The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

THE Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority, an agency under the Department of Agriculture, has stopped the delivery of 11,000 bags of fertilizers for Oriental and Occidental Mindoro provinces after discovering violations of FPA regulations that could trigger sanctions and possible blacklisting for Agri-Victorious Trading Corp. based in Cagayan. The company secured a contract to supply fertilizer under the DA’s program in …

THE GOVERNMENT’S proposed five-minute X-ray inspection of imported agricultural containers in the first border facilities does not sit well with local pork producers as this might cause the entry of transboundary diseases. The Xray inspections are supposed to begin in 2027. Vice chairman Alfred Ng of the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NatFed) said the Philippine Council for Agriculture …

LIMITED pork importation will be crucial in helping the swine herd recover, as the Department of Agriculture (DA) ramps up hog repopulation efforts. “We will increase our production definitely because the government has a repopulation fund. But if excessive imports remain, farmers will lose because they (will have to sell) below production cost,” Alfred Ng, vice chairman of the National …

By Boy Villasanta The number of multimedia stars who are throwing invective on Quezon City Fourth District Congressman Jesus “Bong” Suntay over his lewd comments on actress Anne Curtis is increasing by the day. Since Suntay thrusted his sexual fantasies on Anne as a trigger of male’s worldly desires the same imagination as the sedition, insurrection and political destabilization cases …

Politics and show business are indeed no strange bedfellows. It has again surfaced when Jesus “Bong” Suntay, Quezon City Fourth District Representative said in his partisan privilege speech at the recent impeachment hearing of Vice President Sara Duterte that the charges of sedition, insurrection and political stabilization against her are just products of one’s imagination. Here, Suntay presented an analogy …

After a month-or-so-stay at the Gateway Hotel and Suites in Iloilo, one is tempted to say that its General Manager’s quest for quality in music as an artistic pursuit however on the pop culture level. After having jazz couple Jeannie Tiongco and Henry Katindig waxing out soothing and mesmerizing soulful tunes and Amazing Diva Armida Zuniega belting out goldies anthems …

Inflation accelerated to 2.4% in February, the fastest in 13 months, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) this week. The latest figure is 0.4 percentage points higher than January’s 2.0% and slightly above the 2.1% recorded in February 2025. The PSA attributed the uptick mainly to faster price increases in food and non-alcoholic beverages, where inflation …

As the Iran war rages, authorities have projected that diesel oil is estimated to rise by P19.62 per liter, while gasoline may see an increase of P10.43 per liter, with the announcement of final price movements expected today, March 9. Based on the full five days of trading for the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS), the industry’s regional gauge for …

President Bongbong Marcos may impose a four-day work week on government offices without much change in public service, but he cannot do so on factories without upending manufacturing operations, trade and export commitments. This was the position taken by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) when it urged the government to adopt a “balanced and evidence-based” approach to …

Enrique K. Razon Jr., International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) Chairman and President, said: digit growth across volume, revenues, EBITDA, and net income. These results reflect the quality of our diversified global portfolio, resilience of demand across our markets, and the disciplined execution of our long-term strategy. The 11 percent increase in consolidated volume underscores the strength of our customer …