Business

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has reported that food security food security in the Philippines can be undermined as food prices rise due to higher costs of fuel, freight, and fertilizer. The problem is blamed by the international agency to the effects of the war in West Asia, particularly the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The country, and …

We are becoming a nation of borrowers. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced that new borrowings by the National Government and the private sector led to an increase in the country’s external debt in the first quarter of the year. The data says the country’s outstanding external debt increased by 0.42 percent to $147.35 billion as of the end …

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) expects its merger with San Miguel Corp. to be completed by the third quarter, with negotiations moving into the valuation stage and San Miguel likely to emerge with a majority stake in the combined tollway business. “We are at the valuation stage, but we know we will really land 45:55 in their favor,” MPTC Chairman …

The gloomy economic lay of the land in the Philippines has just been confirmed and validated by the World Bank. It was announced this week that the World Bank Group (WBG) has lowered its 2026 growth forecast for the Philippines to 3.7 percent, still because of the global uncertainties caused by the war in West Asia. In its June 2026 …

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) welcomed Atty. Ricardo R. Blancaflor as the new chairperson of its Board of Trustees on June 10, 2026, succeeding Rodney Del Rosario Jr. “The GSIS looks forward to working closely with Chairperson Blancaflor as we continue to strengthen the Fund, expand benefits for our members and pensioners, and pursue innovations that improve public service,” …

On World Ocean Day (June 11, 2026), global logistics leader DP World launched its first global seagrass restoration initiative on Geoje Island, South Korea. Formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korea Green Foundation and the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency (FIRA), the project kicked off with volunteers and local fishermen transplanting roughly 6,000 seagrass shoots along the Dadae …

The Philippines’ outstanding external debt declined to US$147.35 billion at end-March 2026 from US$147.65 billion a quarter earlier and remained manageable. Key debt indicators remained sound. External debt as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) improved slightly to 30.0 percent from 30.3 percent in the previous quarter, despite slower economic growth. Liquidity conditions also strengthened. Short-term external debt based …

Foreign direct investments (FDI) posted net inflows of $611 million in March this year, according to data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), reflecting continued but slightly moderating investor activity. The March figure was higher than the $485 million recorded in the same month last year, but 4.2 percent lower than February’s $638 million, indicating month-to-month fluctuations amid …

Consumer finance platform Billease has injected ₱500 million in fresh capital into its banking arm, the Rural Bank of Sta. Maria in Ilocos Sur, as part of a broader push to strengthen digital banking capabilities, governance, and product innovation. The company said the investment will support an end-to-end upgrade of the bank’s core systems, enabling a more scalable and digital-first …

The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) will auction off two prime commercial lots and dozens of other properties across Luzon through an electronic public bidding scheduled on July 8 and 9. In a statement last week, PDIC said the submission of bids will run from 9 a.m. on July 8 until 1 p.m. on July 9, with the opening of …