Business

Aboitiz Power Corp. posted a strong 41-percent core profit growth in the first six months of 2026 on higher energy prices and boosted capacity from its hydro and solar segments. The group said its core net income had jumped to P18 billion from P12.8 billion in the same period last year. For the period, beneficial earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation …

The growing use of digital payment systems by increasingly more and more Filipino business establishments  is a major factor in how the country will benefit from the proposed ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Tech Summit in Pasay City Wednesday, said the scope of the DEFA is …

Osaka-based Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. is making its first overseas pumped storage hydro (PSH) investment in the Philippines, joining tycoons Enrique Razon Jr. and Federico Lopez in a large-scale project in Rizal. Japan’s second-largest power utility has entered into definitive agreements to acquire a 14-percent equity interest in PMJVCo Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Razon’s Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. …

The country’s  competitiveness in the information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) sector got a further boost following the lifting of the seven-year moratorium on the establishment of IT parks in Metro Manila. This was stressed by Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Tereso Panga Thursday, following the release of Administrative Order (AO) 45, which was signed by President Ferdinand R. …

The country’s trade deficit widened in June from a year earlier on higher imports and exports, preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed on Thursday. At $4.94 billion, the shortfall was 12.3 percent higher than the $4.4 billion posted a year earlier. It narrowed, however, from the $6.1 billion seen in May. Total trade in goods reached $22.48 …

Most Philippine banks expect to maintain their lending standards in the third quarter of 2026, signaling continued stability in the country’s banking system despite lingering geopolitical uncertainties, according to the latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) survey. Results of the BSP’s Senior Bank Loan Officers’ Survey (SLOS), released on Thursday, showed that 75.5 percent of respondent banks expect no change …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has reminded Philippine companies and government entities planning to secure foreign loans to submit their Foreign Borrowings Plan (FBP) for the fourth quarter of 2026 and full-year 2027 on or before Sept. 30. The requirement covers resident entities intending to obtain medium- and long-term foreign loans or borrowings from non-residents, including those planning offshore …

State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has partnered with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to integrate geohazard information into its risk management system and strengthen lending and investment decisions. DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Michael O. de Jesus said the agreement gives the bank access to PHIVOLCS’ GeoRiskPH platform, enabling it to use science-based hazard …

BDO Unibank, Inc. posted a net income of ₱40.7 billion in the first half of 2026, slightly higher than the ₱40.6 billion recorded in the same period last year, as strong lending activity and improved asset quality offset higher provisions for potential risks. The bank reported a return on equity of 12.7 percent, reflecting the sustained strength of its core …

EastWest is widening access to its Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) products through new partnerships with DragonFi and Luna Securities, making it easier for Filipinos to invest for their retirement through digital platforms. The partnerships enable customers to access EastWest PERA through online investment platforms designed to simplify retirement planning and encourage long-term saving. PERA is a voluntary retirement …