Philippines may join Asian sovereigns testing sukuk market

Hong Kong

PLANS by the Philippines to sell Islamic bonds could open a new source of financing for the incoming government of Rodrigo Duterte, but its success may depend on how generous Manila is on pricing and Middle East investors' response to new entrants in the market.

Governments across Asia are increasingly viewing sukuk as a viable funding option, with Hong Kong open to tapping the market for a third time while Sri Lanka and the Maldives consider debuts.