THE Filipino consumers’ confidence level is at an all-time high with their worries over the economy, job prospects, and political stability continually easing, according to findings of global consumer research outfit ACNielsen on Wednesday.     

With the consumer confidence index at its highest 104 points since the Philippine survey started in 2002, ACNielsen Philippines managing director Benedicto L. Cid, Jr. said that this in one way confirms the Arroyo administration’s claims of economic and social gains from its series of reforms and measures. “It does seem consistent with what the government has been saying that things are looking up.”          

Cid conceded, however, the long-term continuity of this confidence may be undermined by the elections or its results, since “it is anybody’s guess what will happen. . .We know that some noisy politicians here and there might be threats to consumer confidence…but what we know is consumer confidence is going up; if it will continue we do not know.”     

In ACNielsen’s study, made with emailed queries to respondents from the A, B, and C socioeconomic classes, only 47 percent of the surveyed Filipinos now list the economy as a major concern, from 56 percent the previous round during the first half of 2006, and much lower from the 68 percent recorded in the second half of 2005.              

“Maybe the economic benefits are trickling down despite the earlier concerns on high oil prices and the consumers’ purchasing power,” said Cid. The study revealed the ratio of Filipinos likely to save their spare cash was down to 57 percent, from 63 percent during the previous survey round.      

It is this optimism that may be motivating Filipinos to ease a bit on their propensity to save and instead spend more, particularly on new technology gadgets like i-Pods, higher-end cellular phones, flat screen televisions, and portable electronic game consoles, the survey noted.    

Up to 36 percent of Filipinos now are likely to spend their extra cash on new technology gadgets, from about 31 percent in the first half of 2006; 24 percent for holidays and vacations, from 23 percent; and 32 percent of them probably would settle payables, against 30 percent during the previous survey.

CONGRESS inched closer to ratifying the final version of the 2007 budget bill after the bicameral conference committee on Wednesday rendered a report endorsing that the money measure be submitted to Malacańang for signing into law by President Arroyo.

Philippine imports probably grew at a slower pace in November as global crude prices eased and purchases of electronic items weakened, economists said.

PRESIDENT Arroyo will apprise world leaders and top business executives of developments in the evolution of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) into a “formidable bloc” when she attends the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week.

THE pace of disposal by sale of banks’ nonperforming assets is expected to quicken this year with the banks’ agreement to lower prices of foreclosed assets offered for sale.

THE Filipino consumers’ confidence level is at an all-time high with their worries over the economy, job prospects, and political stability continually easing, according to findings of global consumer research outfit ACNielsen on Wednesday.

IT is possible the Arroyo government might miss last year’s economic target, as initial figures indicate a gross domestic product (GDP) growth of as low as 5.3 percent and up to 5.6 percent, a senior planning official on Wednesday said.

WHOEVER comes out the beneficial owner or owners of 33,133,064 shares in San Miguel Corp. will no longer get a seat on the board of San Miguel.