Gov’t may offer $750-M bonds in global debt market

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government may offer around $750 million worth of bonds in the global debt market as early as January next year.

 National Treasurer Rosalia De Leon said yesterday while the country remains awash with cash, the country’s economic team is on the lookout for opportunities overseas to maintain international presence.

“There may be higher external borrowings for next year as we continue to the rehabilitation of typhoon Yolanda-stricken areas. We’re looking at opportunities for dollar funding but there’s no tentative date yet,” De Leon said.

The last time the Philippines tapped the foreign debt market was in January this year with the issuance of $1.5 billion worth of 10-year dollar-denominated bonds due in 2024 at 4.5 percent.

The government has adopted the policy of relying more on local sources as part of its debt-liability management program. This strategy is also in line with efforts to prevent exposure to substantial foreign-exchange risk.

The ratio of the country’s debt to gross domestic product (GDP) is seen to improve to 45 percent this year from the current 47 percent as the government remains keen on further trimming its obligations through improved revenue collections and prudent management of funds.

 The debt-to-GDP ratio, which peaked at 78.1 percent during the Asian currency crisis, stood at  49.2 percent in 2013 from 51.5 percent a year earlier.

The debt-to-GDP ratio, one of the key indicators closely watched by major international credit rating agencies, is a measure of the government’s capacity to settle its obligations.

It has been on a declining trend since President Aquino assumed office, in 2010.

Last year, the national government debt rose 4.5 percent to P5.68 trillion from P5.44 trillion due to higher domestic obligations. Of the total debt, P1.95 trillion or 34 percent came from foreign lenders while the remaining P3.73 trillion was sourced from domestic creditors.

This continuing trend of decreasing general government debt-to-GDP ratio shows government’s efforts to ensure sustained fiscal space throughout the medium term.

The government’s outstanding debt stood at P5.71 trillion as of the end of August,  1.3 percent more than the same month last year.

Latest data from the Bureau of Treasury showed that the bulk of the total amount or P3.78 trillion was sourced from the domestic market while the remaining P1.93 trillion came from foreign lenders.