The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

The bid to ensure the availability of clean and sustainable power gained traction this year as the Department of Energy (DOE) pursued programs that encourage more investments into renewable energy (RE). The share of RE to the total energy mix is already around 32 percent, near the 35 percent goal by 2030. The target is to further increase this to …

The Philippines posted an improvement on its International Investment Position (IIP) as of end-September 2025 after net external liability declined to USD58.2 billion. Data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monday night showed that the latest IIP of the Philippines is a 13.2 percent improvement from the USD67 billion at the end of the first half of this …

Manila Water said on Friday it continues to meet government wastewater standards across all its sewage treatment plants, posting 100-percent compliance in November 2025 and consistently surpassing the 95-percent regulatory target. This achievement underscores its commitment to safeguarding rivers and communities through responsible wastewater management, the company said in a statement. The standards cover key indicators such as biochemical oxygen …

LOVE FOR ALL​By: Virginia Rodriguez Hunger remains one of the most painful realities for many Filipino families, especially among the poor and Indigenous Peoples in far-flung communities. Programs that directly address empty stomachs are not just acts of charity; they are investments in human dignity. This is why the continued implementation of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), strengthened by partnerships …

By Rose de la Cruz IT CERTAINLY would be a good, if not the best, year in 2026 for the Department of Agriculture. Considering that it is set to get a final allocation of at least P216.1 billion after various legislative adjustments.  The DA welcomed the House’s approval of its proposed P216.1 billion budget for 2026—a P39.4 billion increase from …

THE damage on irrigation systems caused by illegal quarrying in the Upper Pampanga River Irrigation System (UPRIS) is expected to disrupt the planting of rice in 37,000 hectares in Nueva Ecija– the country’s rice bowl – prompting the Department of Agriculture to shift production in said farms to mungbean production. The disruption threatens to slash the country’s summer rice harvest …

WITH onion harvest coming by the start of February, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform told the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to intensify their operations against onion smuggling, warning that illegal imports could once again undermine local farmers and distort market prices. Pangilinan stressed that the influx …

By DA Press Office THE ban on sugar importation would stay until December 2026– not September as reported– to extend the protection for local sugar producers in view of improving supply conditions, the Department of Agriculture said. “Based on the current outlook for sugar production and demand, a longer import moratorium than initially suggested is necessary,” explained DA Secretary Francisco …

By Bloomberg News AFTER last year’s historic rally, cocoa prices are heading for a record annual slump. But there’s no sign the cost of candies, bars or chocolate will follow any time soon.  Cocoa futures almost tripled last year, inflicting pain on manufacturers, who in turn hiked chocolate prices. They’re still working through beans they bought at the top of …

by Boy Villasanta It is written in the stars. ​And the story, generally, goes this way. The reluctant star in award-winning director Jeffrey Jeturian has finally shone brighter. True, Jeturian’s presence in the constellation of heavenly bodies alongside or in the midst of firmament on the ground  (mixed metaphor, anyone?) of pulsating galaxy of filmmakers has been felt but it …