Trading from the Philippines: what is different
At UTC+8 the Philippines shares a clock with Singapore, Hong Kong and Perth. The Asian session lines up with your working day; the London–New York overlap, the most liquid period of the day, runs from 21:00 to 01:00 Manila time in winter — a time many Filipino traders trade after work.
Remittances from Filipinos working abroad make up a large share of household income, so many traders already hold or receive dollars. An account held in USD and funded in USDT avoids converting through the peso.
The peso is not offered as a CFD. Asian pairs such as USD/JPY and AUD/USD, and the regional indices, are the markets most active during Philippine daytime.
Forex market hours in the Philippines
The forex market is open 24 hours a day from Monday to Friday, passing from Asia to Europe to North America. These are the main sessions converted to local time in the Philippines.
| Session | Local time, Nov–Mar | Local time, Apr–Oct |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo session | 08:00–17:00 | 08:00–17:00 |
| London session | 16:00–01:00 | 15:00–00:00 |
| New York session | 21:00–06:00 | 20:00–05:00 |
| London–New York overlap | 21:00–01:00 | 20:00–00:00 |
| Weekly open | Monday 06:00 | Monday 05:00 |
| Weekly close | Saturday 06:00 | Saturday 05:00 |
The busiest hours for the major pairs and gold are usually the London–New York overlap. Spreads tend to be widest around the daily rollover and in the first hour after the weekly open.
Markets to watch from the Philippines
- USD/JPY and AUD/USD — the pairs most active in your daytime.
- XAU/USD (gold) — the most traded metal worldwide.
- Nikkei 225, Hang Seng and Singapore 30 — regional indices during Asian hours.
- US indices — from the US stock-market open at 22:30 Manila time in winter.
Accounts and funding
| Account | Minimum deposit | EUR/USD spread | Commission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $100 | From 1.0 pips | None |
| Pro | $1,000 | From 0.6 pips | None |
| Raw ECN | $5,000 | From 0.0 pips | $7 per lot |
Accounts are held in US dollars and funded in USDT on BNB Smart Chain (BEP20) or Tron (TRC20). There is no Philippine peso conversion inside your account; any conversion happens wherever you buy or sell USDT. Identity verification is completed once, before your first withdrawal.
Regulation and your responsibility
AlphaFX Pro is an international broker and is not licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Our registration in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is in progress. We do not provide investment advice or a local office in the Philippines.
Before opening an account, make sure the law in the Philippines allows you to trade CFDs with a broker based outside the country, and check any rules on moving money abroad. If you are not sure, ask us before you deposit.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best hours to trade forex in the Philippines?
For the major pairs and gold, the London–New York overlap — 21:00 to 01:00 Manila time from November to March, and 20:00 to midnight from April to October.
When does forex open in Manila?
Monday at 06:00 Manila time from November to March, and 05:00 from April to October.
What is the minimum deposit from the Philippines?
The Standard account opens from $100, funded in USDT. Pro starts at $1,000 and Raw ECN at $5,000.
Risk warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. This page is general information, not investment advice. Read the Risk Disclosure.