Companies

The entry of more pharmaceutical players setting up hubs in the Philippines is expected to boost the country’s goal of becoming a regional center for research, digital health, and manufacturing, a new report said Friday. Market analyst BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, said the planned establishment of the first Pharma Innovation Hub, alongside the existing operations of Merck Business …

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has slapped Villar Land Holdings Corp. and 11 of its top officers with a total fine of ₱12 million for failing to submit audited financial reports for 2024 and the first quarter of 2025. In an order issued on August 18 and released Thursday, the SEC’s Markets and Securities Regulation Department said the penalty …

The government is set to launch a digital net metering application platform next month to make it easier for households to join the program and cut their electricity costs, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced last week. DOE Assistant Secretary Mylene Capongcol said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the streamlining of net metering processes, with a goal of …

Major Japanese manufacturers, including Toshiba Corp. and Fujitsu Ltd., are moving their headquarters functions away from central Tokyo as remote work reduces the need for large city offices and companies seek closer integration of research, manufacturing, and corporate planning. Toshiba, which had been based in Tokyo’s Shibaura district for about 40 years, has transferred its executive office and corporate planning …

Contecon Manzanillo, International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) operation in the Port of Manzanillo, Mexico, is enhancing its logistics offering with the introduction of WAN HAI Lines’ Asia-South America West Coast 2 (WSA2) service. The service made its inaugural call at Contecon on August 11 with the arrival of the vessel WAN HAI A16. Also known as the Asia-South America (ASA) …

A P4-billion waste-to-energy facility will soon rise in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac, under a deal between the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and Indian engineering firm Uttamenergy Limited. The 12-megawatt plant, set for completion within two years, will process 600 metric tons of waste daily—including bottom and fly ash—generating electricity for about 10,000 households. It is also expected …

Ayala Land Hospitality is teaming up with global hotel giant Hilton to open the Philippines’ first Canopy by Hilton in Makati City by 2026. Rising above the new One Ayala development, the 24-story hotel will offer 400 rooms and suites designed to blend sleek urban escapes with spacious accommodations. Ayala Land Hospitality president and CEO George Aquino said the collaboration …

Berong Nickel Corporation (BNC), a subsidiary of DMCI Mining, has signed a mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for its Long Point property in Aborlan, Palawan. The deal, inked on August 8, covers 2,177.34 hectares and grants BNC exclusive rights to explore, develop, and utilize mineral resources in the area for an initial 25-year …

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) last week stood firm behind its ₱1-billion investment in DigiPlus Interactive Corp., insisting that the state pension fund remains “strong, secure, and actuarially sound” despite growing criticism and heightened congressional scrutiny. In a statement, GSIS welcomed the public interest in its investment decisions and expressed readiness to submit all pertinent documents to regulators. “We …

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 …