Business

“Go easy on helping the poor.  Make your ayuda program only temporary, you do not have much money.” This was— in layman’s language— what Krishna Srinivasan, director for the Asia and Pacific Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), advised the Philippine government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other similarly situated states in Southeast Asia, in the face of …

Users of electricity within the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) franchise will face higher electricity rates starting in September after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approved the recovery of more than P4 billion in costs tied to a major gas plant owned by its affiliate. In an order promulgated on April 14, the ERC gave Meralco the go signal to recover …

The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to apply space technology in improving irrigation systems and water resource management across the Philippines. The agreement, signed by PhilSA Ad Interim Director General Gay Jane P. Perez and NIA Administrator Eduardo Eddie G. Guillen, sets the stage for using satellite data …

The Philippines is a finalist for International Mollusc of the Year, and representing our country is one of the strangest and rarest species in the world. The antingaw is the first known shipworm that lives within and eats through rock. Closely related to the tamilok and ugaong, it is unique in the shipworm family because it bores through limestone rather …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) welcomes Moody’s favorable assessment of the country’s banking system and external accounts.  BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. said, “We welcome Moody’s positive assessment. It confirms what we have been seeing: our banks are strong, and our external buffers are solid. At the BSP, we will continue to safeguard financial stability through sound regulations …

The Philippine gaming industry generated Php396.14 billion in gross gaming revenues (GGR) in 2025, up 6.39% from the Php372.33 billion in the previous year, with revenues from the online and electronic gaming sector offsetting the decline in earnings from brick-and-mortar casinos. The electronic and online gaming segment – which includes the E-Bingo, E-Games, Bingo Grantees and Onsite and Offsite Poker …

The March 2026 inflation of 4.1 percent settled higher than the BSP’s announced forecast range of 3.1 to 3.9 percent, highlighting the upside inflation risks emanating from the global oil price shock. This was largely driven by higher transport-related costs following the sharp increase in domestic fuel prices, alongside higher prices of key food items, particularly rice. The inflation risk …

By DIEGO C. CAGAHASTIAN The reprieve currently in effect the West Asia hostilities due to the two-week ceasefire forged by Iran and the United States and Israel has little effect on Philippine business, as evidenced by the latest projections from local and international economic authorities. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pruned its growth forecast for the country, as this …

Unilever Philippines, together with the City Government of General Trias and its City Social Welfare Development Office (CSWD), has officially launched a livelihood partnership, named GentriAsenso, a community-based skills and livelihood program aimed at creating additional income opportunities for General Trias residents. The collaboration was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which was attended by 121 …

Manila, Philippines — Global Compact Network Philippines (GCNP), the country network of the United Nations Global Compact, has elected a new set of officers for 2026–2027. GCNP’s new officers include: PLDT’s Chief Sustainability Officer Melissa Vergel de Dios as Chairman, Globe Telecom Head of Sustainability and Social Responsibility Apple Evangelista as Vice Chair, PTC Holdings Corp. Executive Director for Corporate …