Outstanding IOUs up to P5.2T in March

The amount of outstanding government-issued debt paper rose to P5.2 trillion at the end of the first quarter following the sale of retail treasury bonds (RTBs) in March.

The latest Bureau of the Treasury data showed that the total outstanding Treasury bills and bonds as of March increased from P4.9 trillion in February.

Outstanding Treasury bonds jumped to P4.6 trillion from P4.3 trillion a month ago.

Treasury bills also climbed to P607.6 billion from P585.4 billion at the end of February.

Among the outstanding T-bills, P109.9 billion were from the auction of benchmark 91-day IOUs; P180.8 billion from 182-day debt paper and P316.8 billion from 364-day Treasury bills.

As for the outstanding T-bonds, three-year IOUs have a face amount of P94.9 billion; five-year debt paper, P261.5 billion; seven-year Treasury bonds, P634.3 billion, and 10-year T-bonds, P427.3 billion.

The outstanding amount for 10-year agrarian reform bonds was P9.1 billion; 20-year IOUs, P368.1 billion, and 25-year debt paper, P235.9 billion.

Of the $6.582-million Philippine Par Bond redenominated into 28.5 years, the outstanding amount was P97.1 million.

Also outstanding were P909.3 billion in benchmark bonds; P50-billion 25-year CB-BoL T-bonds, and P26.3 billion in onshore dollar T-bond.

Outstanding RTBs, meanwhile, rose to P1.6 trillion.

Last month, the Treasury sold P235.9 billion in five-year RTBs at a coupon of 6.25 percent.

It was the Duterte administration’s fifth RTB issuance during its first three years in office, as the government wanted to borrow more partly to finance the flagship infrastructure projects under the ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program.

The government’s 22nd RTB sale also marked the first time that investors were able to buy online through their accounts with state-run lenders Development Bank of the Philippines and Land Bank of the Philippines.