The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

A proposal in the Senate is pushing for temporary financial relief measures to help Filipinos cope with rising fuel costs, with Senator Mark Villar filing a resolution urging government lenders to ease repayment terms. Filed as Senate Resolution No. 366, the measure calls on state-run financial institutions—including the Social Security System, Pag-IBIG Fund, Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank …

Malacañang last week dismissed a surge of online rumors about the health of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., saying he remains focused on addressing the country’s energy crisis despite what officials described as a coordinated disinformation campaign. Dave Gomez, acting secretary of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), said the agency’s Anti-Fake News Desk has detected a “sudden and coordinated surge” …

Around 15,000 overseas Filipino workers have reached out to the government for possible repatriation as tensions in the Middle East persist, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said. In a statement released last week, the agency said assisting OFWs—especially those in distress or considered vulnerable—remains a top priority, with those who have completed documentary requirements already being processed and monitored …

More than 431,000 members and pensioners have qualified for the refund program of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), with ₱6.2 billion already disbursed as of April 8, the state pension fund said last week.. The agency said the rollout signals the start of crediting refunds to approved applicants, with proceeds expected to be received within three working days after …

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Thursday said the government could save as much as ₱25.6 billion this year after enforcing a 20-percent reduction in non-essential spending across agencies. The cost-cutting measure is part of efforts to create fiscal space as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt global energy supply and drive up fuel prices. …

A senator is calling for the ускорation of the tax bureau’s digital transformation as the April 15 income tax filing deadline approaches, saying improved systems would ease compliance and boost collections. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said he has filed Senate Resolution No. 316 to review the integrated digital system of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), in line with the requirements …

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed optimism that a reported two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran could help ease global oil supply pressures and bring relief to the Philippines amid continuing fuel price volatility. He said any move that could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would be particularly significant, as it would allow normal shipping …

Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized the importance of existing tax incentives in helping schools and private education partners cope with rising operational expenses driven by global economic pressures and instability in the Middle East. Angara said these fiscal measures act as a buffer that allows the education sector to continue investing in quality learning despite increases in fuel, transport, and …

Text and photo by Tracy Cabrera  RIZAL PARK, Manila — Mindful of the prevailing energy crisis and the government’s need to stabilize the country’s economy, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) has accelerated its push for a fully digital, data-driven customs administration that would significantly lessen if not eliminate smuggling and corruption within the agency.  Speaking before a media forum at …

The last-minute two-week ceasefire in the Middle East may have spared the region from plunging into a catastrophic escalation, even as it offered a convenient off-ramp for the very forces that pushed it to the brink. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most critical sea lane corridors—immediately triggered a sharp drop in global oil prices, underscoring just how …