By the staff
Cash remittances from overseas Filipinos rose 3.6% year on year to $2.91 billion in November 2025, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported, marking the lowest monthly inflow in six months.
Remittances from both land- and sea-based workers increased 3.6% in November, with land-based flows reaching $2.30 billion and sea-based workers sending $610 million.
On a cumulative basis, bank-mediated cash remittances totaled $32.11 billion in the first 11 months of 2025, up 3.2% from $31.11 billion in the same period last year.
Personal remittances, which include cash transfers through informal channels and in-kind support, amounted to $3.23 billion in November, rising from $3.12 billion a year earlier.
Year-to-date, personal remittances reached $35.73 billion, up 3.2% from $34.61 billion in January-November 2024.
The United States remained the top source, contributing 40% of total remittances, followed by Singapore at 7.1% and Saudi Arabia at 6.4%. The BSP noted that U.S. dominance partly reflects the routing of transfers through correspondent banks based there, which may overstate its actual share.
Analysts said the November slowdown reflects seasonal timing rather than structural weakness.
The BSP projects full-year 2025 cash remittance growth at around 3%, underscoring the sector’s role as a key economic buffer.
