Economy

The Philippines’ location, competitive incentives, and skilled workforce make it an ideal site for digital infrastructure, Board of Investments (BOI) Executive Director Bobby Fondevilla said last week. Speaking at the Siemens Tech Forum in Mandaluyong City, Fondevilla highlighted the growing role of the data center industry as one of the cornerstones of the country’s digital economy.  He said the government …

The Economy and Development (ED) Council Investment Coordination Committee – Cabinet Committee (ICC-CC), chaired by Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, has approved a resolution to aggregate flood control and management projects within a single river basin. The Department of Finance (DOF) said Wednesday that the resolution, adopted on Aug. 12 upon the recommendation of the Infrastructure Development Committee Sub-Committee on Water …

HOUSE OF FINACIALFREEDOMBy Chinkee Tan RA 12214, also known as the Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act, is a new law aimed at making investing in the Philippines more attractive. It streamlines rules, reduces certain taxes, and opens the door for more products in the capital market. In short, it’s designed to get more Filipinos to invest instead of keeping money …

HOUSE OF FINANCIAL FREEDOM By Chinkee Tan You’d think doubling your income would automatically make you wealthier. For most people, it doesn’t. I’ve seen it countless times as a wealth coach: salary goes up, lifestyle follows, and savings stay flat. This is called the income trap: expenses grow as fast as, or faster than, income. One of my clients experienced …

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced a major reform package on Friday to strengthen the protection of overseas Filipino domestic workers, highlighted by a wage hike from $400 to $500 a month. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the new pay floor, which takes effect 60 days from issuance, was finalized after six months of consultations and will …

HOUSE OF FINACIALFREEDOMBy Chinkee Tan The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has issued a new directive suspending in-app gaming access for all BSP-supervised institutions.  Platforms like GCash have begun removing gaming options from GLife last August 16, and the only way users can access them is through the gaming merchant’s website. Some may see this as an inconvenience. I see …

The Philippine government is pressing the Trump administration to spare its semiconductor industry from a planned 100% US tariff on imported chips, calling the move a potential blow to a sector that powers much of the country’s exports. Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez described the White House plan as “very disturbing” during the US-ASEAN Business Council meeting in …

Gasoline prices are expected to increase this week while diesel prices may go down, driven by benchmark market movements, shifting demand, and external developments. Jetti Petroleum president Leo Bellas said Friday that gasoline could go up by P0.40 to P0.60 per liter, while diesel may drop by P0.70 to P0.90 per liter. “MOPS prices have seesawed during the first four …

Vehicle sales in the Philippines grew by 1.4% year-on-year in July 2025, with industry leaders confident of meeting full-year growth targets despite weather-related disruptions. Data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) showed 269,207 units sold from January to July, up from 265,610 in the same period last year. However, …

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has raised its transmission rate for the July billing period following the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) approval of under-recoveries and its maximum allowable revenue (MAR). The transmission charge rose to P0.5923 per kilowatt hour (kWh) from P0.4611 in June. While ancillary services rates dipped to P0.5872/kWh from P0.6182, the overall average transmission …