CLAIM: National debt dropped by 71.13% from July to August.
RATING: FALSE
A Facebook page named “Bagong Pilipinas Chronicles” falsely claimed that the national debt had decreased by 71.13% from July to August under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Flagged content: The graphic uploaded on Oct. 26 claimed that the Philippine debt declined by 71.13%.
- The text on the photo reads, “UTANG NG PILIPINAS, BUMABA NG 71.13%,” “Lumabas na bumaba sa $1.10 bilyon ang kabuuang utang ng gobyerno mula Hulyo hanggang Agosto.” (“Philippine debt decreased to 71.13%. It turns out the government’s total debt dropped to $1.10 billion from July to August.”)
- The page claimed in its caption that under Marcos Jr.’s administration, the national government’s total debt dropped to $1.10 billion from July to August.
- It also said that the historical decrease of debt was “proof of meticulous leadership, discipline in treasury, and concern of Marcos Jr.’s administration for the future of Filipinos.”
Our debunk: The percentage drop only describes the decline in the Philippine government’s foreign borrowing in the third quarter of this year, not the overall national debt, which stood at ₱17.46 trillion as of September.
- The title made no mention of the total outstanding debt and misrepresented the percentage.
- The $1.10 billion mentioned in the caption refers to the total amount that the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) had approved for public sector foreign borrowing in Q3 2025.
- It is 71.13% less than the approved amount of $3.81 billion for the same period as last year, which the post also failed to mention.
Rewind: As of September 2025, the national government had an outstanding debt of P17.46 trillion, representing a slight decrease from the total debt reported in July.
- In July 2025, the government had an outstanding debt of Php17.563 trillion. In August 2025, the government recorded an outstanding debt of P17.468 trillion.
- The debt from July to August declined by P95 billion, or 0.5%. This decrease was due to several factors, like debt repayments and a stronger peso, which decreased the value of the country’s external debt. The magnitude of the decline was nowhere near the 71.13% the page had claimed.
Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook page “Bagong Pilipinas Chronicles” used official numbers and twisted them into a narrative to misleadingly claim that the national government debt dropped by 71.13%.
- The post drew some 1,300 reactions, 409 comments, and 133 shares.
- As of the time of writing, the Facebook page has 153,000 followers.
Spot the fake: If you find posts that have questionable or exaggerated claims, check the official accounts or websites of government agencies.
- News and information regarding fiscal and debt statistics can be found on the official websites of the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) and BSP. Jessica Mae Galicto
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