THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) lauded LandBank for its unwavering commitment to agricultural development and rural progress during the opening of the 2025 Agraryo Trade Fair (ATF) on December 1 at Gateway Mall 2, Quezon City. In a press conference at the event, DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III highlighted LANDBANK’s pivotal role in uplifting small farmers, fishers, and …

IN celebration of its 44th year last September, McDonald’s Philippines has opened its latest store in Cebu City, not only showcasing an integration of style and sustainability, but also highlighting the importance of supporting the socioeconomic and community needs of the people.  Located at Il Corso, the seaside development of Filinvest Mall along Cebu South Coastal Road, the new store …

ByEunice Jean C. Patron ACCORDING to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the Philippines recorded nearly 189,000 new cancer cases and more than 113,000 cancer-related deaths in 2022.  Globally, IARC also projects that the number of new cases will rise to over 35 million by 2050, which is a 77 percent increase from 2022 figures. Meanwhile, the 2025 …

Megaworld Hotels & Resorts (MHR) celebrated this year’s Thanksgiving by supporting the Ati Komunidad of Boracay as they took on the challenge of mastering nito weaving, a traditional Filipino craft. Anchored on the theme “Weaving Heritage, Planting Hope,” the project underscores MHR’s commitment to preserving Filipino craftsmanship while creating sustainable income opportunities for indigenous communities. “The Ati people are the …

The unemployment rate has just clinched a new record — the highest in 3 months. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the number of jobless Filipinos surged in October, with rates hitting a three-month high. The country’s unemployment rate was recorded at 5.0 percent, markedly up from 3.8 percent and 3.9 percent a year earlier.. This is the highest unemployment …

Post-POGO, how much are condominiums selling in Metro Manila? Prices vary drastically between business districts and less central areas in the National Capital Region. The same is true in emerging markets such as Cebu City, Davao City and Iloilo City. Baguio and Tagaytay, however, have remained in demand for condo buyers and renters, with tourism factors providing the incentive. In …

By Diego C. Cagahastian The Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), decided to prune the nation’s interest rates by 25 basis points at its meeting last December 11. It was the MB’s last meeting for the year, and marked the fifth consecutive time that the rate was decreased. This time around, the Board lowered …

The government, specifically the Senate and the House of Representatives, passes financial laws mandating banks to support  agriculture, small businesses and rural cooperatives by giving them loans. In the case of the agriculture sector, a certain percentage of the banks’ loan allocations should be given to the farmers. But this is seldom observed, with banks giving priority to condominium developers …

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken up the cudgels for small borrowers, especially those who have been victimized by predatory lenders online. The SEC issued an order putting a cap of 6 percent per month or 0.2 percent a day as nominal interest rate that lending firms can charge on loans worth P10,000 and below. The corporate regulatory …

The country is paying more for interest on debts, specifically P723.2 billion from January to October this year, accounting for 37.4 percent of debt service. The  Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said  debt payments increased during the first ten months of the year, driven by a double-digit jump in interest payments to domestic and foreign lenders. The government’s debt payments …