The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

Megaworld Hotels & Resorts (MHR) continues to make remarkable strides in the Philippine  hospitality industry as it takes home two of the country’s most prestigious award-giving bodies — the 11th Virtus Awards and the 28th Mabuhay Awards.  These awards highlight not only MHR’s creativity and talent pool, but also its unwavering commitment to purpose-driven leadership, inclusivity, and Filipino hospitality. “These …

Philippine trade deficit decreased in October as exports surged and imports contracted, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday. The $3.83-billion deficit was markedly lower than the year-earlier $5.81 billion, plunging by 34.2 percent, and also fell from $4.67 billion in September. China and Hong Kong, with a total of $1.832 billion goods bought, are the biggest …

Inflation in November is likely to settle within the range of 1.1 to 1.9 percent, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Friday.  This would be lower than the target range of 2 to 4 percent set by economic managers.  From January to October, the inflation rate averaged 1.7 percent, remaining flat below this range, as food prices largely …

BEYOND ELLIPTICALBy Rose Marie de la Cruz ALL those decades I have spent covering the agriculture beat, including the National Irrigation Administration, the nearest to transparency that I can remember in my coverage is ocular inspection and briefings of the projects.  We were told by NIA heads– then and now—the cost of the projects, the size of farmlands that would …

FARM damage caused by typhoons “Tino” and “Uwan” hit P5.16 billion affecting 135,616 farmers who lost over 200,000 metric tons of crops planted in 117,458 hectares. The agriculture department said further damage and losses are expected in affected regions as assessment and validation are yet ongoing. The bulk of damage was from Uwan, which accounted for 76 percent of losses …

DUE to limited funding and stocks of rice to expand the target beneficiaries of the P20 per kg. rice program, the Department of Agriculture would institute stricter controls by requiring registry of beneficiaries with a QR code where they can buy the staple wherever they are. The move is intended to prevent repeat and multiple purchases of rice, as had …

FISH unloading managed to rise in the third quarter 7.6 percent, year on year (YOY),  notwithstanding the successive typhoons and earthquakes that struck the country. The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority noted that regional fish ports (RFPs) delivered in the third quarter reached 139,057.66 metric tons (MT) from July to September, up from 129,227.5 MT for the same period in 2024. …

DESPITE its past failure to implement effectively the suggested retail prices for pork and beef, the Department of Agriculture is eyeing adopting SRP for three basic items in Filipino foods– carrots, pork and onions, whose prices have stayed above P200 per kilo since three months ago.  And with the Yuletide season just around the bend, it is more difficult to …

For 26 years, Unang Hirit (UH) has been the nation’s morning companion, bringing early news, fresh energy, and true public service to millions of Filipinos. As it celebrates its 26th anniversary, the shout rings louder than ever: GISING NA, UNANG HIRIT NA! UH has never been just about waking people up. It’s also about waking Filipinos to hard truths that matter, from corruption …

by Boy Villasanta Yesterday’s massive anti-corruption rally 2nd Trillion Peso March and other independent movements at EDSA People Power Monument and Rizal Park spearheaded by 1Sambayanan and multi-sectoral groups was initially estimated to have at least 300,000 participants. But according to authorities, more than one million rallyists joined the mass action to address and demand transparency and accountability from the perpetrators …