Business

The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry Advisory Council (SEIAC), chaired by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (OSAPIEA), has mapped out a five-year action plan to build a skilled workforce and strengthen the country’s position in the global semiconductor and electronics industry. The plan was presented during the council’s second meeting, where discussions …

The Department of Energy (DOE) said last week that while power supply remains sufficient to support the growing data center industry, it needs the sector’s long-term roadmap to properly assess its impact on the energy market. Speaking at the ABS-CBN News Channel forum “The Clean Energy Shift: Powering a Green Economy with Renewable Energy” in Quezon City, DOE Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara …

Foreign investments approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) surged by 33.5 percent in the first nine months of 2025, reaching around ₱154.7 billion from nearly ₱115.9 billion in the same period last year. In a statement last week, PEZA Director General Tereso Panga said the approvals, covering 215 projects, highlight “enduring investor confidence in the Philippines” and keep …

Foreign-currency-denominated loans granted by banks in the second quarter of the year inched up by 0.9 percent to USD15.93 billion from USD15.78 billion in the previous quarter, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed. Year-on-year, foreign currency deposit unit (FCDU) loans were higher by 1.9 percent. These are loans extended by local banks’ FCDUs or branches of foreign …

The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) will put several real properties and transportation equipment up for sale through electronic public bidding (e-bidding) later this month. In a statement last week, PDIC said bids will be accepted through its e-bidding portal (https://assetsforsale.pdic.gov.ph) starting 9 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2025 until 1 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2025. Submitted bids will be opened …

Bank lending continued to grow in August but at a slightly slower pace, while domestic liquidity expanded at a faster rate, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported Thursday. Preliminary data showed outstanding loans from universal and commercial banks (U/KBs) rose 11.2 percent year-on-year in August, easing from 11.8 percent in July. Total lending during the month reached ₱13.61 trillion. …

The national government’s debt stock slightly eased to ₱17.47 trillion as of end-August 2025, down 0.5 percent from ₱17.56 trillion in July, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) reported Tuesday. The decline was attributed mainly to the government’s full repayment of its largest local bond for the year, worth ₱516.34 billion, as well as the peso’s appreciation, which lowered the …

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) remains upbeat about the Philippines’ economic prospects, saying the country will stay resilient amid a challenging global environment. In its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) September 2025 report released last week, the ADB projected the Philippine economy to grow by 5.6 percent this year and slightly quicken to 5.7 percent in 2026. While the 2026 forecast was trimmed …

Investor jitters over alleged anomalies in government flood control projects dragged the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) lower for a fifth straight day Friday, while the peso closed flat against the US dollar. The PSEi slipped 0.25% to 6,027.12, while the broader All Shares index shed 0.24% to 3,644.80. Property (-1.55%), Services (-0.88%), and Holding Firms (-0.12%) pulled the market …

Starbucks announced Thursday that it will slash nearly 900 non-retail jobs and close dozens of stores in North America as part of a restructuring plan to curb costs. The US-based coffee giant said its company-operated store count in the region will shrink by about 1% in fiscal year 2025, bringing the total to nearly 18,300 outlets across the US and …