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Survived Semana Santa without a bowl of binignit? Tragic. But no worries—Peso Weekly is here to help you kick off your week with something just as filling (financial insights, minus the coconut milk).We’re launching this newsletter with a clear goal: to make sense of the business, finance, and investment stories that shape the lives of Filipinos—whether you're in the office, managing a business, working abroad, or planning your next financial move.

In a fast-moving world filled with noise, Peso Weekly aims to cut through the clutter and deliver concise, credible, and insightful updates that matter. We’re here to help you stay informed, make smarter money decisions, and understand how global trends and local headlines affect your wallet.

This is just the beginning. Thank you for being part of Day One. Let's build something valuable—together.

Here’s to smarter pesos, clearer headlines, and a better handle on your money—one issue at a time.

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The Peso Weekly Team 💼📩

MARKETS
Money Moves: Markets at a Glance (as of April 21, 2025)

📊 Markets at a Glance (as of April 21, 2025)

🇵🇭 PSEi: 6,138.00 ▲ +0.05%
📈 Inflation Rate (Mar 2025): 3.4% ▼ vs(Feb)
📊 BSP Overnight Rate: 6.50% (steady)
₿ Bitcoin: $87,340 ▲ +3.46%

💱 Exchange Rates:
🇺🇸 USD = ₱56.52
🇬🇧 GBP = ₱75.91
🇸🇦 SAR = ₱15.08
🇯🇵 JPY = ₱0.37
🇪🇺 EUR = ₱60.13

⛽ Dubai Crude (Oil Benchmark): $89.20/barrel ▲
📦 OFW Remittance (Feb 2025): $2.72B ▲ +2.7% YoY

NEWS FLASH
Pope Francis Dies at 88, Leaving Global and Filipino Catholics Mourning

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff and spiritual leader of over 1.3 billion Catholics, passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 in Vatican City. Elected in 2013, he served for 12 transformative years marked by compassion, reform, and inclusion—championing the poor, migrants, and the environment. Despite ongoing health concerns, including kidney failure and pneumonia, he continued his papal duties until his final Easter blessing just a day before his passing.For many Filipinos—the third-largest Catholic population in the world—Pope Francis held deep spiritual significance. His 2015 visit to the Philippines drew over 6 million people in Luneta, the largest papal crowd in history. Tributes have poured in from local bishops, government officials, and everyday Filipinos whose faith was inspired by his humility and heart for the marginalized.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is relaunching its aviation school, now turbocharged with help from Australia’s Airways Aviation. Based in Pasay, the rebooted program aims to train the next wave of Pinoy pilots using global standards and shiny new equipment.The timing? Spot on. Travel is bouncing back, pilot demand is climbing, and PAL wants to future-proof its cockpit crew. The original school shut down in 2019, but now it’s back in growth mode—ready to produce cadets who can fly anywhere from Caticlan to California.For aviation-hungry Filipinos, this isn’t just a program—it’s a second shot at a sky-high dream. Because for many, the sky isn’t the limit. It’s the office.

Meralco just scored a 25-year franchise extension—yes, before the current one even expired—letting it run the country’s power show until 2053. Signed into law by President Marcos Jr., the move gives Meralco a longer leash to modernize grids, roll out smart meters, and maybe, just maybe, cut down on those mystery brownouts that always hit during Netflix finales. CEO Manny Pangilinan says it’s all about resilience and energy independence, which sounds great—unless you’re one of the consumer watchdogs raising eyebrows at how early this extension came. (The old deal was good till 2028.) Critics warn it might dim future oversight and competition. Still, with 8 million+ customers across 39 cities and 72 towns, Meralco’s staying right where it is—on your monthly bill, and probably in your group chat whenever the lights flicker. Bright future or déjà vu? Either way, they’ve got the plug. ⚡️

🥩 Putin’s Got Beef… and It Might Be in Your Jollibee Steak Soon. Sounds like a meme, but it’s real—Russia has officially entered the Philippine beef market. Two Russian meat companies just got the green light to export beef and offal to the Philippines, and yes, this means the next time you order a Jollibee Burger Steak, it could be powered by Putin’s protein. The move is part of Russia’s bold plan to increase its meat exports by 50% by 2030, as the country pivots east and south in the wake of ongoing sanctions and trade tensions with the West.With the Philippines importing over 1.17 million metric tons of meat in 2024 (a 10% jump from 2023), the archipelago has become a juicy target for exporters looking to feed a fast-growing, meat-loving population. For local buyers, this might spell cheaper beef in supermarkets and food chains, thanks to more global competition. For Russia, it’s geopolitical soft power—served medium rare.From wagyu to whatever’s in that frozen burger patty, we’ve officially joined the big leagues of meat diplomacy. So next time you dip your steak in mushroom gravy, just remember: it might have taken a detour through Moscow.

