Business

State-owned Land Bank of the Philippines has temporarily closed several branches in South Cotabato and Sarangani following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake as part of precautionary safety measures. In an advisory issued last week, LandBank said the affected branches in South Cotabato include Calumping, General Santos Highway, General Santos-Pioneer, and Koronadal Highway. Also closed are the Alabel and Glan branches in …

Philippine National Bank (PSE: PNB) has strengthened its push for global-ready financial services through a new partnership with Japan’s JCB International, aimed at expanding access to secure, innovative payment solutions for Filipino customers. The agreement was formalized on May 19, 2026, at Okada Manila, bringing together PNB’s domestic banking network and JCB’s international payment expertise under a shared goal of …

TO help partner drivers further maximize their earning opportunities amid the current economic crisis, Lalamove, the leading on-demand delivery and ride-hailing platform, is extending its 0%  commission scheme for its ride-hailing service, Lalamove Ride, until the remainder of 2026—a model that has been in place for six months, beginning last December of 2025. Launched in February 2025, Lalamove Ride started …

Loans from universal and commercial banks (U/KBs) increased by 11.4 percent year-on-year in April, from 10.7 percent in March. After adjusting for seasonal fluctuations, outstanding U/KB loans were higher by 1.1 percent month-on-month, reflecting banks’ expectations of steady loan demand from businesses and households in Q2 2026. Outstanding loans to residents expanded by 11.8 percent year-on-year in April from 11.1 …

IN support of this year’s Brigada Eskwela and the reopening of schools for S.Y. 2026-2027, Manila Water Non-East Zone subsidiary Laguna Water donated refrigerated drinking fountains (RDFs) to six public schools in the municipality of Biñan, Laguna.  This is part of the Lingap Laguna project, which aims to provide access to clean and potable water in public spaces. In partnership …

REPRESENTATIVES from the Australia Philippines Business Council (APBC), the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), and Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) visited Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) – the Port of Melbourne terminal of International Container Terminal Services, Inc., as part of activities marking the 80 th  anniversary of diplomatic …

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — A memorable wedding is often the result of countless creative details coming together seamlessly. From fashion and floral design to styling, entertainment, and hospitality, every element contributes to an experience that feels uniquely personal. This spirit of collaboration was on full display at Light The Aisle: A Luminous Beginning, held at the Grand Ballroom of Solaire Resort …

By DIEGO C. CAGAHASTIAN IT IS reassuring that while businessman Henry Lim Bon Liong of Sterling Paper Group of Companies and SL Agritech passed away two years ago, his vision for greater rice harvests for Filipino farmers through hybrid rice production has seen the light of day in the efforts of preeminent Chinese agronomist Professor Zhang Zhaodong, the executive vice …

The Department of Energy (DOE), AboitizPower Corp., and National Power Corp., are studying a proposed memorandum of understanding to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study on potential nuclear plant sites nationwide. This developed as Aboitiz Power Corp. is supporting the government’s push to integrate nuclear power into the country’s energy mix by helping identify potential sites for development. The study will …

Inflation was monitored by the government at 6.8 percent in May 2026 on the back of slower annual increases in the costs of transport, food, housing, water, electricity, and gas, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday. It was slower than the 7.2 percent inflation recorded in April but faster than the 1.3 percent inflation seen in May 2025. …