the philippine central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged to support economic recovery as inflation has been modest in recent months bangko sentral ng pilipinas said thursday that it decided to hold its benchmark overnight borrowing rate steady at 200 and its corresponding lending rate at 250 all six economists surveyed by the wall street journal had expected the central bank to stand pat on its policy rate inflation in the philippines has been modest and well within the central banks target in recent months while central banks in some other countries have had to raise rates to curb inflation the philippiness consumer price index in february rose 30 from a year earlier compared with a 30 rise in january and the central banks inflation target range of 24