EMERGING MARKETS-Rupiah rises ahead of BI meeting as Asian currencies climb

* Bank Indonesia rate decision due around 0700 GMT * Chinese yuan hits highest since June * AC Energy's renewable deals boost Philippine index * Malaysia markets closed for a holiday By Anushka Trivedi Oct 19 (Reuters) - The Indonesian rupiah was firm on Tuesday ahead of the country's central bank meeting, as all Asian currencies gained against a dollar reeling from a weak manufacturing print in the United States. The South Korean won and the Thai baht led gains as they rose 0.4% each, while the Philippine peso , the Singapore dollar and Taiwan's dollar advanced. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six peers, declined as U.S. factory output in September slowed because of a global chip shortage and after-effects of a hurricane in the country. The rupiah rose 0.2% to 14,080 per dollar as investors looked to a Bank Indonesia (BI) meeting for guidance on monetary policy since it's widely expected to keep rates on hold to keep supporting economic recovery. BI's policies to prioritise macroeconomic stability through a harsh COVID-19 wave have worked well so far, with rupiah being the best performer in the third-quarter among Asian currencies. "The government's focus on tax reforms and re-opening the economy to tourism has also boosted policy credibility and brightened recovery prospects," Mizuho analysts said in a note. "Substitution of Australian coal for Indonesian coal by China is adding to rupiah's allure at the margin," they added, as Indonesia is a net commodity exporter. However, Jakarta stocks dropped 0.6% to retreat from a near-record high after rising for six straight sessions. The mood was upbeat because of a tech-fuelled rally on Wall Street overnight, with a rebound in Chinese markets anchoring gains in Asia a day after weak data stoked investor concerns about the world's second-largest economy. Philippine stocks jumped as much as 1% to be a top gainer in the region, bolstered by AC Energy Corp rallying 8% on approving a number of deals that would see the power generator stop using thermal coal by 2025. Shanghai stocks pushed higher, while the Chinese yuan climbed 0.3% to 6.41, blowing past a level it last hit in mid-June. Markets were still watching out for any announcement from debt-laden developer China Evergrande Group as it approached the end of a 30-day grace period for a missed coupon payment that had been due on Sept. 23. Financials markets in Malaysia were shut for a holiday. HIGHLIGHTS ** Indonesian 10-year benchmark yields are down 0.3 basis points at 6.207% ** Singapore's 10-year benchmark yield is down 1.9 basis points at 1.707% ** Singapore shares up 0.5%, top gainers are: DBS Group Holdings Ltd. up 1.8% and Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd, up 1.2% Asia stock indexes and currencies at 0349 GMT COUNTRY FX RIC FX DAILY % FX YTD % INDEX STOCKS DAILY % STOCKS YTD % Japan +0.14 -9.56 0.65 6.45 China +0.29 +1.83 0.70 3.46 India +0.00 -3.02 0.00 32.15 Indonesia +0.16 -0.31 -0.43 10.89 Philippines +0.22 -5.36 0.45 1.57 S.Korea +0.52 -8.06 0.67 5.34 Singapore +0.28 -1.81 0.52 12.19 Taiwan +0.21 +1.89 1.21 14.76 Thailand +0.36 -10.14 -0.19 13.21 (Reporting by Anushka Trivedi in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)