Clean energy firm First Gen Corp. has entered into an agreement with Japanese multinational Sanyo Denki Co. Ltd. to supply 100-percent renewable energy to its facilities in the Philippines. In a statement issued last week, First Gen said it will provide electricity from its geothermal plant in Negros Oriental to power four Sanyo Denki Philippines factories operating within the Subic …

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., has approved a new program aimed at addressing food insecurity and undernutrition across the country. In its final meeting before transitioning into the Economy and Development (ED) Council under Republic Act 12145, the NEDA Board gave the green light to the Reducing Food Insecurity and …

Tanduay Distillers, Inc. (TDI) achieved a milestone in 2024 by posting a record net income of P2.15 billion, marking a 37% increase from the previous year’s P1.57 billion. The impressive growth was powered by higher sales volumes—up 2% for liquor and 1% for bioethanol—as well as strategic pricing adjustments that pushed segment revenues to P33.85 billion, up by 13%. Despite …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through its policy-making Monetary Board, has approved key amendments to foreign exchange (FX) regulations that are expected to enhance Filipinos’ access to hedging tools while helping deepen the local capital market. Outlined in BSP Circular No. 1212, the revised regulations expand the list of allowable FX hedging instruments involving the Philippine peso. Previously, only …

BDO Unibank Inc. remains upbeat about its performance prospects for 2025 despite headwinds from global economic uncertainties, expressing confidence in the resilience of the Philippine economy to support sustained growth. BDO President and Chief Executive Officer Nestor Tan said during a briefing on Friday that the bank’s strong start in the first quarter—marked by a net income of PHP19.7 billion, …

The Department of Finance (DOF) has introduced a new revenue regulation designed to unify and simplify the country’s tax incentives for the education sector to attract more investments in human capital development. Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 13-2025, which took effect on April 17, aims to streamline outdated processes that have long limited access to tax breaks provided under current laws …

State-run Land Bank of the Philippines reported a significant jump in digital banking usage in 2024, with transactions growing by 67 percent year-on-year.  From 97.08 million digital transactions recorded in 2023, the figure surged to 162.28 million last year. The total value of these transactions also saw a sharp increase, rising to P3.38 trillion, 38 percent higher than the P2.45 …

The Department of Health and San Miguel Corporation, through its San Miguel Foundation, Inc., opened recently a second Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services (BUCAS) Center, further strengthening their pioneering partnership to bridge public healthcare gaps especially for the poor. The new BUCAS Center, which is located at the San Miguel Foundation’s Better World Smokey Mountain facility in Manila, is …

The SM Foundation has launched its Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) program in Southern Luzon, with 100 farmers from San Juan, Batangas commencing a 14-week training on modern agricultural practices. The program provides practical instruction in organic farming, crop rotation, and climate- resilient techniques. In addition to agricultural training, participants will undergo learning sessions in financial literacy, bookkeeping, and marketing to …

Laguna Water and Laguna Aquatech (LARC), Manila Water Non-East Zone operating units in the Province of Laguna, have successfully transitioned to the electricity Retail Aggregation Program (RAP), marking the first-ever implementation of such initiative outside Metro Manila. The milestone highlights both the companies’ commitment to delivering clean, sustainable, and cost-efficient water services to the communities and businesses in Laguna. The …