December, 2025

• 28 December

  SEC tightens rules on beneficial ownership disclosures

  

  The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a revised regulatory framework shoring up its regulatory function and improving the accuracy, timeliness and truth about beneficial ownership (BO) disclosures of firms. In a statement released Tursday, the SEC said it issued Memorandum Circular No. 15, Series of 2025 on Dec. 22 that paves the way for the issuance of revised …

  Read More »
• 28 December

  GOCC subsidies drop 39% in November

  

  Vital public services are expected to be negatively affected with the government’s policy or propensity to scale down its subsidies to government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs). Data from the Bureau of Treasury showed that these subsidies fell 38.91% year on year in November. Budgetary support to state-run firms totaled P7.47 billion in November. Month on month, GOCC subsidies fell 16.23%. In …

  Read More »
• 28 December

  99-year land leases to foreigners begin 

  

  Starting on Sunday, January 4, 2026, foreign businessmen and corporations may henceforth lease land in the Philippines for 99 years, almost negating the stringent land ownership limits enshrined in the 1987 Constitution. Last Thursday, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Board of Investments (BOI) jointly announced the signing of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for Republic …

  Read More »
• 28 December

  Information drive on FX market underway  

  

  The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) wants the public to know more about the foreign exchange market (FX), especially investors and financial business stakeholders. This is the rationale for the BSP’s current move to engage in a  nationwide information drive for a more investor-friendly FX environment. BSP Director Jodeth Niña R. Yeung has been conducting lectures in key regional centers including …

  Read More »
• 28 December

  Go touts fiscal discipline 

  

  The Department of Finance (DOF) stressed that exercising fiscal discipline will be critical heading into 2026 as the Philippines continues to recover from the flood control corruption scandal. Finance Secretary Frederick Go said agencies should prioritize spending on projects with the highest economic returns. “The key to that fiscal discipline is that all the agencies take a very good look …

  Read More »
• 28 December

  Bill filed to ensure party-list exclusivity for marginalized sectors

  

  By Tracy Cabrera  ‌SENATE. Pasay City — With some sectoral representation being accused of involvement in corruption and irregularities in government’s infrastructure development initiatives embroiled, Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV is now seeking to reform the country’s party-list system by ensuring that it remains exclusively for marginalized and underrepresented sectors.  This came in the wake of growing concerns that the …

  Read More »
• 28 December

  Depression may have prompted Cabral to commit suicide

  

  By Tracy Cabrera  ERMITA, Manila — Amidst initial findings that former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina ‘Cathy’ Cabral committed suicide, forensic pathologists disclosed that the ex-public works official has tested positive for the antidepressant citalopram.  Last week, Cabral was found unconscious near the Bued River on December 19, at the bottom of a 20-meter cliff along Kennon. …

  Read More »
• 27 December

  Broken Hearts Club

  

  Handa na ba kayong magrelapse nang malala? Start the year right and join the Broken Hearts Club Music Festival on January 7, 2026 at the SM MOA Arena. Demo Power brings a lineup of the greatest OPM artists who will make you feel all kinds of emotion—from your first heartbreak to your biggest breakup recovery stage. Get your tickets now …

  Read More »
• 27 December

  PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit spotlights PropertyGuru Week 2025 with conversations on ‘Trusted Marketplaces and Thriving Communities’ 

  

  ARES 2025 PROMOTES INDUSTRY DIALOGUE, REINFORCING THE ROLE OF SECURE, DEPENDABLE PLATFORMS IN SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT URBAN DEVELOPMENT  BANGKOK, Thailand — The 11th edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit (ARES 2025), supported by Sybarite Architects, highlighted PropertyGuru Week 2025 in the company of experts and industry leaders from across Asia Pacific. Also known as the thought leadership platform of …

  Read More »
• 27 December

  SM Cares Turns Movie Tickets Into Classrooms Nationwide

  

  Pasay City — SM Cares, the social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, has launched “From Reel to Real Stories: HOPE in a Movie”, a nationwide campaign that transforms everyday movie experiences into meaningful support for public school classrooms. The campaign kicked off on December 18 with a special screening at SM Cinema Mall of Asia, bringing together partners, advocates, and …

  Read More »