Companies

Total healthcare benefits and claims paid out by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) rose by 19 percent to P36.29 billion in the first half of the year, the Insurance Commission (IC) reported last week. The figure was higher than the P30.33 billion in benefits and claims paid in the same period last year. Total expenses, including income tax, also grew by …

Philippine Rating Services (PhilRatings) has assigned its highest rating of PRS Aaa to the planned bond issuance of up to P10.9 billion by DoubleDragon Corp. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Tuesday, DoubleDragon said the bonds will carry a fixed interest rate of 7.7 percent with tenors of 3.5 years and 5.5 years. The offering is …

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last week reminded publicly listed companies of their obligation to disclose material information to investors following the arrest of Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. chairman Joseph Sy at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Aug. 21 over alleged misrepresentation of citizenship. “Given Mr. Sy’s role as chairman of a publicly listed company, the SEC is …

Tanduay Distillers, Inc. (TDI), the liquor and spirits arm of LT Group, Inc. (LTG), posted its strongest first-half performance on record, with net income nearly doubling on higher revenues, improved margins, and market share gains. TDI reported a net income of P1.36 billion in the first half of 2025, up 91 percent from P712 million a year ago, according to …

The Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are now working closely together to address underemployment and the jobs-skills mismatch affecting Filipino learners. During the recent launch of Unilab Education (UniEd), the education pillar of the Unilab Group, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, TESDA Secretary Kiko Benitez, and CHED Chairperson Dr. …

The Philippines’ balance of payments (BoP) position slipped into a US$167-million deficit in July, reversing the surpluses of ₱226 million a month earlier and ₱62 million in the same period last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported. BSP Deputy Governor Lyn Javier said the shortfall was mainly due to the national government’s drawdowns on its foreign currency deposits …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has introduced a web-based credit scoring system that will make it easier for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to access financing. Developed with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Credit Risk Database Philippines (CRDPh) System generates credit scores and default probabilities using anonymized financial and non-financial data from participating financial institutions (FIs). “It aims to …

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 …