all world currencies go up and down relative to each other reflecting a myriad of economic indicators as well as other issues. the changes reflect the relative purchasing power of each currency. trump and duterte probably have an impact but perhaps no more so than other world leaders. my dollars buy more in pesos now, about twenty per cent more , than when i came here in 2014,. if trump and duterte have an impact, trump has been dramatically positive for US citizens here.
you can use this to your advantafe. i keep dollars in a philippine account and then covert as i need pesos but try to do this on an upswing. the long term trend suggests in five years a dollar will be worth about 56 to 58 pesos but its just a guess. the exchange fluctuates on a current basis by one or more pesos to the dollar each month, going up and down daily. it may be a fools game but i try to exchange based on watching for the best current rate
i think the most significant way to help yourself is to look for the best place to exchange dollars for pesos to my knowledge the "x change?" under robinsons downtown has the best rate, better than their sister outlets and better than most banks. by all means avoid exchanging at street corner vendors
you also will make the best of your money if you transfer dollars to the phils, bank account to bank account for little or no cost and then maximize your exchange as noted above. using an ATM for example may involve both a fee and getting nicked on the exchange rate they offer.


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