Is Real Appreciation or More Government Debt Contractionary? The Case of the Philippines

This paper has studied the impacts of the exchange rate, government debt as a percent of GDP and other relevant macroeconomic variables on aggregate output in the Philippines. A simultaneous-equation model consisting of aggregate demand and short-run aggregate supply is applied. The dummy variable technique is employed to detect whether the slope and intercept of the real effective exchange rate may have changed. Real depreciation during 1998.Q1 - 2006.Q3, real appreciation during 2006.Q4 - 2016.Q1, a lower domestic debt as a percent of GDP, a lower real interest rate, a higher stock price or a higher lagged real oil price would raise aggregate output. Recent trends of real peso appreciation, declining domestic debt as a percent of GDP, lower real interest rates, and rising stock prices are in line with the empirical results and would promote economic growth. The authorities may need to continue to pursue fiscal prudence and maintain a stronger peso as the positive effect of real appreciation dominates its negative effect in recent years.