Loan growth eased to 16-month low in October

MANILA, Philippines — Bank lending slowed to a 16-month low in October, as the widening graft scandal that has implicated high-ranking government officials continued to erode business and consumer confidence, threatening to dampen the central bank’s efforts to spur growth. Latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed outstanding loans from big lenders,