Philippines tops global gold sales in 1H 2024; BSP cites 'active strategy'

MANILA, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) disclosed that it sold gold during the first half of the year, following a report identifying the central bank as the largest precious metal seller for that period.

In a statement, the central bank said the gold sales were part of an “active management strategy” of the country’s gold reserves, which form a portion of the Philippines' gross international reserves.

“The BSP took advantage of the higher prices of gold in the market and generated additional income without compromising the primary objectives for holding gold, which are insurance and safety,” the central bank’s statement read. 

What these reserves are. The central bank maintains a diverse portfolio of assets known as gross international reserves. These primarily comprise foreign investments, gold holdings and foreign currency.

Additionally, the reserves include the country's claims on the International Monetary Fund, which encompass both its position within the fund and special drawing rights.

Nearly 25 tons of gold sold

Citing data from the World Gold Council, brokerage tracking website bestbrokers.com showed that the BSP sold the most gold in the world selling 24.95 tons of the metal bringing down the country’s gold holdings to 134.06 tons.

This was followed by Thailand, which sold 9.64 tons; Uzbekistan, which sold 6.22 tons; Mongolia, with 1.33 tons; and Singapore, which sold 1.18 tons.

The Bangko Sentral itself, however, did not disclose the exact amount of gold it sold.

Despite the sales, the Philippines' gross international reserves have shown resilience, reaching $107.9 billion by the end of August 2024, up from $103.8 billion at the end of December 2023, the BSP said.

“It also represents about 6.0 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 3.8 times based on residual maturity,” it added. 

The central bank said the current level of gross international reserves provides a sufficient external liquidity buffer, equivalent to 7.8 months’ worth of imports of goods, and payments for services and primary income.