OFW SECTION
The OFW Engine: How $2.72B in February remittances Fuels the Philippine Economy

OFWs Sent $2.72B Home in Feb—Basically a Nationwide iPhone Drop.In February 2025, OFWs wired home a hefty $2.72 billion, proving once again that if the Philippine economy had a safety net, it would be stitched by millions of hardworking kababayans abroad. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, that’s a 2.7% jump from last year—slightly slower than January’s pace, but still strong enough to keep the cash flowing. Personal remittances (the cash plus in-kind stuff—yes, including balikbayan boxes with Spam and Toblerone) hit $3.02 billion. The top source? Still the U.S., sending in 40.9% of the total, followed by Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. Moral of the story: OFWs are still carrying the peso on their backs while dodging inflation, job tightening, and homesickness.
Now for some perspective: if you spent that $2.72B on iPhone 15 Pro Maxes (retailing at $1,199 a pop), you’d end up with 2.27 million phones—enough to hand out one to every single resident in Quezon City… and still have spares for your entire barangay to start a TikTok giveaway. But OFWs don’t blow it all on tech toys—they fund homes, education, business capital, and the occasional lechon for good measure. The takeaway? These modern-day heroes aren’t just sending money—they’re keeping the country’s financial lights on. So maybe next time we call them “bagong bayani,” we should also say, “thank you for the GDP bump.” 📈🇵🇭

Good news, kababayans! The Philippine government is rolling out a series of initiatives to make the OFW journey smoother and more rewarding. From enhanced job protections to expanded scholarship programs, our modern-day heroes are getting the support they deserve. The Department of Migrant Workers is actively forging partnerships with countries eager to welcome Filipino talent, opening doors in healthcare, hospitality, and beyond. Plus, with the newly signed Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, our maritime workers can expect clearer rights and better working conditions. It's like upgrading from economy to business class—more legroom, better perks, and a smoother ride. So, whether you're charting new waters or exploring new horizons, the future looks promising. Here's to safer journeys, better opportunities, and the unwavering spirit of the global Filipino! 🇵🇭✨

Pinoy Proud! Mike Magpayo, the first-ever NCAA D1 head coach of Filipino descent, just scored another W—this time as the new head coach of Fordham Rams men’s basketball. Born to immigrant parents, Magpayo’s journey is pure hustle: from analytics nerd to defensive mastermind to head coach. Now he’s bringing his grit (and his clipboard) from UC Riverside to the Bronx.And the man’s not shy about it—he let the tears flow when Fordham made it official. “Basketball is in my blood,” Magpayo said, and believe it. He’s the kind of coach who quotes Kobe, runs Princeton offense, and still calls his mom after games. For Filipino hoop fans? This is just the beginning, many Filipino coaches will get a chance to lead a team play in bigger world stage. Magpayo’s not just breaking ceilings—he’s setting new ones.​

WORLD HEADLINES
Trade War 2.0: China to U.S.—"Tariff Me? Tariff You."

President Trump’s latest move? Slap new tariffs on Chinese imports, aiming squarely at cars, batteries, and tech like it’s Trade War 2: Electric Boogaloo. Beijing didn’t blink—they fired back with threats of “necessary measures” and warned other countries (looking at you, Taiwan and Japan) not to team up with the U.S. unless they enjoy economic turbulence. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is on tour trying to convince allies to approach China as a group—basically saying “let’s all get detention together.” China, for its part, called the U.S. approach “economic coercion,” which is diplomatic speak for “we’re not mad, just retaliating.” While negotiations remain off the table, one thing’s clear: if this were a boxing match, both sides just ditched the gloves and reached for hammers.

🌌 Aliens? Maybe. Microbial Ocean Farts? Also Maybe.Scientists just spotted a big maybe in deep space: a possible sign of life on exoplanet K2-18b, a water world 120 light-years away, where the James Webb Space Telescope detected dimethyl sulfide—a gas that, on Earth, only shows up when plants or microbes do their thing. Translation: this alien planet might be bubbling with life… or just with cosmic-level plankton burps. K2-18 b is what nerds call a “Hycean world” (hydrogen + ocean), which sounds like a spa package but might actually host alien soup. NASA and researchers at Cambridge are hyped, but they’re also saying “chill,” because we’ve been ghosted by false signals before (hi, Venus phosphine). Still, it's the strongest whiff of alien life yet, and honestly, if we find out there’s life out there, we just hope it pays taxes.

U.S. Floats NATO Freeze for Ukraine, Kremlin Says: “We Like That” - In a plot twist that raised diplomatic eyebrows, Russia says it's totally cool with a U.S. proposal that would bar Ukraine from joining NATO—at least for now. Moscow called it a “positive development,” which is basically their version of sending a thank-you fruit basket. The proposal reportedly aims to pave the way for peace talks, but critics say it's the geopolitical equivalent of putting duct tape on a leaking dam. Ukraine hasn’t RSVP’d to this potential freeze, and NATO allies are probably side-eyeing Washington from across the Atlantic. But with the war grinding on, the U.S. may be hoping that a “pause button” on NATO talk buys time—or at least lowers the volume on WWIII speculation.

 Today’s edition was written and edited by Melvin B. (powered by caffeine and curiosity) 

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• OFW Essentials – Step-by-step guides for Pinoys abroad
• Peso Playbook – Tools, tips, and trends for growing your money

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