices to levels beyond $100 per barrel tempered economic rebound prospects for oil-importing Philippines.
“Markets are navigating heightened volatility driven by geopolitical tensions, shifting rate expectations and an uncertain global outlook,” Pardo said. He acknowledged that the local stock market had “felt these shocks” after climbing to a 14-month high.
Despite these pressures, Pardo said the Philippines continued to stand out because of its structural advantages.
“But volatility reveals character,” he said. “And when we look at the Philippines—our macroeconomic fundamentals, our young population, our expanding sectors—we find a country that remains resilient and relevant.”
Pardo highlighted the need to deepen the country’s capital markets by encouraging more businesses to tap the stock exchange.
“Our exchange, however, is only as strong as the breadth of the economy it represents,” he said. “Much of our economy remains fragmented and informal—too far from capital markets to list, too underserved to scale.”
The PSE chair cited initiatives led by business groups to strengthen key sectors such as agriculture, saying these efforts could eventually translate into more companies raising capital through the market.
Pardo said InvestPH was created to strengthen engagement between investors and Philippine companies.
“We launched this conference to give institutional investors—who drive roughly 80 percent of trading activity in our market—a direct platform to engage with listed companies and the leaders shaping our economy,” he said.
Pardo noted that participation from overseas investors had increased significantly.
“This year, I am especially encouraged that we have nearly doubled our foreign investor participation,” he said, adding that the turnout reflected confidence in the country’s prospects.
