The Philippines improved four places to 96th out of 165 countries and territories in the 2025 edition of the Human Freedom Index (HFI), copublished by the Fraser Institute and the Cato Institute. On a scale of 0 to 10, where 10 means more freedom, the country scored 6.60, below the 6.81 global average score. The index, which used 2023 data, measures human freedom globally using 87 indicators of personal and economic freedom.


Market participants are eagerly anticipating at least a 25 basis point (BPS) interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday. The Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, is expected to begin slashing interest rates on Wednesday, with analysts expecting a 25 basis point (BPS) cut and a boost to risk asset prices in the long term.Crypto prices are strongly correlated with liquidity cycles, Coin Bureau founder and market analyst Nic Puckrin said. However, while lower interest rates tend to raise asset prices long-term, Puckrin warned of a short-term price correction. “The main risk is that the move is already priced in, Puckrin said, adding, “hope is high and there’s a big chance of a ‘sell the news’ pullback. When that happens, speculative corners, memecoins in particular, are most vulnerable.”Read more
