The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recognized the Philippines’ significant strides in combating money laundering and terrorism financing. In its latest report, the IMF commended the country’s progress in addressing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) issues, noting that these efforts should persist. It also welcomed the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) acknowledgment that the Philippines has substantially completed its …

The Land Bank of the Philippines has assured its stakeholders of its financial stability and regulatory compliance following the allocation of P50 billion to the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF). In a statement released recently, Landbank emphasized that it continues to meet and even surpass the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) minimum Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), a critical measure of a …

The Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) have demonstrated strong financial performance, putting them in a position to expand services and better support Filipinos, the Department of Finance (DOF) announced recently. The DOF highlighted that both banks have consistently exceeded the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) minimum capital adequacy ratio (CAR), a …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has revised its projections for the country’s balance of payments (BOP) surplus for 2024 and 2025, signaling continued resilience in the nation’s external financial position despite ongoing global uncertainties.  The BOP, which tracks a country’s economic transactions with the rest of the world, is now expected to record a surplus of USD3.5 billion in …

By Boy Villasanta The beginning of the year marks the birthday celebration of Ihman Basas Esturco, Coco Martin’s ex-talent manager who has been a perennial balikbayan during this season to mark time and again his nth summers. 2025 is as significant and memorable for Ihman as any of his birthdays in the past.            It is because Coco was again around, this time, …

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has teamed up with Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Office III and the Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU) to establish a 10-hectare ethnobotanical learning facility in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac. BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Engr. Joshua M. Bingcang on December 13, 2024 signed memoranda of agreement with the …

By Jinky Jorgio  President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has demonstrated his commitment to improving the country’s infrastructure with the inauguration of the Panguil Bay Bridge, the longest water-spanning bridge in Mindanao.    Opened in September 2024, the 3.16-kilometer bridge connects Tangub City in Misamis Occidental to Tubod in Lanao del Norte, providing comfort and convenience to more than 10,000 commuters …

The Department of Education (DepEd) announced its partnership with the Land Registration Authority (LRA) to speed up the construction of school buildings in the country. Under the signed memorandum of agreement (MOA) with LRA, the DepEd will secure electronic land titles which will be converted from manually-issued ones. “Nakikita natin (We are seeing) that the lack of title signifies lack …

Office rentals in Metro Manila are projected to further decline in the coming year mainly due to an oversupply of vacant spaces, according to a global commercial real estate services firm. In its latest Asia Pacific Outlook 2025 report, Cushman & Wakefield said average headline rents are forecast to decline by an additional 3.20 percent in 2025. Average headline rents …

Carlos Yulo made everything moot and academic. The human dynamo gymnast made history as the first ever Filipino athlete to win two gold medals in the Olympics in a fitting exploit celebrating the country’s century of participation in the Summer Games. Yulo, 24, scored the rare double gold by topping the men’s floor exercise and vault, respectively, leading the Philippines …