MANILA, Philippines — East West Banking Corporation (EastWest) hosted the Cebu and Davao legs of its curated Economic Outlook Briefing series to equip clients with exclusive insights designed to help them navigate opportunities in a fast‑shifting and uncertain economic landscape.
The events gathered clients from EastWest’s Retail, Priority, and Corporate Banking groups for a concise, data‑grounded view of the country’s macro environment.
Bede Gomez, chief investment adviser at EastWest, delivered the briefing, underscoring the Philippines’ resilience amid evolving global economic conditions. He highlighted that the country’s relatively lower export dependence compared to regional peers provides a measure of insulation against global trade slowdowns.
He noted that strong domestic consumption continues to underpin economic growth, while cautioning that discretionary spending may moderate in the near term. Gomez also emphasized that prolonged geopolitical tensions could pose potential risks to OFW remittances and weigh on investor sentiment, reinforcing the importance of disciplined financial planning and a long-term investment approach.
With this, Gomez encouraged investors to approach 2026 with a focus on building well‑hedged portfolios, emphasizing diversification, balanced asset allocation, multi‑strategy approaches, and prudent duration and liquidity management.
He also highlighted the value of investing in diversified defensive assets, such as essential service sectors, renewable and alternative energy, gold and precious metals, intermediate-term bonds, investment-grade corporate bonds, and dividend-paying securities.
“Lasting wealth is not built through speculation, but on fundamentals, discipline, patience, and sound risk governance,” Gomez said.
Aside from the economic outlook briefing, EastWest also announced its strategic partnership with the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) for the Economic Watch email newsletter, a curated source of market insights and trends to guide clients in navigating key financial decisions throughout the year.
“At EastWest, we believe that being a trusted partner means providing the foresight you need to navigate the market with confidence, especially in a year defined by such high energy and rapid momentum,” said Rafael Algarra, Jr., senior executive vice president and head of financial markets and wealth management. “Whether through our Economic Watch newsletter or our evolving suite of services, we are dedicated to helping you renew your goals and strengthen your path forward.”
