Despite a two-month halt in rice imports starting September, consumers have little to worry about — inflation is unlikely to spike, according to Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan. Speaking during a briefing at the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) office in Quezon City, Balisacan assured the public that the 60-day rice import suspension ordered by President …

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has assured the public that the Social Security System (SSS) remains financially strong enough to raise monthly pensions for its members—without increasing contribution rates. Speaking in the latest episode of *The BBM Podcast* aired last week, Marcos expressed confidence in the agency’s fiscal health, saying the continued growth of the country’s working population will sustain …

SM Investments Corporation (SM Investments) saw its net income climb to ₱42.6 billion in the first half of 2025 — a 6 percent increase — as favorable economic conditions continued to fuel growth across its key businesses. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the conglomerate also reported consolidated revenues of ₱319.2 billion as of end-June. “We continue to …

Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) kicked off 2025 on a high note, posting an 8% jump in net income to ₱14.2 billion for the first half of the year — thanks to robust sales of commercial lots and premium residences, along with strong performance in leasing and hospitality. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange last week, ALI reported consolidated …

In its relentless crackdown on tax fraud, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday filed fresh criminal complaints against dozens of companies and individuals over the alleged use of “ghost receipts” to evade taxes amounting to a staggering ₱1.41 billion. BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. personally led the filing of 23 tax evasion cases before the Department of Justice …

During The 2013 destruction by typhoon Haiyan in the eastern coastal towns, most villages were left with nothing and many islanders perished from the storm surges and tsunamis. But the residents of Gen. MacArthur in Eastern Samar, a small community in the path of the super typhoon, was spared because it had preserved and treated its mangroves as wildlife treasure. …

Foundations of business conglomerates like San Miguel Corp., Meralco and SM Corp. are competing with each other in popularizing urban farming, which makes a lot of sense in growing further their businesses while satisfying their employees’ needs for accessible food supply. It is not known  which one did it first, but which one of them has embraced urban farming as …

The Philippines retained its position as second top supplier of pineapple in the world in 2024 posting a double-digit growth on the back of booming demand from key Asian markets, according to an international report. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said pineapple shipments from the Philippines expanded by 14.1 percent to around 680,000 metric tons …

Rice imports this year would surpass  four-million metric tons as output would not be sufficient to meet demand by 17 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. Based on  data obtained from the Department of Agriculture and other agencies, the projected import volume will address the projected supply shortfall of 2.653 MMT for the year. The Department of Economy, Planning …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is gearing up to launch tough new rules aimed at shielding Filipinos from the growing risks of online gambling. In a statement on Thursday, the central bank revealed that the new framework will enforce strict identity verification measures — including facial recognition — to ensure that only eligible users can access gambling-related services using …