AirAsia Philippines finally paid its P271.94 million debt to government, averting suspension of its operations. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) confirmed the payment but noted the funds will be subject to standard reconciliation processes. CAAP earlier warned that failure to pay would force the government regulator to halt the airline’s operations including all flights, business activities and …

The country’s two flagship railway projects have generated at least 30,000 jobs for Filipinos, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr). The 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) employs 21,031 Filipinos, while the 33-kilometer Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) has hired 10,122 local workers. DOTr has been using mega infrastructure projects to create jobs and address unemployment in the communities along …

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is currently searching for new funding sources and updating the feasibility study for the long-delayed Mindanao Railway Project. DOTr Undersecretary for railways Timothy John Batan said the agency recently formed a joint working group with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) to advance discussions on the project. “We established a joint working group together with MinDA. …

The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) recently opened a free parking facility at its Legarda Station to encourage vehicle owners to use public transportation. The free parking is available for LRT-2 passengers from 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, complementing LRTA’s first free parking facility at Santolan Station opened last April 21. To use the service, …

By DIEGO C. CAGAHASTIAN IT IS reassuring that while businessman Henry Lim Bon Liong of Sterling Paper Group of Companies and SL Agritech passed away two years ago, his vision for greater rice harvests for Filipino farmers through hybrid rice production has seen the light of day in the efforts of preeminent Chinese agronomist Professor Zhang Zhaodong, the executive vice …

The Department of Energy (DOE), AboitizPower Corp., and National Power Corp., are studying a proposed memorandum of understanding to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study on potential nuclear plant sites nationwide. This developed as Aboitiz Power Corp. is supporting the government’s push to integrate nuclear power into the country’s energy mix by helping identify potential sites for development. The study will …

Inflation was monitored by the government at 6.8 percent in May 2026 on the back of slower annual increases in the costs of transport, food, housing, water, electricity, and gas, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday. It was slower than the 7.2 percent inflation recorded in April but faster than the 1.3 percent inflation seen in May 2025. …

The United States is again threatening to weaponize its tariffs, this time against 54 economies including the Philippines, that have allegedly failed to effectively enforce policies against forced labor. The Philippines could soon face additional duties of up to 12.5 percent on some of its exports to the US as a result of its failure to enforce measures banning the …

The Philippine banking system continued to expand its asset base, with total assets rising by nearly 12 percent as of April this year, according to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Latest figures showed that total banking system assets reached ₱30.1 trillion in April, up 11.8 percent from ₱26.9 trillion recorded in the same period last year. However, …

Digital payments giant Visa has announced that eligible Visa debit and credit cardholders in the Philippines can now add their cards to Garmin Pay, allowing contactless payments through compatible Garmin smartwatches. In a statement last week, Visa said the new feature enables users to make secure and seamless transactions at any contactless-enabled terminal nationwide, expanding the country’s growing digital payments …