Economy

The City of Manila recorded a 40 percent increase in new business permit processing alongside robust renewal activity, showing strong local business momentum, Bureau of Permits Director Levi Facundo reported Monday to Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso. As of January 25, 2026, the city processed 384 new business permits, up sharply from 176 during the same January 1–25 …

By DIEGO C. CAGAHASTIAN When President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. met with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona Jr. in Malacañang on Tuesday, the Palace spokeswoman tried to scrape the bottom of the economic cauldron to come up with something worth reporting to the press. Undersecretary Claire Castro of the Presidential Communication Office  had to make do with …

The construction industry and its sibling businesses such as suppliers of construction materials were unfortunately hit by the flood of corruption which their leaders and corrupt government officials brought on the nation. This was during the last two quarters of 2025, during the height of the multi-billion peso flood control scandal in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) …

Families of OFWs may celebrate for a while because of the perceived increase in the local value of remittances from their relatives working abroad.  Exporters of local products may also be benefited because Filipino exports may become more competitive abroad. These are some of the positive consequences of the record slump of the Philippine pesos last Wednesday— P59.44 to the …

The top foreign affairs officials of Japan and the Philippines have signed several agreements involving cooperation in various areas of development, among them defense and military,  trade and investment, infrastructure development through Official Development Assistance, economic security, agriculture, protection of supply chain, semiconductors, and the Luzon Economic Corridor. The two Asian countries decided to give each other mutual access to …

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expected to provide a long-term boost to the resilience of the Philippine economy. The CEPA was signed Tuesday on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026 Summit at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, with Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina …

There are three reasons why the country’s ports will be bursting with economic activities this year, the chief of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said.  Jay Daniel R. Santiago, general manager of the PPA, enumerated these factors as port modernization, operational efficiency, and service excellence, citing greater volume or investments in these areas. Bolstering his optimism, Santiago said there is …

Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said that 2025 was a “banner year” for the agency’s ROW acquisition for the flagship railway initiatives of the government. Lopez emphasized that in February last year, the acquired ROW for Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) stood at only 51%, while for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) north segment, it was only 2%. The ROW …

The Department of Transportation (DoTr) has announced an invitation for interested companies to participate in three airport upgrade projects budgeted for up to P895.12 million for the three projects. Bidding announcements for the upgrade construction of the airports have been released by the department. The projects are the P455.90-million Tacloban Airport development project, the P174.60-million Camiguin Airport development project, and …

By HERMAN TIU LAUREL China has concluded its annual Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing, held from December 10, setting the economic direction for 2026—the opening year of the People’s Republic of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). After 75 years of sustained development, China’s economic planning remains consequential not only for itself but also for developing economies across Asia, Africa, …