The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

Hundreds of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) volunteers will join cleanup drives at 15 sites across the country this weekend to mark International Coastal Cleanup Day, in line with the company’s ongoing initiative to clear rivers and waterways of waste. SMC’s Team Malasakit employee-volunteers are targeting to conduct 55 coastal cleanups in all, following last year’s record collection of 36.3 metric …

Global insights firm TransUnion projects faster credit expansion in the Philippines as steady economic growth and easing inflation create a favorable borrowing environment. The economy grew 5.5% year-on-year in Q2 2025, driven by strong household spending, agriculture rebound, and inflation easing to 1.4%. With the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas cutting policy rates to 5%, borrowing conditions are becoming more supportive. …

Eight new hybrid RTGs boost capacity, improve efficiency, and support ICTSI’s drive toward sustainable port operations. International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has added eight hybrid rubber- tired gantries (RTGs) to its flagship Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), expanding capacity, improving operational efficiency, and advancing its sustainability goals. Built by Japan’s Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., the RTGs feature …

Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana (OPC), a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. in Honduras, continues to set the standard for ports in the country and the CA-4 region with the launch of its inaugural sustainability report. OPC is the first port in the country and the region to publish such document. OPC’s sustainability report embodies the company’s commitment to transparency, …

By Tracy Cabrera What began as a peaceful anti-corruption rally turned violent Sunday when masked infiltrators disrupted the “Trillion Peso March” in Luneta and nearby protest sites, clashing with police and leaving about 100 officers injured and 72 people arrested. According to Manila Police District chief Brig. Gen. Arnold Abad, the injuries were mostly minor, caused by rocks and bottles …

ManilART, the country’s national art fair, returns for its 17th edition with the theme “Across Forms, Beyond Borders,” a celebration of the fluid and cyclical nature of inspiration. Set to run from October 15–19, 2025 at the SMX Aura Convention Center, Taguig City, this year’s fair highlights how creativity transcends categories, with artists drawing inspiration from disciplines including fashion, functional …

Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya and his wife, Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, appeared before Department of Justice (DOJ) officials in Manila on Friday to explore the possibility of turning state witnesses. The couple submitted affidavits for evaluation, but DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stressed that admission to the Witness Protection Program (WPP) is not automatic and remains confidential. “State witnesses must tell the …

Despite looming reductions in the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DoLE) 2026 budget, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma remains confident the agency can fulfill its mandate of stabilizing the labor sector and expanding job and livelihood opportunities for Filipinos. Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum hosted by veteran journalist Marichu Villanueva in Malate, Manila, Laguesma explained that budget cuts …

The Department of Education (DepEd) has ordered an audit of its school building projects with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) after finding that around 1,000 classrooms nationwide remain incomplete. Education Secretary Sonny Angara said some of these projects had already been turned over, despite lacking basic requirements such as paint and electricity. “They’re not ghost projects, but …

Despite escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines is keeping diplomatic channels open with China as both nations mark 50 years of ties this year. Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said her meeting Friday with Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian was “candid but constructive,” noting that recent incident-free resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal …