The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is planning to transition to a new inflation forecasting model in 2025 for better economic predictions, officials said on Monday, Sept. 9.
Currently, the BSP relies on the Multi-Equation Model (MEM) and the Single Equation Model (SEM), which have shown strong forecasting performance.
However, these models have limitations in offering policy alternatives and scenario analysis.
BSP’s Economic and Financial Forecasting Group Director Dennis M. Bautista said that the new workhorse model, the Policy Analysis Model for the Philippines (PAMPh), is more advanced.
The PAMPh will allow for more detailed economic surveillance, scenario analysis, and policy formulation by generating forecasts and suggesting policy paths based on current and projected economic conditions, in line with BSP's ongoing modernization efforts.
“If you compare the multi-equation model to the PAMPh, the PAMPh is bigger. So, it has more sectors,” Bautista said, noting that the PAMPh model’s 290 equations offer more detailed analyses and better policy recommendations than MEM’s 24.
“We will not be abandoning the MEM enhancement. In fact, we will actually be using MEM as input for consistency with the PAMPh,” BSP Deputy Governor Francisco G. Dakila, Jr. clarified.
According to BSP, the MEM will transition from the baseline to a satellite model for short-term inflation forecasts, while the new PAMPh will become the primary model, supported by additional big data models for real-time trend analysis.
As part of its forward-looking strategy, the BSP also stressed the importance of effectively communicating the new model's results to the public. The adoption of the PAMPh model is expected to enhance the BSP’s policy communication and manage inflation expectations. (Derco Rosal)